40,000 Books Coming to Detroit! [12.5.13]

A truck of 40,000 FREE books will be arriving in Detroit Jan. 25. These books are made possible by the work of the DFT and other local unions, the AFT, and an organization called First Book. First Book collects excess books from publishers and redistributes them at a nominal cost to children in need. That cost will be picked up by the AFT, the DFT, the Detroit Federation of Paraprofessionals and the Detroit Association of Educational Office Employees.

Detroit Public Schools teachers can register to get 35 books for their students or classrooms. We are working to get another truck to arrive in March. To do that, we need 2,000 people who live or work in Title 1 (high-poverty) areas to fill out a simple registration. Everyone should register, which gets you into the discount book marketplace.

You can register by filling out a simple registration by Dec. 31. Fill out the registration TODAY by visiting: www.firstbook.org/aft.

Gompers Featured on Detroit Public TV Dec. 11 [12.4.13]

A documentary that features Gompers seventh-graders on their trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts will premiere on Detroit Public TV (PBS Channel 56) on Dec. 11. The title of the documentary is "Detroit Art City" and will broadcast at 9 p.m.

Gompers staff members Leslie Waters, Sylvia Tillman and Harold Harris were invited to a special screening two days before the premiere at the museum.

DPS Plan to Reach Out to Every Parent [12.3.13]

The Retention, Customer Service and Appreciation Campaign:

The district plans a new citywide campaign, personalized at each school, to reach every parent in Detroit Public Schools over a 60-day period and directly communicate with parents of competing educational providers, creating the opportunity to meet short term goals leading to long term stability. The State's new funding formula makes the February Count date in 2014 all the more important because the results will impact this year's budget.

As part of this, I strongly encourage all of our members to participate in the retention initiatives, in particular the request to place a personalized phone call to all of the families of the children in your classrooms, with a short message to thank them for entrusting their children to DPS for their education. At the secondary level, there will be support to ensure that all calls can be made.

This personal touch will make a huge difference if we can do this across the district. Along with efforts to bring in more students from EAA and other educational providers, we have the chance to stabilize and grow enrollment at this most crucial time.

Keith Johnson, DFT president

Detroit Teacher - December 2013

News in this issue of The Detroit Teacher:

  • Building Reps Learn Value of DFT
  • DPS's Improving Financial Status Must Not be Temporary
  • 40,000 Books Coming to Detroit
  • Afraid to Take a Sick Day?

and much more....[Download here].

Alert: Layoff Notices [11.22.13]

Teachers who received layoff notices in the last few weeks should check their DPS EMAIL to see if they received rescission letters.

5 More Weeks of Hustle Lessons! [11.19.13]

The DFT will be hosting 5 more weeks of Hustle Lessons, thanks to our sponsor NTA Life Insurance Company. The classes are at the DFT Hall and run on Tuesdays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. starting TODAY! Join us for fun, exercise and union camaraderie. For more info [click here].

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