The Detroit Public Schools Community District and the Detroit Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 231, are pleased to announce that they have entered into a tentative agreement for a successor collective bargaining agreement for the 2023-24 school year.  The DFT Executive Board went into special session this evening and unanimously agreed to present the tentative agreement to the membership for a ratification vote. All DFT bargaining unit members are expected to report to work, tomorrow, August 21, 2023 at the start of your work day.

According to the Constitution and By-laws of the union, only members who are in good standing may cast a ballot on the tentative agreement.

DPSCD and the union have a letter of agreement for the College Transition Advisors who received lay off notices in April. We have finalized all restructuring components for those employees who held a position as a CTA with the district. All documents pertaining to options available to CTAs will also be placed on the website, under Members Only, resources tab.

• Pathway Counselor
• Academic Interventionist
• Layoff
• Severance Package

The district's director of Human Resources, Benjamin Jackson will  be contact all College Transition Advisors soon for a 15-minute session where questions can be asked to assist the CTA  in making the best decision. The CTA will have until Friday, June 16, 2023 to select an option. 

Pathway Counselors Agreement

Restructuring Options

Severance Package

The DFT participated in the annual AFT Michigan Leadership Summit at the University of Michigan-Dearborn last weekend. Treasurer Rodney Fresh, EVP Jason Posey, President Lakia Wilson and Executive Board Member, Marcus Walton, were joined by Eva Coleman, president of the Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff (ACTA).  The summit focused on three areas: collective bargaining, organizing, and legislative strategies for the year ahead.  

Last Thursday, Donna Jackson, President of the Detroit Federation of Paraprofessionals, Local  2350, Lincoln Stocks, President of the Eastpointe Federation of Educators, Local 698, Detroit Federation of Teachers, Local 231 President Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins and activists Dwan McGrady and Nastassia Szpaichler offered testimony in support of HB 4044. HB 4044 repeals PA 54 which freezes any step increases, makes employees fully responsible for healthcare increases, and prohibits retroactive pay if a collective bargaining agreement expires before a new one is reached. The members effectively highlighted other issues impacting educators from the various prohibited subjects of bargaining, the privatization of support staff and the limitation of some bargaining rights for DPSCD teachers. Their testimony set the stage for a future slate of bills that will restore the rights of educators across our state and address the critical teacher shortage we are facing. We will continue to work with our allies to ensure our members can make their voices and experience heard as these bills move through the legislature. 

Dr. Crystal Lee began her educational career in 1984 as a Special Education Instructional Aide for Wayne RESA. When the Detroit Public Schools took over the special education program in 1998, her position changed to a Special Education Trainable Aide. While she worked as a Special Education Aide, she pursued her dream of becoming a teacher and in the fall of 2009, she accepted a position at Detroit Transition Center West as a Special Education Teacher for students with severe cognitive impairments. The following year DTC West merged with DTC East to become the Charles R. Drew Transition Center, where Crystal remained for the rest of her teaching career.

Her union activism was evident early on in her career, where she served as union steward for AFSCME Local 345, a position she held for eleven years. After her move to the Detroit Federation of Teachers, she was elected as the building representative for Drew. From 2013-2018 Crystal ran for a position on the DFT Election Committee, then in 2020 she successfully ran for the Executive Board. She was recently reelected to her third term.

Crystal enrolled in the doctoral program and finished her coursework in Winter 2022 and defended her dissertation proposal in Summer 2023, which was tentatively titled “Parents’ Education Experiences of Learning for Postsecondary Students with Profound Intellectual Disabilities in Detroit, Michigan During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic”. Unfortunately, she was not able to complete her dissertation, but Wayne State University presented her with an honorary doctoral degree in 2024.

Crystal leaves behind her two sons, Michael Wilson, Jr, and Christian Clark; nine grandchildren, one great-granddaughter;  three sisters, Diana Lee (Terry), Audrey Lee, and Michelle Lee; one brother, Herbert Lee, Jr.; nieces, nephews, extended family, and her colleagues at Drew and the DFT. Preceding Crystal in death were her parents, her loving son, DeWayne Lee, and three siblings: Belinda Humes, Velveeta Lee, and Gregory Lee.

Crystal’s legacy will never be forgotten and in her own words, “I lived a good life.”

Click here for an enlarged version of the resolution:

Here is the calendar for the 2025-2027 biennial election of officers, executive board members and trustees: Click here to read the document.

1. Please complete the nomination form in its ENTIRETY in print.  Here is the Nomination Form. The nomination form is not to be altered in any way.
2. Once eligibility is determined by the DFT Office, each person who has submitted a nomination form will be notified as outlined in the Bylaws.
3. If you have a grievance regarding the election process as outlined in the Bylaws and would like to present to the Election Committee, you must send an email to dft231ec@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m., Monday, November 4, 2024. You will receive an emailed confirmation with instructions. Grievance procedures are in Article V, Election Procedures, Section 12.
4. The list of eligible candidates will be posted on October 31, 2024.

Please see Article V Elective Officers, Sections 1, 2 and 12 of the Bylaws in Key DFT Documents on DFT Website.

More information may be forthcoming from the DFT Election Committee.