Educating. Organizing. Mobilizing. That’s how Detroit Federation of Teachers members have spent the last few weeks. And our work is making a difference.
In the weeks since Michigan House Republicans pushed through a horrible set of anti-public education and anti-union bills to destroy our schools and take away our voices, DFT members have been fighting back!
DFT members—including those who signed up to serve as education advocates—have made hundreds of phone calls and knocked on hundreds of doors, talking with residents around the state and encouraging them to join our fight to save Detroit’s public schools.
Several members have had face-to-face conversations with state legislators to share frontline stories about the challenges Detroit’s students and educators face every day in under-resourced schools and classrooms.
Because of your hard work and activism, lawmakers have been working on a resolution to keep Detroit’s public schools open and enable the district to provide summer school and the special education services that our students need and deserve.
A lot has been done, but we’ve still got a long way to go.
We know there are legislators and special interest groups who are pushing policies that would bankrupt our schools, bust our union and force us all to reapply for our jobs. Our fight continues to focus on urging lawmakers to pass legislation that provides funding to pay off the debt, ensure Detroit Public Schools is financially viable and return control of our schools to the people of Detroit. That’s why we support the Michigan Senate education package, which pays the debt and provides $200 million for transition costs and building renovations.
Our union has invested resources to ensure that important legislative outreach work is done while educators are in classrooms. But lawmakers and people around the state also need to hear from you—the educators on the frontlines who are making a difference for children every day.
This will be a defining moment in ourfight for Detroit kids. Now is the time to do everything we can to ensure our students have access to summer school and special education services after June 30 and to ensure they have schools to attend in September.
Phone banking: Help us make calls to members and other residents who live in the targeted legislative districts. Through the end of the school year, phone banking will be held Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (except for Memorial Day) at AFT Michigan, 2661 E. Jefferson Ave., and Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Detroit Association of Educational Office Employees, 115 W. Willis St. Sign up here.
Labor to Neighbor community canvassing: Now through the end of the school year, join us for door-to-door conversations with neighbors about how we can save public education in Detroit. Walks begin on Saturday, June 4, at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., from DAEOE. Sign up here.
Our Education Advocates outside the Capitol after meeting with legislators.
Let Us Know You’re Still Committed
The end-of-the-school-year countdown has begun. It’s time to show that you’re still committed to building and maintaining power for educators through our union, the Detroit Federation of Teachers.
These DFT members are #StillCommitted!
Help keep our union strong and protect our collective voice by signing up today for alternative dues collection.
Shoutout to DFT members at Cooke and Nichols for Keeping It 100!
A full 100 percent of DFT members at Cooke Elementary School and Nichols Elementary-Middle School have signed up for alternative dues collection. As DFT members at schools around the city continue to sign up, keep in mind that our sisters and brothers in the other AFT Detroit unions are in the fight with us. It’s important to encourage all school staff to sign up for alternative dues collection with their respective unions.