For more than 25 years, Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins has been an active member in the Detroit Federation of Teachers. She started her career as a first grade teacher at Spain Elementary & Middle School in 1997. Upon completion of a Master’s Degree in counseling and the timely retirement of Spain’s counselors, Lakia was able to obtain a counseling position at Spain and continue advocating and building relationships with students, families, and staff while leveraging support from stakeholders in the community in which she loved. Lakia recalls the anxiety of walking the picket line in the strike of 1999 and the excitement of delivering Spain Schools’ ballots in the election of officers to the DFT office, which formerly stood next to Dittrich Furs on Third Avenue. Lakia has always provided support to the DFT at the building level as the Building Representative, Alternate, and Union Committee.

In 2014, Lakia was elected to her first term on the DFT Executive Board. Since then, Lakia has served as both Vice President and Executive Vice President of the DFT. With the onset of the 2023-2025 biennium, Lakia is humbled, privileged and blessed to be elected as the 9th President of the DFT. Professionally, Lakia is honored to represent over 3000 of the world’s best educators and support staff.

In Lakia's family, education and unionism have a long history. Her mother was the first black teacher at St. Anne Catholic School in Southwest Detroit for 7 years (now closed). She ultimately retired as a proud MEA member from Mount Clemens Public Schools after 24 years of teaching both kindergarten and first grade. Lakia’s father, after 40 years of work, retired as a proud Chrysler Jefferson North Assembly Plant employee. Her uncles were Sleeping Car Porters, and she has three UAW proud brothers who worked for each of the Big Three—Ford, Chrysler, and GM—with one becoming a union steward for the Bakery and Confectionery Union at Hostess Cake. Her aunts were educators as well. Currently, Lakia’s sister teaches 1st grade in Maryland, her goddaughter is a second year teacher in Tennessee, while her nephew is a professor in Texas. “The love of learning and teaching runs in the family”, claims Lakia.

A lifelong Detroiter—born, raised, living and working in Detroit, Lakia is an outspoken advocate for social, educational and economic justice. Lakia has been featured on many media outlets. Most notable are her appearances on C-SPAN during the AFL-CIO Raising Wages Summit, AFT “Life Inside Detroit Public Schools”, NBC News Learn, and HBO Real Sports.

Lakia is a Mount Clemens High School alumna. She graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Science Education, and Oakland University with a Master of Arts in Counseling. She holds Principal Certification from Lamar University, and is currently working toward her doctoral degree in Leadership at the American College of Education.

Lakia, who still qualifies herself as a newlywed, shares her home with her amazing husband Michael and their energetic eight-year-old son Noah.

Here is this month's solidarity calendar.  The feedback we have received from members has been encouraging and we can't wait to see the participation this month. We are only STRONGER together when we stand united. Send photos/videos to DFT Communications of May  events at your work location to VBonacci@dft231.com

May 2024 Solidarity Calendar​.

The Detroit Federation of Teachers has NOT organized a rally at the Fisher Building today. Due to extreme temperatures, Central Office has limited employees. Rallying outside of the Fisher Building will be demonstrative of a photo op. 

In the past 5 years, we have moved hourly employees to salary, restored longevity, reoccurring retention bonuses-including our retirees and long-term substitutes, MA step 15 has increased over 20%, and most recently repealed prohibited subjects by lobbying in Lansing and more! We have and will continue to push forward for competitive compensation for all. 

If members are concerned and want to move negotiations forward, you should email all of the district's elected school board members your concerns for this ongoing round of negotiations. 

We are excited that one of our own, former DFT President, Terrence Martin, has been named to succeed David Hecker as President of AFT Michigan. Martin recently stepped down as the head of this union in January 2023, a position he had held for 4 years. He became a member of Local 231 when he came to the district as a teacher in 1997. Since that time he has served as a building representative, the treasurer of the union, a labor affairs administrator, community engagement and political action coordinator, executive vice-president and then president. We wish him all the best in this new endeavor.

Take Action!

Reach out to the DPSCD School Board and let them know  we want them to meet with labor and community leaders by next Tuesday. We need each and every one of our employees. All play a crucial role in supporting our students.

COMPLETING YOUR RETIREMENT FORMS

DFT unit members planning on retiring at the end of the 2022-2023 school year should complete all of the forms related to retirement by May 1, 2023.  These forms include:

1.  A Separation from Service Form (SFSF) found on the District's Hub. 

Please remember that in order to be paid for illness days upon retirement from DPSCD, eligible employees must submit a SFSF to the District's Human Resource office (HR) no later than May 1, 2023 and retire effective July 1, 2023 (or August 1, 2023 if working during the month of July).

The SFSF should be emailed to HR (hr.records@detroitk12.org) by May 1, 2023. The "effective date of separation" on the SFSF should be listed as June 30, 2023 (or July 31, 2023 if working during the month of July.

Eligible employees meeting the May 1, 2023 deadline will be paid $45 for each unused illness day in their bank for days 1 to 100 and $65 for each unused illness day in their bank for days 101 to 200 for a maximum payout of $11,000. Payout of illness time upon retirement does not include a payout from the catastrophe bank. (To calculate the number of illness days in one's bank, divide the number of illness bank hours by eight [8].)

2.  The pension application forms found on an employee's miAccount with the Michigan Office of Retirement Services (michigan.gov/orsschools).  (Click on the menu item "Ready to Retire", then the box that says, "Apply for Retirement", and then follow the instructions.)

3.  The application forms for Social Security (if eligible) and Medicare (if eligible) found on Social Security's website (ssa.gov).  (This website is separate and unrelated to the Michigan Office of Retirement Services' website and an employee's miAccount.)

Questions about retirement can be directed to the DFT's retirement counselor, Patrick Falcusan, at the union office, 313-875-6783. at any time during the year.