As per the Election Calendar which was provided to members in January, the DFT Election Committee would like to make the following announcement:

No grievances were filed by the February 22, 2024 deadline. Therefore, the Election Committee and Delegate seats are uncontested. There were 4 eligible candidates for the 4 open seats on the Election Committee and there were 10 eligible candidates for the 10 open seats for delegates to the Michigan and National conventions.

The 4 Election Committee eligible candidates are

1. Devette Brown
2. Julia Hunko
3. Onza Stokes
4. Laura Watt

The 4 Election Committee candidates will be sworn in at the April 2024 General Membership meeting.

These 10 delegates, along with DFT officers, the executive board and the president of DFT 231R (the retirees chapter), will be seated at the AFT Michigan State Convention on Saturday, May 4 and the AFT National Convention in Houston from Monday, July 22 until Thursday, July 25, 2024.

1. Devette Brown
2. Cassandra Davis
3. Tracie Diggins
4. Mark Duffy
5. Regina Fuqua
6. Julia Hunko
7. Yolanda King
8. Tamika Merchant
9. Carol Pierce
10. Andrea Raiford

The district and the union have signed a Letter of Agreement affecting the 2023-2024 calendar. The Professional Development originally scheduled for Monday, January 29th will now be held on Tuesday, February 27, 2024. This change is due to the Michigan Presidential Primary Election being held on that day and many of our work locations are polling site. Other calendar changes include the February Count Date and the recognition of Juneteenth. You can read the LOA here  

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."