The DFT Elections Committee has prepared documents for the Spring 2026 Election Cycle. You will find the information here for 2 sets of elections:

• delegates election for AFT Michigan and the AFT National Conventions
• positions on the Election Committee

The Election Committee presented the information at the January General Membership Meeting.

Planning ahead: AFT Michigan Convention will be Saturday, May 2nd at Huntington Place in Detroit while the AFT National Convention will be held in Washington, D.C. from Thursday, July 16 to Sunday, July 19, 2026.

Here are the documents:

1. Duties of Election Committee (2026)
2. Delegate Instructions (2026)
3. 2026 Election Committee Calendar
4. 2026 Delegate Election Calendar
5. 2026 Election Committee Nomination & Acceptance Form
6. 2026 Delegate Nomination & Acceptance Form

All questions about the Spring 2026 Elections can be directed to the DFT Election Committee @ dft231ec@gmail.com.

The DFT Office will close at the end of the day on Friday, December 19th and will remain closed for the next two weeks. The office will reopen on Monday, January 5, 2026. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.

The following resolution was adopted by members at the December General Membership Meeting.

RESOLUTION

TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND STAFF DURING IMMIGRATION RAIDS

December 11, 2025 General Membership Meeting

WHEREAS, four students from Western International High School have been detained in the last two months by Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement despite the fact that all of them have filed formal petitions for asylum.

WHEREAS, the student climate and learning culture at Western and for all immigrant students in DPSCD is now one of fear instead of hope.

WHEREAS, the teachers at Western International are often the first to learn about their students' detainment and have gone above and beyond the call of duty to fight to find their students' quality lawyers and resources to help under a limited time constraint.

WHEREAS, the teacher unions of Chicago and New York City have already made such public statements.

THEREFORE, IT BE RESOLVED that as the Detroit Federation of Teachers Union we make a public statement that

1. Requests our four DPSCD students, Mor, Santiago, Kerly, and Antony be released from ICE custody and returned home immediately.

2. Call on our new mayor elect Mary Sheffield to reiterate that as a welcoming city, Detroit Police Department should not cooperate with ICE and Border Patrol. We have seen this done successfully by the Minneapolis, Chicago and New York City mayors.

THEREFORE, IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that DFT and DPSCD provide training for all schools on how to help migrant kids and families avoid getting picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at home or in public – going beyond the district’s guidance limited to keeping ICE out of schools.

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 educator, a political and community activist by awarding him the Walter Bergman Human Rights Award. Funeral arrangements have been announced by Swanson Funeral Home and can be found on this link: https://www.swansonfuneralhomes.com/obituary/dr-arthur-divers.

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.

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.