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.

The DFT is expressing its condolences upon the death of the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter. Here is the official Jimmy Carter condolences website, in which you can publicly express your sympathy to the family: Jimmy Carter Tribute.

Use Share My Lesson for information about him: Jimmy Carter Lesson Planning.

Just a reminder that Thursday, January 9, 2025 is the official day of mourning for the former President and that all federal departments and agencies will be closed per this White House Executive Order.

AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement:

“We share in the entire country’s sadness at President Carter’s death. He was a man of incredible selflessness and decency, and he lived a life embodying the principles we hold most dear: social justice, equity and humanity. President Carter was an accomplished author, a devoted humanitarian, an avid sportsman and an ongoing voice of reason in an increasingly tumultuous political climate.

“The Carter administration established the Department of Education to signify the importance of providing opportunity for all of America’s young people, a goal as important today as it was then. He forged a historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. And as our oldest living president, he continued his life of service working to end global conflict and improve election protection, international health and housing. Our country is better off because of Jimmy Carter, and we send our deepest condolences to the Carter family.”

The DFT will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 20, 2024 and we will return back to the office on Monday, January 6th. On behalf of the Executive Board, Trustees, and staff our best wishes for a Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.  

🛒🎁🛍️ Just a reminder for those who still have some holiday shopping left to do: Shop Union. We posted some pages in the November issue of The Detroit Teacher, pages 16-25. The list of union-made goods has been updated for December: Buy Union For the Holidays, Buy Union for Hanukkah and Buy Union for New Year's Eve.

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.