| Detroit Federation of Teachers

DFT Office Closed for Spring Break

The DFT Offices will close at the end of the business day on Friday, March 27th. They will reopen on Monday, April 6 at the start of the business day. We wish for all to have a spring break that is safe and enjoyable.

On Thursday, April 9, Wayne State University will celebrate its 10th annual Giving Day — a powerful moment when Warriors everywhere come together to support the campus causes that matter most to them. We have a cause that matters to us--the DFT Scholarship Memorial, which provides funds to WSU students in the Teacher Education Division of the College of Education who are committed to teaching in the public school district of the City of Detroit or "Priority" 1 public schools in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties. The name of the scholarship is Detroit Federation of Teachers Endowed 061006. It's important to use the numbers if you plan to participate in Wayne State University’s Giving Day. Visit givingday.wayne.edu to make your donation.

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.

RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND STAFF DURING IMMIGRATION RAIDS

The following resolution was adopted by members at the December General Membership Meeting.

RESOLUTION

TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND STAFF DURING IMMIGRATION RAIDS

December 11, 2025 General Membership Meeting

WHEREAS, four students from Western International High School have been detained in the last two months by Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement despite the fact that all of them have filed formal petitions for asylum.

WHEREAS, the student climate and learning culture at Western and for all immigrant students in DPSCD is now one of fear instead of hope.

WHEREAS, the teachers at Western International are often the first to learn about their students' detainment and have gone above and beyond the call of duty to fight to find their students' quality lawyers and resources to help under a limited time constraint.

WHEREAS, the teacher unions of Chicago and New York City have already made such public statements.

THEREFORE, IT BE RESOLVED that as the Detroit Federation of Teachers Union we make a public statement that

1. Requests our four DPSCD students, Mor, Santiago, Kerly, and Antony be released from ICE custody and returned home immediately.

2. Call on our new mayor elect Mary Sheffield to reiterate that as a welcoming city, Detroit Police Department should not cooperate with ICE and Border Patrol. We have seen this done successfully by the Minneapolis, Chicago and New York City mayors.

THEREFORE, IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that DFT and DPSCD provide training for all schools on how to help migrant kids and families avoid getting picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at home or in public – going beyond the district’s guidance limited to keeping ICE out of schools.

DFT Office Hours for Mid-Winter Break

The DFT Office will close at the end of the day on Friday, February 13th and will remain closed for the next week. The office will reopen on Monday, February 23, 2026.

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