Congratulations, Candice Jackson. One of our union members has been named 2023-2024 Michigan Teacher of the Year by the state Department of Education.Ms. Jackson, who has been in the district since 2002, says it was a shock to be nominated. She was contacted by the state and asked to complete an application, which she says wasn't even on her radar. After her interview in Lansing, she said she felt good. Ms. Jackson was named as Region 10 (City of Detroit) Teacher of the Year in mid-April.  She was presented with the regional award by the DPSCD School Board at its April Regular Board meeting.

As Michigan Teacher of the Year she will have a seat at the State Board of Education table as a non-voting member, attend several national conferences with fellow state teachers of the year, and will be Michigan’s candidate for National Teacher of the Year. We are proud that she will be using her experience as a union member and a DPSCD teacher to advocate for students.

Her advice for new teachers is to find a good mentor for yourself. She also says to build a relationship with your students and their families. You have to let children know how much you care. Those relationships you build helps to bridge the gaps.

She is a Michigan State Spartan grad and undergrad and began her career at Newberry Elementary. She moved to Ronald Brown Academy and is now a third grade Math Master Teacher at Mann Elementary. She has also taught first and second grades.

She says she is humbled and hopes she does a good job representing the district and the DFT. We know she will. 

Funeral Service Announcement for Ruby Newbold

Today, March 3, 2023 all schools will dismiss two (2) hours earlier than the normal dismissal time. The early dismissal is due to a Winter Storm Warning developing this afternoon.

Please see the following DFT/DPSCD contract language:

Article Twenty-Five: Emergency School Closures: Emergency Weather Conditions

"When individual schools are closed after the start of the school day, teachers will also be dismissed."

In the case of students who are not picked up immediately after dismissal, this is  also addressed in the CBA

Article Seven: School Schedules Section Seven

"At the elementary school level, teachers will escort their students to the designated dismissal door; any students not picked up will be escorted by the teacher to a place identified in the building procedures. At the middle and high school levels, teachers will clear the halls of students in their area of the building." 

Please click the following links to review the 2020-2021 Tentative Agreement (TA) with the Detroit Public Schools Community District.  

• 2020-2021 TA Section 1-5
• 2020-2021 TA Section 6-14
• 2020-2021 TA Section 15-19

It comes with great sadness that I report that John Elliott, former Detroit Federation of Teachers president, has died. He led our local from 1981 to 2001 and holds the distinction of being the first African American to serve in the post.

Brother Elliott’s career as a Detroit Public Schools teacher began in 1961. He rose through the ranks as a DFT member, a union administrative assistant in 1966, and as an executive board member and executive vice president, beginning in 1968. In 1987, he was elected to serve as Michigan AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer, making him the first African American to hold

2019-2020 Tentative Agreement and Wage Reopener