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.

Solidarity Rules!

There's nothing like putting our solidarity on display for the Mighty, Mighty DFT.

2015-16 DPS Calendar

[Download here] the 2015-16 DPS Academic Calendar.

Settlement of 2012 Lawsuit on Evaluations and Layoffs [4.16.13]

The DFT and the DPS reached a settlement agreement [Download here] which resolved a number of disputes -- one of which was the lawsuit challenging the flawed evaluation, layoff, and recall procedures used by DPS. Approximately 422 teachers were laid off as a result of those flawed procedures, which were neither negotiated nor agreed to by the DFT.

Some of the highlights of the settlement are as follows:

Teachers who received an evaluation score that did not make them "eligible" for retention shall have those scores expunged from their permanent record.
Teachers who received a score that made them

3 Percent Healthcare Deduction [8.17.12]

This afternoon, the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed our position and an earlier Court of Claims ruling that the Legislature’s imposition of the 3 percent retiree healthcare deduction from school employees’ paychecks is unconstitutional. The Attorney General is likely to appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court. Until a final decision is reached, the deductions will remain in the escrow account.

This is another victory in defense of our rights and we are confident that we will ultimately prevail and get your money back to you. Unfortunately, as you know, the Legislature yesterday passed SB 1040, which eliminates retiree health care for new hires, while increasing costs for current employees and retirees. Even after we win this lawsuit, we will all be paying more for retirement.

We will continue to provide you accurate information as we get it, and remember, the Supreme Court justices we elect this November will be the ones deciding whether you get your money back or not.

-David Hecker, AFT Michigan President

2012-13 DPS Academic Calendar

Click above for the Detroit Public Schools 2012-13 Academic Calendar.