Detroit Federation of Teachers

NO to School Vouchers

Members hear from the Political Action Committee and AFT Retiree Activist, Lois Lofton-Doniver, about why we're against school vouchers in Michigan. We are asking for members to let the governor know.

Tea Party at Ronald Brown Academy

Seventh graders were greeted with a tea party from Ronald Brown Academy staff. More about this in the May/June edition of The Detroit Teacher.

40th Annual Building Representatives Recognition Dinner

A good time was had by all at the spring Building Representatives dinner at Sindbad's. This annual event is held to show appreciation for the hard work performed by our building reps.

Speaking to Members

Members attending the June membership meeting had the opportunity to hear from Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate, Jocelyn Benson. She answered questions from the rank and file.

DFT Spring 2026 Election Results

Since there were 4 open seats for the Election Committee and only 4 declared candidates, the following were elected by acclamation to the Election Committee:

Maria Davis
Onza Stokes
Laura Watt
Crystal White

The delegates election had 14 candidates. The top 10 vote getters were elected to represent the DFT at the AFT Michigan state convention in May and the AFT National convention in July. Joining the executive board at both conventions will be:

Devette Brown
Melzitta Davis
Mark Duffy
Nathan Horn
Francesca Lawrence
Kimberly D. Mitchell
Carol Pierce
Taneshe Vernon
Denzel Washington
Laura Watt

List of Candidates with Total Votes Received

March 4 Virtual Citywide Townhall

March 4 Education National Day of Action with DFT

"Immigration, ICE & Know Your Rights"

Join us on March 4 for our Virtual Citywide Townhall: “Immigration, ICE, and Know Your Rights.” This conversation will bring together diverse panelists: immigration attorneys, lawmakers, educators, parents, and community leaders to provide accurate information, clarify rights, and answer pressing questions impacting our students and families. Together, we will share resources, discuss protections, and ensure our community feels informed, empowered, and supported during these uncertain times.

Please note that the regularly scheduled staff meeting on Wednesday is cancelled by Dr. Vitti so that all members may participate in the Townhall. We strongly encourage students, parents, district staff, and community members to join this important conversation and be part of the collective effort to stay informed, prepared and at the ready to be of help in the event of a crisis.

Please scan the QR code or type the link to take you to the registration form. The Zoom link will be emailed to you before the event.

Spring 2026 Candidates

From the DFT Election Committee: Here are the candidates for the election committee and delegates. All eligibility notifications were sent on Sunday. This list only includes eligible candidates.

Candidates for Election Committee Members (4 vacancies)

1. Onza Stokes

2. Laura Watt

3. Crystal White

4. Maria Davis

Candidate for Delegate to the 2026 AFT Michigan Convention and 2026 AFT National Convention (10)

1. Griffin Barron

2. Devette Brown

3. Melzitta Davis

4. Mark Duffy

5. Frank J. Espinosa

6. Zachary Herman

7. Nathan Horn

8. Francesca Lawrence

9. Kimberly D. Mitchell

10. Carol Pierce

11. Andrea Raiford

12. Tanesha Vernon

13. Denzel Washington

14. Laura Watt

Please reach out to the Election Committee at dft231ec@gmail.com with questions.

Tips from public employees on mobilizing members

When the president of Colorado WINS learned that the president of the United States might be targeting Denver next in his anti-immigration campaign of terror, she knew how she’d begin to mobilize. One simple thing Diane Byrne does is deck out her activists in matching T-shirts. Wearing union colors promotes team spirit and builds confidence, she says. The AFT Public Employees program and policy council, meeting in New York City Feb. 5-6, abounded with tips to help locals mobilize. PPC chair Gary Feist, president of North Dakota Public Employees, recommended finding members who can tell a personal story to draw media attention. With more media on the issue, he said, legislators will become more motivated to fix the problem.

Federal immigration actions are rapidly expanding, with deadly consequences. The killings of poet Renee Nicole Good and nurse Alex Pretti by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis have brought intense focus on the use of excessive force. An AFT webinar, co-hosted by AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang on Jan. 28, featured experts on immigration and the law. It highlighted AFT resources and showcased how our locals are showing up to minimize fear and trauma.

Spring 2026 Elections

The DFT Elections Committee has prepared documents for the Spring 2026 Election Cycle. You will find the information here for 2 sets of elections:

delegates election for AFT Michigan and the AFT National Conventions
positions on the Election Committee

The Election Committee presented the information at the January General Membership Meeting.

Planning ahead: AFT Michigan Convention will be Saturday, May 2nd at Huntington Place in Detroit while the AFT National Convention will be held in Washington, D.C. from Thursday, July 16 to Sunday, July 19, 2026.

Here are the documents:

All questions about the Spring 2026 Elections can be directed to the DFT Election Committee @ dft231ec@gmail.com.