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:

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Crystal Lee, an Executive Board Member. At the time of her passing, she was a teacher at Charles R. Drew Transition Center. She has served as an executive board member since 2020 and prior to that time, she was an Election Committee member. Crystal was elected a delegate to both state and national AFT conventions several times and served on various committees within the DFT over the years. She was a part of the School Union Committee at Drew and had previously served as its building representative.

At the December DFT General Membership Meeting she was honored with an empty chair.

Visitation is on Sunday, December 15th from 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. at O. H. Pye, III Funeral Home, 17600 Plymouth Road in Detroit.

The December 12 DFT General Membership Meeting location has been changed. We will be meeting at the Horatio Williams Foundation, 1010 Antietam in Detroit. The meeting is still scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.

The DFT Election Committee has released the results of the 2024 DFT Leadership Biennial Election. President Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins and her slate have been reelected to a second term. Serving alongside her as Vice Presidents will be Jason Posey, Robin Jennings, and Marcus Walton. Recording Secretary Elena Brantley-Phillips and Treasurer Rodney Fresh will continue in their roles. Eleven Executive Board members, of which nine are incumbents, were elected to serve on the leadership team:

1. Lisa Card 
2. Frank Donner
3. Samantha Hoskin 
4. Yolanda King
5. Crystal Lee
6. Dwan McGrady
7. Kimberly L. Mitchell
8. Marva Needham-Fletcher
9. Sarah Niemi
10. Jeff Wasilewski
11. Everette Whitfield

The three trustees elected are Cassandra Davis, Mark Duffy, and Kimberly D. Mitchell.

You can view the final certified results from Survey and Ballot Systems here: DFT 2024 Election Results--Final and Certified. The DFT leadership team will be sworn in at the January General Membership meeting for a two year term.

Tribute written by President Emeritus, Keith R. Johnson

A SALUTE OF GRATITUDE TO PATRICK FALCUSAN 

From the day that Patrick Falcusan came to the DFT office 30 years ago to help President Emeritus, the late John Elliott, ascertain and assess the financial situation of the Detroit Public Schools (DPS), and our own roles, he has been an indispensable and invaluable asset to the DFT and our membership. One of the first things Patrick was able to ascertain was that DPS was still budgeting salaries and benefits for DFT members who were retired or even deceased. This was the precursor to unraveling the perpetual blend of fiscal mismanagement which inhibited DPS from delivering the level of education and support to our then 190,000 students. This ultimately led to the proliferation of charter schools which over time led to a mass exodus of students which has now brought us down to our current enrollment of approximately 50,000 students. While many in our community were demanding a forensic audit of DPS, Patrick was doing his own forensic audit, allowing us to bring indisputable facts to the bargaining table during negotiations. He proved to be an invaluable asset to us as we continued to negotiate contracts which could attract and retain the best teachers and maintain programs throughout DPS. As Patrick’s knowledge increased, so did the responsibilities he took on. One of the most important was advising our members as they prepared for retirement. Patrick had the uncanny ability to calculate almost to the penny, how much our members would receive in their pensions upon retirement. He would advise DFT members who were thinking about retirement that their service time would not give them their full benefits. Back around 1996, he advised many of us, including me, to buy five (5) years of time while that window was open, and to switch from the basic retirement plan to MIP, which would guarantee them a 3% increase every year to their pension upon their retirement. So many of our members who are now enjoying retirement owe a debt of gratitude to Patrick for the advice he gave them either personally, or in his detailed articles in The Detroit Teacher newspaper. Patrick’s value was not only measured in dollars and cents, but in his humanity and decency. I can say without fear of contradiction, that Patrick is one of the most beautiful and kind people I have ever known. His passion for our members, his patience, his kindness, and his great story telling while addressing an issue could calm even the most frustrated member. His humor and compassion for others could bring light to the darkest circumstances. In my 22 years of service to the DFT as Labor Relations Administrator, Director of Operations, and President, I heavily relied upon Patrick to give me information which helped me service our members. On behalf of every DFT President, from John Elliott to Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins, I would like to congratulate and thank Patrick for his 30 years of service to the DFT and its membership. His service to us is how he chose to enjoy his retirement as a DPS teacher, and the DFT is grateful that he did. Thank you, Patrick, you’re one of a kind, and simply the best.

Video tribute to Pat: Tribute to Patrick Falcusan 

President

1. Nicole Conaway--EON/BAMN
2. Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins--UTR

Vice President

1. Robin Jennings--UTR
2. Jason Posey--UTR
3. Ingrid Rivers--EON/BAMN
4. Marcus Walton--UTR

Recording Secretary

1. Elena Brantley-Phillips--UTR

Treasurer

1. Rodney Fresh--UTR

Executive Board

1. Lisa Card--UTR
2. Frank Donner--UTR
3. Samantha Hoskin--UTR
4. Yolanda King--UTR
5. Crystal Lee--UTR
6. Dwan McGrady--UTR
7. Kimberly L. Mitchell-UTR
8. Marva Needham-Fletcher--UTR
9. Sarah Niemi--UTR
10. Meredith Summer--Independent
11. Jeff Wasilewski--UTR
12. Everette Whitfield--UTR

Trustees

1. Cassandra Davis--UTR
2. Mark Duffy--UTR
3. Kimberly D. Mitchell--UTR