Sudden Rash Of Teacher Vacancies Leaves Detroit School With Up To 45 Per Classroom, No Math Or Science

DETROIT (WWJ) The first day of school is tough -- when you walk into a classroom with 40 to 45 kids in it, it has to be even more difficult for students, and teachers.

That's the scenario at Western International High School in Detroit, where a sudden rash of teachers leaving the district caused overcrowding, many say.

State Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, told WWJ City Beat Reporter Vickie Thomas there were 50 teachers last year, but a rush of vacancies left the school with only 39. The school had 1,491 students in the district's most recent report, with more than 1,100 of them Hispanic, and slightly less than 1,000 having "limited English" skills.

More than 1,100 of Western's students are considered "economically disadvantaged," according to a district report.

"It's going to be a few more months before they get math and science teachers in front of their children, of a class of 40 to 45," Tlaib said.

The district spokesman said the vacancies were unexpected, adding the district found out about them only the Friday before school began, on Tuesday. District spokesman Steve Wasko said they're working on screening qualified teachers.

"You can go and see exactly what's happening in these schools and it needs to stop, I mean we're almost in October and these kids don't have a teacher in front of their classroom," Tlaib said.

Western bills itself as the "most culturally diverse comprehensive school within Detroit Public Schools," and claims bragging rights as the third most competitive school in the district, behind only Cass Tech and Renaissance High School in college scholarships awarded to its graduates.

The school underwent a $28.3 million renovation in 2011.

The school has four stars on greatschools.net, with one alumnus saying she attended the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and the University of Southern California after graduation.

"I may not have gotten here without the foundations implemented by my high school and the support of some of the teachers," she wrote.