Detroit Federation of Teachers

Candidates Address DFT Membership

Candidates seeking political office came before members at the General Membership Meeting. This fall we heard from Jocelyn Benson, Garlin Gilchrist, and Abdul El Sayed. We expect others to attend.

Having Fun at a PD for Building Reps

There's always time to sneak in a bit of fun while participating at a Building Representative professional development.

Literacy Month at Central HS

Kudos to the staff of Central High School for Literacy Month.

DFT Retirees Holiday Party

The DFT Retirees Chapter gathered at Golightly CTC for their annual Holiday Party. It was a festive time and lots of smiles at the event,

Condolences to the Family of Dr. Divers

The DFT is sending condolences to the family of Dr. Arthur J. Divers. Dr. Divers had a career in DPS spanning 43 years and was an active member of the DFT. He retired in 2001, having worked at Foch Middle School, Jefferson Intermediate, and Osborn High School. After retirement he remained active in the retirees chapter, having served as vice president and chapter president. In 2010 AFT Michigan recognized his work as an education, political, and community activist by awarding him the Walter Bergman Human Rights Award. Funeral arrangements will be announced.

DFT Schedule for Thanksgiving Week

The DFT Offices will close for the Thanksgiving holiday on Tuesday, November 25th at the end of the business day. We will reopen on Monday, December 1, 2025. We send our wishes for a safe and happy Thanksgiving for all.

Endorsements for November 2025 Local Elections

The DFT has made several endorsements in the Detroit City Council races:

Detroit City Council At Large (2 seats are up for election): Mary Waters and Coleman A. Young II
Roy McCalister, Jr., District 2
Cranstana Anderson, District 3
Renata Miller, District 5
Denzel Anton McCampbell, District 7

The DFT is a part of the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO so we are sharing their endorsements in several local races.

Wayne County
Mary Sheffield	Detroit Mayor
Renata Miller	Detroit City Council - District 5
Gabriela Santiago-Romero	Detroit City Council - District 6
Denzel Anton McCampbell	Detroit City Council - District 7
Mary Waters	Detroit City Council At-Large
Coleman A. Young II	Detroit City Council At-Large
Victoria Camille	Detroit Police Commissioner - District 7
Muhith Mahmood	Hamtramck Mayor
Patrick Brockway	Livonia City Council
Kayleigh Kavanagh Reid	Livonia City Council
Alex King	Livonia City Council
Victoria Araj	Southgate City Council
Dora Rodriguez	Trenton City Council
Kevin Coleman	Westland Mayor
LeKisha Maxwell	Westland City Council
John Sullivan	Westland City Council

Oakland County
Theresa Rich	Farmington Hills Mayor
Charlie Starkman	Farmington Hills City Council
Quinn Zeagler	Ferndale City Council
Quinn Wright	Madison Heights Mayor
Aaron Martinez	Novi City Council
Sennel K. Threlkeld	Pontiac City Council At-Large
Mark Skelcy	Rochester Hills City Council
Paul Bastian	Royal Oak City Commissioner
Ken Siver	Southfield Mayor
Annalisa Esposito Bluhm	Troy City Council
David Hamilton	Troy City Council
Sadek Rahman	Troy City Council At-Large

Macomb County
Ryan Covert	New Baltimore Mayor
Mel Eason	New Baltimore City Council
Michael Radtke	Sterling Heights City Council

Invest in MI Kids Ballot Initiative

WHAT IS THE INVEST IN MI KIDS PROPOSAL?

Read the full proposal here (It's short! Read it!)

Constitutional amendment to: add, beginning in 2027, an additional 5% tax on annual taxable income over $1 million for joint filers and over $500,000 for single filers. This tax is in addition to existing state income taxes, and is to be deposited into the State School Aid Fund and required to be used exclusively on local school district classrooms, career and technical education, reducing class sizes, and recruiting and retaining teachers; and subject funds to annual audits.

Petitions are being circulated now. This ballot proposal needs 700,000 signatures. You can view the sign-up link here: Invest in MI Kids Volunteer Hub or call the DFT Office to see how you can help. Petitions will be available at all DFT General Membership meetings.

Historic Merger of DFT and DFP

Donna Jackson with Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins

Press Conference Announcing the Merger of the Detroit Federation of Paraprofessionals with the Detroit Federation of Teachers

The Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) and the Detroit Federation of Paraprofessionals (DFP) will formally announce their merger, uniting thousands of education professionals under one strong collective voice. Union leaders will outline the impact of this historic merger on Detroit’s educators, students, and families.

When: Thursday, September 11, 2025 @ 4:30 p.m.

Where: IBEW Local 58, 1358 Abbott Street, Detroit, MI 48226, parking lot entrance is off Porter Street

Who:

Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins, President, Detroit Federation of Teachers
Terrence Martin, President, American Federation of Teachers Michigan
Donna Jackson, Former President, Detroit Federation of Paraprofessionals
Other union and community leaders

DFT Reaction to Visit By Secretary of Education

Click to read the Press Release of Secretary of Education's Visit to Detroit

We are deeply disappointed in the visits from U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and State Representative Matt Hall, given their ongoing support for billions of dollars in proposed cuts to the U.S. Department of Education and the overdue Michigan budget. Both President Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins and Executive Vice President Jason Posey are highly concerned about the implications of reduced funding for all public schools and in particular the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Read the press release in its entirety.