A Republican legislative leader says bankruptcy for the Detroit school district must remain on the table unless the Legislature passes "serious reforms" aimed at putting it back on the path to sustainability.
House Speaker Kevin Cotter on Thursday cited proposals outlined Wednesday by Republicans. They include restricting teachers' collective bargaining rights, moving new hires into a 401(k) retirement system and implementing merit pay.
Democrats have criticized such measures.
Other proposals would rank schools with letter grades and focus on early literacy.
Governor Rick Snyder is seeking to spend $770 million over a decade to pay down debt and launch a new district.
Cotter says he wants to "solve problems, not enable them." He says "cutting a check without reforms does nothing but buy time for us to fall further behind."
