Please tune in to Channel 4, WDIV, on Sunday, February 16 at 10:00 a.m. as President Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins joins host Jason Colthrop and other panelists as he hosts a roundtable on education on this week's episode of Flashpoint. The DFT was invited to give a teacher's perspective on issues such as test scores and Detroit school incentives.  

If you are not able to watch it live, the rebroadcast of the show will be uploaded to their website at https://www.clickondetroit.com/flashpoint/ or YouTube. The discussion is in the second half of the show.

It is time for the DFT to hold its annual election for the Election Committee. Nominations and acceptances for three (3) Election Committee Members and one (1) Executive Board Vacancy must be scanned and emailed to (dft231ec@gmail.com) by 5pm (EST) on February 13, 2025, or brought in person and delivered directly to the Election Committee at the February 13, 2025 General Membership Meeting. Nominations will be closed at the end of the General Membership meeting.

Here is the calendar for the Spring 2025 DFT Elections.

Here is the nomination form for the vacant Executive Board position.

Here is the nomination form for the Election Committee members.

There is much concern about the recent statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcing it would end a policy restricting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from arresting undocumented immigrants at sensitive locations such as hospitals and schools.  

We want to share some resources with our members that AFT National is providing as we deal with this uncertainty. We have also posted these resources in our January 2025 The Detroit Teacher. 

RESOURCES: https://www.aft.org/our-community/immigration

• Rights for Immigrant Students/English
• Rights for Immigrant Students/Spanish
• Deportation Defense Toolkit/English
• Deportation Defense Toolkit/Spanish
• Educators' Guide/English
• Know Your Rights Information for Students and Families/English
• Know Your Rights Information for Students and Families/Spanish
• 15 Things to Do to Protect Students/English
• Family Immigration Raid Emergency Plan/English
• Family Immigration Raid Emergency Plan/Spanish
• Share My Lesson Immigration Lesson Plans
• Colorín Colorado Serving and Supporting Immigrant Students

It was a victory, not only for educators across Michigan, but our own DFT members who were new hires after 2019. They have been able to get back the right to negotiate salary, along with all other bargaining unit members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers. We wish to express our thanks and appreciation to all union members, not just from our local, but across the state, for banding together to return the Educator Voice to us. 

 Please read this letter of agreement regarding stipends for coaches for the United Special Olympics.

AFT National and the California Federation of Teachers are raising money for people who have lost everything. Can you help by giving to the AFT Disaster Relief Fund today?  Every penny that goes into our Disaster Relief Fund will go directly to fire victims and rebuilding, with no fees or overhead taken out. There’s going to be so much that needs to be done as LA recovers and rebuilds. People have lost their homes. Communities have lost their schools. Educators have lost all the school supplies and books they spent their own money on—and so much more. While we can’t replace priceless pictures of families, heirlooms passed down from grandparents or the sense of belonging that a home gives, what we can do is show our members that they are not alone. The AFT and CFT are working hand in hand to make sure our members are OK, that they have the support and resources they need in this crisis, and that they know we’re ready to help them rebuild.

You can make a difference right now. Click here to donate to our Disaster Relief Fund. If you prefer to mail a check, make it out to CFT Disaster Relief Fund and mail to: CFT Disaster Relief Fund, 2550 North Hollywood Way, Suite 400, Burbank, CA 91505. Please note: Checks will be deposited electronically to your bank so you may see a debit on your account rather than a check deposited through your bank.