Information

All DPSCD employees are eligible for the confidential support, at no cost. Reach out to a counselor at Ulliance. More information can be found on the attached flyers.

• Employee Assistance Program through Ulliance Page 1
• Employee Assistance Program through Ulliance Page 2

COMPLETING YOUR RETIREMENT FORMS

DFT unit members planning on retiring at the end of the 2024-2025 school year should complete all of the forms related to retirement by May 1, 2025.  These forms include:

1.  A Separation from Service Survey (SFSS) found on the District's Hub.  Please remember that in order to be paid for sick days upon retirement from DPSCD, eligible employees must submit a SFSS to the District's Human Resource office (HR) no later than May 1, 2025 and retire effective July 1, 2025 (or August 1, 2025 if working during the month of July).

The SFSS should be emailed to HR by May 1, 2025.  (Follow the instructions on the Hub.)  The "effective date of separation" on the SFSS should be listed as June 14, 2025 (or July 31, 2025 if working during the month of July).  After the SFSS is submitted to HR, a confirmation email will be sent to the employee.  Employees should print a copy of that email for their records.

Eligible employees meeting the May 1, 2025 deadline will be paid $45 for each unused sick day in their sick bank for days 1 to 100 and $65 for each unused sick day in their sick bank for days 101 to 200 for a maximum payout of $11,000.  Payout for sick days upon retirement does not include a payout from the catastrophe bank.  (To calculate the number of sick days in one's sick bank, divide the number of sick 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.  Use the same date for "the last day worked" as was used on the SFSS (June 14, 2025 or July 31, 2025).

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 313.875.6783 at any time during the year.

There is much concern about the recent statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcing it would end a policy restricting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from arresting undocumented immigrants at sensitive locations such as hospitals and schools.  

We want to share some resources with our members that AFT National is providing as we deal with this uncertainty. We have also posted these resources in our January 2025 The Detroit Teacher. 

RESOURCES: https://www.aft.org/our-community/immigration

• Rights for Immigrant Students/English
• Rights for Immigrant Students/Spanish
• Deportation Defense Toolkit/English
• Deportation Defense Toolkit/Spanish
• Educators' Guide/English
• Know Your Rights Information for Students and Families/English
• Know Your Rights Information for Students and Families/Spanish
• 15 Things to Do to Protect Students/English
• Family Immigration Raid Emergency Plan/English
• Family Immigration Raid Emergency Plan/Spanish
• Share My Lesson Immigration Lesson Plans
• Colorín Colorado Serving and Supporting Immigrant Students

Do you know a member who is an outstanding STEM teacher. If so, check out this information on the Presidential Awards in Math and Science Teaching website. Applications are due by February 6, 2025.

Do you need quick tips for working with ELL students? Please check out these two documents from Colorin on the Go:

1. overview of Colorin on the Go
2. what ColorinColorado offers

Schools To Tools, a State of Michigan grant funded program, aims to provide educators with the tools and incentives to offer students the option of considering career opportunities available in union construction trades apprenticeship programs. Designed for middle and high school students, Schools to Tools has a Mobile Experience that brings the field trip to you. They also offer FREE SCECH training for educators that include a meal, a training center tour and material to share with your students and some fun swag.

Learn more at https://schoolstotools.org/resources/ and https://schoolstotools.org/scech/.

Please refer to the Educator Services provided by the State of Michigan for MOECS and certification: Click here to be directed to the site.

This is a guide to introduce basic language and concepts inherent in discussions of the LGBTQ+ experience in the workplace:

This is a 20th and 21st Century document outlining LGBTQ+ history: 

The DFT and the district have agreed on a Donation of Sick Days Policy which allows members to donate unused sick days to catastrophically ill members. Read through the policy and if you think you would qualify for this benefit, reach out to the DFT Office before you submit paperwork to the district. There are these forms which need to be completed: Application to Use Donated Sick Days, Sick Leave Physician Statement, and the Donation of Sick Days Authorization Form.

If you are off work more than FIVE days, you need to complete paperwork (physician's certificate) for pay or a leave. Forms can be obtained by going to the hub at the www.detroitk12.org website. Click on Human Resources and then Employee Health Services to download the forms. Make sure to file these important papers otherwise your pay or job may be in jeopardy.