Early is the city's emergency manager for the school system, and there is certainly an emergency right now. There are currently 24 schools closed due to teacher "sick out" protests. Teachers believe the conditions of Detroit's public schools are atrocious. Early disagrees, and held a press conference in which he said: This irresponsible strike is damaging the young minds of DPS students, impairing their ability to learn for life, and making them more susceptible to crime and poverty. The people responsible for this strike should be fired and put in jail. Sources: H/T Metro Times