Backstreet Boys may help teachers
Source: Detriot News
Parents in Redford Union get boost in effort to stop layoffs
By Shantee' Woodards / The Detroit News
REDFORD TOWNSHIP -- The Backstreet Boys may help save local teachers from the unemployment line. Jive Records, the label on which the popular boy band records, is giving away two passes to a concert next month to help parents struggling to keep 13 Redford Union teachers from being laid off. The parents continue to hold fund-raisers with a $350,000 goal, but it may be too late to save the educators' jobs -- although it's unclear how many will be laid off.
Faced with declining enrollment and a $1.5-million deficit, the district announced in November that teachers and other staffers would be laid off after the semester that ended Friday.
"We're not stopping yet," said parent Don Sawyer, who's leading the effort. Sawyer plans to ask Redford Union school board members Monday if the deadline can be extended.
"We're still praying for a miracle," Sawyer said. "If we can somehow get an extension, I think we can raise enough money still to save those teachers' jobs."
The citizen crusaders got some late help from a local disc jockey, DJ Tic Tak, who hosts an evening show on WDRQ-FM and spent this weekend trying to raise money.
An executive from Jive Records contacted the disc jockey and kicked in two front-row tickets to a Feb. 17 Backstreet Boys concert in Minneapolis. The record company will provide air fare and hotel accommodations, along with backstage passes for visits after the concert. The radio station will announce the winner Monday at midnight.
"If we allow this to happen in one school district, it could happen all over," said Tic Tak, who doesn't reveal his name.
Through a series of bake sales, magic shows and pizza promotions, the parents estimate they've already raised enough money to save the jobs of three teachers. But the group still hopes to raise about $250,000 more.
After Tic Tak made his announcement Thursday, the station was flooded with phone calls from listeners offering help. In three hours, the station received 500 calls.
Detroit News staff reporter George Hunter contributed to this report. You can reach Shantee' Woodards at (313) 561-8623 or swoodards @detnews.com.
Back