VOL. 49 — NO. 1 September 2010POSTMASTER: All forms 3579 are to be forwarded to Detroit Federation of Teachers, 2875 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, MI 48202

See LITERACY, on Page 5

DFT Averts2,000 Layoffs

Nearly 2,000 DFT members whoreceived layoff notices in Aprilreturned to their jobs Aug. 30, thanksto the DFT’s relentless work through-out the summer to get them back.

In April, approximately 2,000 DFTmembers received layoff notices fromthe district effective Friday, Aug. 27.The union immediately told the dis-trict that it would need to rescind all ofthe layoffs based on the unprecedent-ed number of retirements expected inJuly, August and September.

The union’s message to the mem-bership was: “Don’t panic.” “We reas-sured them that the district wouldneed everybody back for the start ofthe school year,” said Mark O’Keefe,DFT executive vice president.

Ultimately the district agreed andall the members were called back forthe start of the school year.

“We really appreciate that ourmembers didn’t panic and put theirfaith in the union,” O’Keefe said.

As the Aug. 27 deadline loomed,the district still was reluctant torescind the layoffs. The union hadbeen meeting with the district and e-mailing officials, pleading its casethroughout the summer. DFT officialsemphasized the importance ofrescinding early in the summerbecause the district would need to hirenew people even after everyone wascalled back. Unfortunately the districtdelayed, making for a nerve-wrackingsummer for our members.

Work to get the teachers back start-ed the day the layoffs were issued. OnJune 29, the union wrote to the districtexplaining the rationale for makingthe rescissions on July 1. Union offi-cials kept making the case all summer.

“With two weeks left before teach-ers returned to their classrooms, overhalf of our members did not knowtheir teaching assignment for theyear,” O’Keefe said. “This was regret-table and avoidable but we’re gratefulthat all of our members are back towork.”

No one knows better thanDetroit teachers what it takesfor kids to succeed.So Detroit teachers and community

members designed a week-longLiteracy Camp to prepare children forthe MEAP in the critical 4-7 grades.All 18 Literacy Camp teachers andorganizers volunteered their time torun the camp from Aug. 9-13.

“It was a phenomenal success,”said Karin Whittler, one of the keyorganizers of the Literacy Camp. Thecamp served 50 children and receivedan overwhelmingly positive responsefrom parents.

“The biggest complaint was that itshould have been longer,” Whittlersaid. “Parents would like it to be twoweeks, even three. That’s highpraise.”

Literacy Camp was sponsored bythe DFT, the Detroit Federation ofParaprofessionals, the DetroitAssociation of Educational OfficeEmployees, and the AFT. The coali-tion’s mantra is “A Stronger Detroitfor our Kids.”

“Our unions care about kids,” saidWhittler, a DFT Labor RelationsAdministrator and 28-year teacher.“Everything we do is not about con-tracts and bargaining. We do a lot onour own time. We buy a lot of sup-plies for our kids with our ownmoney.”

When Literacy Camp wasannounced, Cynthia Matthews, an artteacher at Howe Elementary School,was the first to volunteer.

“I love doing this,” Matthews said,after she taught six weeks of summerschool. “I never take off work. It’sjust something I like doing.”

The camp, which focused on read-ing and writing, was one more effortto get kids’ minds stimulated in thesummer and performing in the fall.

The DFT divided up its union hallinto classrooms, used the small con-

ference rooms, and built a learningcenter with a dozen laptop computersand printers so students could publishtheir writing. Classes were kept toaround 10 students per teacher.

A kick-off event featured formerNFL pro Nolan Harrison. Whittlerasked Harrison to tell somethingabout his academic career. Harrisongrew up in a home with a nurturingmother and father and was a giftedfootball player in college. But in his

DFT andUnionsHostSummerLiteracyCampLiteracy Camp students and teacher Cynthia Matthews.

Detroit teachers volunteered their time to Camp Literacy.

(ISSN 0011-9695)

The Detroit Teacher is the official pub-lication of the Detroit Federation ofTeachers, American Federation ofTeachers Local 231, AFL-CIO.Member of the Union Teacher PressAssociation, Inter national LaborPress Association and MichiganLabor Press.

The Detroit Teacher is publishedmonthly, except for July and August,for $4 per year by The DetroitFederation of Teachers, 2875 W.Grand Blvd., Detroit, MI 48202.Periodical Postage Paid at Detroit, MI. POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to The Detroit Teacher,2875 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, MI48202.

Editor — Margaret Weertzmweertz@dft231.com

313-875-6776

Page 2 The Detroit Teacher September 2010

A YEAR OF CHANGE AFTER A YEAR OF CHALLENGEBy Keith Johnson, President

As we enter a new school yearI cannot help but reflect onthe tumultuous school yearthat was 2009-10. A school district infinancial ruin was castigated as theposter child for everything that iswrong with public education in ournation. This compelled the DFT tomake some difficult and innovativedecisions.

With a $300 million budget deficit,we entered negotiations knowing thatwe had to (a) save jobs, (b) preservesalaries and benefits and (c) developeducational reforms that were teacherdriven yet had a proven record of

success in our AFTsister locals.

As DFT presi-dent, I knew that thedecisions I wouldbe held accountablefor had to be in thebest long- andshort-term interestof the membership,

while minimizing the financial andeducational impact on the rank andfile.

Thankfully, I had a leadership andnegotiating team that understood themagnitude of the challenge. We hadto make responsible decisions thatwere practically correct, not political-ly popular.

I realized that the package webrought to the membership would bea difficult sell because our membersdeserved far more than we would beable to achieve. However, I believedthat our members had the ability tothink outside of themselves as indi-viduals and realize that personal sac-rifices would have to be made inorder to keep our rank and file gain-fully employed.

While I am not happy with thecontract we had to negotiate, I amproud of what we achieved in thecontext of it: everyone kept his job.The financial concessions will beretrieved, the base salary remains thesame, and the contractual gains of thepast 45 years were preserved.

I am also proud of the educationalreforms we incorporated into the newagreement that will empower teach-ers to own the destiny of theirschools, this district, and our profes-sion:

• Peer Assistance and Review:This is a bold step for the DFT. PARconsultants, who will be DFT mem-bers, will work to assist our newteachers to master the critical ele-ments of this difficult profession

under challenging circumstances. Fortoo long new teachers have beenthrust into classrooms and simplytold “do your job” without being toldhow to do the job.

They will help these teachers mas-ter the nuances of teaching and thebest practices of qualityinstruction.They will be the primarysupport system for novice as well asveteran teachers who may need assis-tance rather than a one-way ticket tothe rating and evaluation process andpossible termination.

I want to thank Ivy Bailey andVanessa Parnell for their leadershipin helping this program come tofruition. These two dedicated DFTmembers believed in the conceptfrom the start and were instrumentalin making it happen.

• The new Palmer Park Prepara -tory Academy (P3A): This is theDFT teacher-led school, the epitomeof teacher empowerment. After atwo-year training period for theteachers assigned there, this schoolwill be totally run by teachers. Theywill have complete control over allaspects of the school’s operation;budgeting, curriculum implementa-tion, staffing, evaluations, orderingmaterials and supplies, etc. I wouldlike to thank Ann Crowley, Kim -berly Kyff, Ann Turner, membersof Detroit Children First and theNational Board Certified Teachersfor their foresight and commitmentto making this vision a reality.

• Priority Schools: It is indis-putable that some of our schools havenot had the academic success weexpect for our students. We know thatmany external factors contribute tostudents' lack of academic perform-ance. Rather than having the statecharterize these schools or force themto close altogether, DFT took the ini-tiative to develop the concept ofPriority Schools; schools that willreceive additional educationalresources to address the issues thatinhibit student performance.

These schools will require extend-ed school days and years, additionalprofessional development andincreased demands from the teachers.We want the teachers assigned tothese schools to want to be there andbe willing to honor these commit-ments. Notwithstanding that DPSbotched the interview process, thisconcept put us far ahead of the curvein educational reform. DevelopingPriority Schools saved jobs and pre-served seniority rights while allowingthe DFT and DPS the latitude tomake these schools successful.

• Shared Decision Making: AllPriority Schools must engage inshared decision-making; a conceptthat empowers teachers to take own-ership of the direction of the schoolincluding curriculum, attendancepolicies, budget planning, and profes-sional development. Schools not des-ignated as Priority Schools may alsoparticipate in shared decision-makingbased on a two-thirds vote of thestaff. It is not power that changes aschool’s direction, it is influence andshared decision-making.

There is a down side to the start ofthe new school year. The DFT hasbeen forced to take legal action tocompel DPS to honor the collectivebargaining agreement at a time whenwe should be in lock-step to restorethis district to fiscal and academicrecovery.

As is often the case, the DPS lead-ership feels that the contract onlymeans what management wants itmean. Management attempted to hireTeach for America into positionsbefore recalling all teachers whoreceived layoff notices in April or whowere laid off in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Management also violated thePriority School agreement by notidentifying a process for selectingteachers in collaboration with theUnion. It unjustly released teachersfrom Priority Schools without evi-dence-based reasons. The Unionimmediately filed suit on these issuesand will aggressively ensure therights of our members are protected.

It was only after we filed suit thatmanagement engaged in discussionsto correct its wrongdoing. The DFT,however, will not withdraw legal pro-ceedings until every issue is broughtto resolution in accordance with thecontract.

We face difficult days and chal-lenging times. But I am privileged tolead some of the most dedicated andcompetent women and men in theeducation business; the fine membersof the DFT.

Have a great and productive year.

DFT Executive Vice President Mark O’Keefe and President Keith Johnsoncelebrate outside the Seattle Convention Center, where Johnson wonelection as an AFT vice president at the AFT national conference in July.He joins 42 other AFT vice presidents across the country, including twoothers from Michigan: David Hecker, AFT Michigan president, and RubyNewbold, president of the Detroit Association of Educational OfficeEmployees. The Progressive Caucus of the AFT with Randi Weingarten aspresident won with a 95 percent vote.Keith Johnson

September 2010 The Detroit Teacher Page 3

Little, Barbara Maddox, Barbara Manning,Debra Martin, Helena Mays, GaryMazzenga, Steven McRae, Ann Mies,Theresa Naski, Marlene Nessel, RebeccaNunley, Carolyn Ogan, Pauline Onyango,Donald Parker, Mark Paruszkiewicz, JudithPelczar, Vicki Piraino, Jacqueline Poku,Janis Quinn, Judith Reese, VirginiaReynolds, Lucy Robinson, Sherry Samuel,Daniel Sanquist, Harry Shafer, RonaldStoffer, Sabra Sturgis, Helen Terrell, TraceyTuck-Kurilla, Patricia Vandelinder, DeannaWatts, Dennis Wedell, Carol White, BarbaraWhitney-Askew, Stanley Wieckowski,Tracy Wright, Shirley Ziegler, Mary Alston-Hendrix, Theodore Alverson, Patricia Ball-Stokes, Donald Barrett, Laveta Browne,Velma Davis-Cotton, Francine Ellison,Linda Elum, Tom Hedblom, Diane Hill,Elaine Hopgood, Geraldine Johnson, MaryJohnson, Carolyn Jones, CarolynKavalauskus, Suzanne Kwiecien, KeithLemmons, Criscilla Levington, CharleneLittle, Nancy Massey, Patricia Millender,Dorothy Moore, Sharon Y. Moore, JohnOliverio, Beverly Parsons, Veronica Powers,Gwendolyn Robertson, Beverly Robinson,Douglas Saulsberry, Richard Shanley,Rosemary Sholtz, Jennie Sinatra, WalterStokley, Faye Stout, Maria A. Tabares,Marie Tell, Raymond Velthuysen, MattieM. Wallace, Diane Walker, Ashanti K.Webb, JoAnn Wilkins, W. MargaretWilliams, Janice Williams, BarbaraWislinski, Mary Powell-Wright, ClarenceWynn, Phaer Wynn, Neema Yacen,Thaddeus Zyrek.

Detroit Teacher GetsNational Recognition

Cindy Kanczuzewski, a South -western High School teacher, wasselected as an National Endowment forthe Humanities Summer Scholar from anational applicant pool to attend one of30 summer study opportunities. TheEndowment is a federal agency thatsupports seminars at colleges and uni-versities so teachers can study withexperts in humanities disciplines.

Kanczuzewski participated in aninstitute entitled “The Many and TheOne: Religion, Pluralism, and AmericanHistory.” The three-week program washeld July 12-30 at Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis.

Topics for the seminars and institutesincluded Spanish literature; African-American and Native American historyand cultures; the Arabic novel in trans-lation; poetry as an art form; abolition-ism and social movements; archaeologyof the Americas; Bach, Mozart, andDvorak; the literature and culture ofancient Rome; early American art; andthe works of Shakespeare and Chaucer.Approximately 650 teachers participat-ed in these studies this year.

Updates...Blackwell Teacher Reaps Awards

William Dechavez, a resource roomteacher at Blackwell Institute, has wonseveral awards thissummer. Dechavez,a Filipino American,won the GintongPamana Award foroutstanding achieve-ment and contribu-tions. He also wasgiven the Apoli nar -io Mabini Award inLeadership at a gala in Chicago July 31.

In addition Dechavez was an honoreeof Michigan’s Salute to Diversity cele-bration to honor people who initiatestrategies and opportunities for under-standing diverse communities.Dechavez was honored Aug. 31 at theMGM Grand Detroit.

Dechavez is the state chairperson ofNational Federation of FilipinoAmerican Associations, CommitteeMember of the City of Sterling HeightsEthnic Community Committee, and aCommissioner of the Michigan AsianPacific American Affairs Commission.

RetirementsAnnounced

The following DFT members haveannounced their retirements: AbedAlbujoq, Shirlene Ayers, Ula Barber, CaroleBeaman, Beverly Bezrutch, Rachel Blair,Irene Brieger, Charlotte Brooks, EvelynBrown, Dianne Brown-McDuell, FranceenBurkeen, Maxine Burnstein, JacquelineCanti, Peggy Carr, Cassandra Cayce, GloriaChappell, Rita Cianfarani, Jennetta Clark,Ida Cunningham, Gloria P. Davis, BethDzodin, Nicholas Ellis, Raven Evans,Jennifer Evans, Mona Greer, Janet Grier,Carol Halpin, Walter Hamlin, RobertHawkins, Ann-Marie Hergott, BarbaraHerman, Darlene Hines, Imani M. Hines,Gwendolyn Howe, Rhoda Hurley, VerniasJordan, Earna Kassa, Maurice Kaunda,Ralph King, Karen Kline, Annette Lane,Janette Levine, Pearee Mills-Lewis, Lois

DFT Marches in Labor Day ParadeDFT members marched in mild weather in the 2010 Detroit LaborDay Parade. Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, the Democratic candidatefor governor and a strong supporter of labor, said he believesMichigan can make an economic comeback if we return to our man-ufacturing roots. “I’m on the side of Main Street, not Wall Street,”he said. At the parade were DFT members Michelle Gibson, VictorGibson, Vanessa Parnell, Wendy Newberry, Nadonya Muslim andSteve Portnoy.

School officials promised tousher in an era of higher stan-dards, a more rigorous curricu-lum, and safe and clean schools onAug. 26 at the Back to School Parade.

DFT members marched in theparade and supported efforts to boostenrollment.

“More students equals more jobsand fewer students equal fewer jobs,”said P. Monet Conner, a teacher at

Henry Ford High School.Mayor Dave Bing, the Rev. Jesse

Jackson and comedian Bill Cosbyattended the parade and campaignedfor the Detroit Public Schools. Theytold parents: “Don’t believe thehaters.”

“We know that DPS is comingback,” Bing said. “We know that the

city of Detroit is coming back. Makeno mistake, I support the DetroitPublic Schools.”

DFT President Keith Johnson saidhe is a proud product of DetroitPublic Schools.

“The most important title that Ihave is I am a DPS graduate,”Johnson said. “Don’t believe thehaters. We have the most dedicatedteachers anywhere.”

U.S. Rep. JohnConyers said leadersmust move from givingrhetoric to giving jobs.

“We want more moneyfor our schools, so weshould stop the war inAfghanistan,” Conyerssaid.

The leaders urgedDetroit parents to step upto the plate as responsi-ble adults for their chil-dren.

Asking parents tostand and take a pledge, Rev. Jacksonsaid, “Number one, I will take mychild to school.”

Bill Cosby said parents are not vic-tims because they may be disadvan-taged.

“You don’t have to have a diplo-ma,” he said, “to know what it takesto keep a child out of harm’s way.”

THE DFT IS IN

ATTENTION RETIREES! Don’t bedropped from membership in theDFT. For a $30 annual fee, you cancontinue to be a DFT member, andreceive The Detroit Teacher andthe DFT calendar. For a $223annual fee, you can be a DFT, AFTand AFT Michigan member andhave full voting rights. If you are 70and a member, you are eligible forlife membership. To register for anyof these memberships, contactDFT Dues Clerk Barbara Downeyat bdowney@dft231.com or call313-875-3500 ext. 772.

William Dechavez

Mobilizing AfricanMobilizing AfricanAmerican FamiliesAmerican Families

Sixth Annual Teen & ParentConference

When: October 8 and October 9Where: Charles H. Wright Museum

of African American History

For: Teens and Parents

Cost: Free

To register: call 313-544-6689 or email counselconnect@localnet.com.

The conference “Teens Called to Action: A Generation Committed toExcellence” aims to empower young people to make good choices and givethem opportunities to talk, cooperate and grow. Kim Travis-Ewing, a Detroitschool social worker and CEO of the non-profit organization, says the con-ference will address peer pressure, leadership skills, relationships, mediasafety, among other topics. For more information, call 313-544-6689 or emailcounselconnect@localnet.com.

Vote for Science Camp!Golightly science teacher David

Boye needs your help.Boye wants to take 35 of his stu-

dents to the New River Gorge inWest Virginia to work on a geo-science education project, studyingsedimentation, river morphology,geology and more.

To get there takes buses, lodgingand food. Boye had success lastyear winning a $5,000 Pepsicogrant to take 60 students to sciencecamp at Camp Tamarack inOrtonville, Mich.

He submitted another Pepsicogrant request – this time for$25,000 – to take the students atGolightly Educational Center to themost exciting rock formation nearthe Appalachian mountain range.

“It’s the perfect place to do it

because of theAppalachianMountains,”Boye says of theforest ecosys-tem. “We’ll do acanopy tour sothe kids canexamine thecanopy.”

Helping Boye takes two minutesof your time. Just vote for hisgrant request by going towww.refresheverything.com/gec.Vote each day in October andencourage others to vote.

“There’s tight competition atthis level,” Boye says. So DPSteachers voting en masse “wouldgreatly enhance our chances ofwinning.”

Spain Teacher SharesHer Love of Cuba

Off the gym at Spain School before classes, passersby are likely to hear Cubanmusic wafting in the air. The music of the Afro-Cuban singer Ibrahim Ferrer bringshappiness and memories to Spain phys ed teacher Charlene Uresy. Uresy heard talesabout Cuba for years. Some tales came from this country, which reported that thepeople of Cuba lived in miserable tyranny. And others came from Uresy's mother,who was born and raised in Cuba.

Uresy desperately wanted to see Cuba for herself. So she finally set off for Cubain 1999. In the decade since, she has visited at least once, sometimes twice, a year.She recounts so many interesting things about Cuba, including dancing and diningwith Ferrer, of the Buena Vista Social Club.

“When you hear the Miami Cubans, you think you were going to see people walk-ing around not being happy,” Uresy said. “But my family there lives a lot better thanwe live here.” Because the literacy rate in Cuban is among the highest in the world,and Cubans are well educated, Uresy says there is a doctor and dentist in every town.

“My uncle is an attorney because of the revolution,” says Uresy, a 30-year teacher.“The people have health care. Crime is virtually non-existent. They don’t have thedrugs like we have here.” Uresy knows the minute she sings any praises about Cubaor the Cubans, she risks being called a Communist.

“No, capitalism is better,” she says. “But there are some good things under com-munism.” Education, health care, lack of crime, she rattles off. Uresy knows thereare trade-offs in each system. And that a country’s resources go only so far. Soupkeep on buildings and other needs in Cuba go untended.

Uresy hopes one day soon the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba will be lifted.“The embargo should be lifted so people can have a better life,” Uresy says, in

agreement with a majority of Americans. Until then, Uresy will continue to visitCuba and bring a bit of Cuba to Spain School.

Charlene Uresy in Cuba this summer.

DFT and Union Coalition Host Summer Literacy Campjunior year in college, he said, “I messed up.”

Not detailing what that meant, Harrison said he hadto choose between getting a degree and pursuing foot-ball. “I need a degree,” he decided. He dropped out offootball in his senior year to concentrate on graduating.Recruiters watched him and later told him how theyadmired his decision.

The students were enthralled with Harrison. Andalso with camp, which included lunch, snacks, back-packs and a culminating outside barbeque.

The camp was co-sponsored by Health AlliancePlan, which provided substantial resources and schoolsupplies, Harrison and the NFLPA. Free lunches forthe camp were donated by Lunchtime Detroit andAmicci’s Pizza.

The work of learning was not lost on the students inall the fun and rewards of the camp.

“You can learn how to do paragraphs,” said NaylaContejean, 9, a camp participant. “You read a lot hereand I love reading.”

A special thanks goes to the members of the DFTwho volunteered their time: Cynthia Matthews, VictorGibson, Jacqueline Poku and her daughter TommarraGrice, Vanessa Parnell and Damion Jackson.

LITERACY, from Page 1

Karin Whittler, key organizerof Camp Literacy

A student at Camp Literacy

Darryl Hibbett, of Health Alliance Plan, with students and HAP-donatedbackpacks and supplies.

E’Lois Moore and Ruby Newbold, vice president and president of theDetroit Association of Educational Office Employees, with students anddonated backpacks.

Page 6 The Detroit Teacher September 2010

AFT CONVENTION IN SEATTLE

Weingarten Pledges to Lead -Not React - to Change

AFT President Randi Weingarten outlined a vision at the AFT national con-vention in Seattle in July to "save public education not as it is today, or as weknew it in the past but as we know it ought to be."

Weingarten pledged that the union would fighthard against threats to public institutions, whilefighting smart by "constantly searching for solu-tions we believe will work, even if those solutionsforce us to think outside the box or make us feeluncomfortable."

"We have looked at our practices and madechanges when we needed to change," Weingartensaid. "We have lived up to our responsibility andasked others to do the same. When there have beenproblems, we have sought common ground to solvethem."

Yet, referring to what she called the "Blame theTeacher Crowd," Weingarten observed, "Never

before have I seen so few attack so many, so harshly, for doing so much, oftenwith so little."

She commended the many locals like Detroit that are involved in union-ledreform efforts to identify and put in place promising and proven strategies.

But she acknowledged that the great recession is challenging our neighbor-hoods, our schools and our unions.

"As much as we wish it weren't true, these factors matter—whether it'spoverty, or stressful experiences like a death in the family, or losing one's home,or a parent losing a job," Weingarten said. Yet, when we point them out, shesaid, "It's more likely that people confront us rather than join us in confrontingthe problem."

She called for renewing connections with the communities in which teacherslive and work, which have been frayed by the economic upheaval.

"The irony is that the movement—organized labor—that is largely responsi-ble for elevating millions of workers and their families into the middle class,that has won economic benefits for all workers and not just our members, isunder assault for doing the very job it was conceived to do," Weingarten said.

"These hard-won, noble achievements now are seen as things that separate usfrom our communities rather than connect us to them."

AFT President Randi Weingarten

The DFT donated 20 backpacks - stuffed with school supplies, hygieneitems and clothes - to homeless children in Seattle. DFT membersWilliam Gardner and Mark O’Keefe organized the backpacks.

Chaos at the St. Regis Hotel

As the temperature rose into the90s, it was even steamier inside theSt. Regis Hotel Aug. 30 where hun-dreds of DFT members waited forassignments. Since June, 30 schoolsclosed, 41 others were reorganized asPriority Schools, and 2,000 teacherswith layoff notices were being calledback to work.

“It’s a hot mess,” said two memberssitting in a bank of seats waiting fortheir numbers to be called.

Fifteen-year teacher Lisa Reevesreported to the St. Regis at 7 a.m.after waiting all summer for anassignment. Her school, Coffey, wasone of the 30 schools closed in June.

“Normally if your school closed,you put in a transfer,” Reeves said. “Idid all that. I did everything you’resupposed to do.” Reeves, like somany teachers, got upset by the dis-trict’s chaos and confusion.

One mark of a good teacher,Reeves says, is organization. Andshe’s all that.

“I’m a 3:30 in the morning lady,”she said. “I run before I go to work.Then I get my kids off.”

So why is the district so disorgan-

ized? Members questioned whether itwas incompetence or disregard for afunctioning startup. Since June, DFTofficials urged specific steps to avoidthis very scenario.

Lee Johnson, a 25-year-teacher atClara Barton Elementary School, putin lots of miles on Aug. 30.

“I went to my school and they toldme to come here,” Johnson said at thepacked St. Regis. “I got here and theytold me to go back to your school.”

The district’s operation is anathe-ma to educators and parents whomust keep many children managedand organized at once. It’s also a dis-regard for a basic tenet of goodteaching.

“I think I’d be good for HumanResources,” said teacher CynthiaMatthews, who noted that retiredteachers got assignment letters whilecurrent teachers didn’t. “You have topay attention to detail. That’s veryimportant.”

“I’ve given 15 years of very goodservice,” said Reeves. “I’m very goodto my students. We’re good teachersat the DFT. But they don’t value theiremployees.”

Hundreds of teachers waited hours for their assignments at the St. RegisHotel on Aug. 30.

September 2010 The Detroit Teacher Page 7

Is Your Job Worth $10? More Than 200 Teachers Say Yes!The COPE Committee and DFT President Keith Johnson urged members to give $10 during the last school year. The aim was to beef up the coffers for supporting

candidates who support quality public education. The campaign, started in 2009, has raised more than $20,000 to date. Following are the names of the generous con-tributors of 2010. The $10 campaign will run again this year and contributors will be listed in The Detroit Teacher. So please see your building rep and contribute your$10 if you have not.

More than $250Bonacci, Vida Falcusan, Patrick

$249-$200Flaherty, Doris

$199-$100Arneau, Tracy Battle, Sandra Curd, Sandra D’Angelo, Mary HelenDunigan, Katrina Dunn, Beverly Foreman, Evelyn Gibson, Delores Holstein, Christopher Horton, Delisle Johnson, Keith Lee, Sidney Odocha, Brigid O'Keefe, Mark Pride, Linda Trilety, Paula Weertz, Margaret Wells, Marcy Wilkerson, Beverly

$99-$50Donahue, Joann Diebel, Tracey Dixon, Ramona Doty, Patricia Duchene, Robert Eichhorn, Kenneth Gibson, Victor Hines, Imani Hoskins, Demetria Koslowsky, David LaFreniere, Sheila O'Keefe, Joy Pierce, Carol Raupp, Josephine Shelton-Pierce, Indira Thurman, Diane Tripp, Michelle

Under $50Abood, Christine Albujoq, Abed Al-Essa, Hameed Almeranti, Lisa Anderson, Joy Anderson, William Armstrong, Lory Ashmon-Moore, Kathy Ballweg, Zona Bania, Scott Barcalow, Ray Barnhart, Janis Barnhart, Joseph Baron, Lynnea Beaudoin, Pamela Benjamin, Charlotte

Bennett, Gloria L. Bitta, Kamlesh Blaine, Ame Blumberg, Lois Boatner, EdithMaria Booker, Wilhelmina Bourbonais, Christine Boyd, Mattie Brown, Cassandra Bugaj, Edward Burden, Florence Burge, Betty Burk, Joy Burrell, Marsha Butka, Mary Calhoun, Betty Capen, Luana Carpenter, Rita Castone, Donna Claiborne, Laura Clark, Beverly Cook, Jacquelyn Cooke, Gladys Culver, Danette D'Abreu, Garvella Darmanin, Marianne Davenport, Cheryl Davis, Brenda Davis, Kelly Dixon, Ann Dixon, Doris Duran, Mary Duren, Inealia Ellison, Fay Ewing, Kim Foster, Herman Jr. Fraser, Patricia Futvoye-Micus, Theresa Gaffney, Jeanette Gallagher, Susan Gallagher, Brian Gaynor, Lorraine Gentry, Helen Grady-Fletcher, Arveta Graham, Barbara Graham-Sellers, Virginia Green, Bernice Green, Lois Gregory, Elaine Hall, Brenda Hammons, Mary Handren, Shelley Hartwig, Karl Harvey, Cheryl Harvey, Hortense Hayes, Eunice Hoehn, Jerome Hogan, Queen Hogg, Wanda Holdridge, Barbara Horton, Deslisle Ingram, Ivor Irby, Haroldine Ishakis, Jacob

Jackson, Carlton Jackson, Gwendolyn Jacobs, Diane James, Clyde Jenkins-Sigmon, Veda Jennings, Jane Jennings, Mamie Jones-Foster, Maria Kalczynski, Susan Karaim, Mark Kissel, Leila Knox, Elizabeth Kouri, Mary Krinsky, Deborah Krzyzanowski, Amy Lackey, Johnneta B. Lawrence, Louvera Lenzo, Susie Levingston, Criscilla Lewis, Carmen Lewis, Clester Love, Frenchie Luckett, Juanita Ludwig, Bernard Luster, Thelma Lutes, Mildred Lyman, Milton Machlay, Steven Macon, Lois Madsen, Winifred Malak, C. Ruth Marbury, Larry Margariti, Anida

Marley, Gloria Martin, John Mattison-Wright, Marilyn McKinney, Rene McLean, Robert Mitchell, Craig Mohammed, Maria Moore, Carol Morrison, Yvette Murray, Loretta Murray, Taylor Jr. Muslim, Nadonya Neal, Lovett Nims, Cara Oliver, Mershira Oliverio, Diann Palermo, Julie Palmer, Ruth Paxton, Evelyn Penick, Tracey Peterson, Michael Pettus, Glynn Pointe, Keith Portnoy, Steven Primous, Gwendolyn Prograis, Vilanda C. Pryde, Cynthia Putz, Gloria Quesnelle, Joseph Quinn, Janis

Razvi, Syed Rhodes, Sandra Rhodes-Oneill, Tamyra Robins, Adelle Robinson, Mary Robinson, Priscilla Robinson, Virginia Rodger, Marion Rosen, Lillian Rossi, Barbara Roussell, Amelia Ruppe, Barbara Sanders, Juanita Schenk, Michael Schick, Ralph Scott, Bania Scott, Lisa Seals, Shirley Shlom, Larry Shriman, Pamela Slaughter, Vickie Smuk, Carol Soifer, Shirley Sorrell, Chico Stanch, Virginia Steiner, Carol Steinhart, Dorothy Stempien, Sandra Stewart, Mary Stone, Betty Svirid, Melanya Tait, Theresa Taitt, Mary Tamez-Estephanian, Maria Tarnow, Kathryn Taulbee, William Taylor, Donna Taylor, John Taylor, Martha Taylor, Robert Thomas, Sylvia Tillman, Decheena Todd, Ronald Turinsky, Michael Twymon, Michele Villa-King, Paula Walker, Shirley Walls, Amos Walls, Hazel Weertz, Paul Westcott, Patricia Williams, Cornelius Williams, Dorothy Williams, Karl Willis, Delano Wilson, Thomas Winfield, Georgia Wolok, Rose Woods, Lulu Wooten, Gracie Worth, Vera

Page 8 The Detroit Teacher September 2010

All meetings will be held at 2875 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, unlessotherwise noted. Dates and times are subject to change.

SEPTEMBER16 General Membership Meeting, 4:30 p.m.21 Retirees Chapter Meeting, 11:30 a.m.

OCTOBER7 Executive Board Meeting, 4:30 p.m.14 General Membership Meeting, 4:30 p.m.19 Retirees Chapter Meeting, 11:30 a.m.

NOVEMBER4 Executive Board Meeting, 4:30 p.m.11 Veteran’s Day, Half Day16 Retirees Chapter Meeting, 11:30 a.m.18 General Membership Meeting, 4:30 p.m.25-26 Thanksgiving Recess

God Bless You,Ray ChaptiniWhen Clippert ElementarySchool’s Ray Chaptini wascalled home this summer, itwas a loss to his students, his fellowteachers, and his entire union. Whileothers will remember Ray for all hedid throughout his career, I willremember his contributions during the

latter stages ofhis illness.

Ray was amodel employ-ee who came towork wheneverhe could andsaved his sickdays for whenhe neededthem.

Unfortunately, he became ill duringthe 2009-2010 school year. He knewhis sick days and medical benefitswould run out in May.

The contract we ratified in Decemberincluded an agreement to adopt lan-guage allowing the donation of sickdays to members suffering catastrophicillness or injury. Drafting the actual lan-guage proved to be a more difficulttask. The district’s initial response wasthat the language would be effectivewith the next school year. Ray couldn’twait that long. He let me know, repeat-edly, and I let the district know.

The staff at Clippert rallied to sup-port Ray. Rather than waiting for thedistrict to design a form to donatesick days, they filled out a DFT formand donated over 100 days to Ray.These forms were presented to thedistrict at our first meeting and helpedunderscore our sense of urgency.

Everyone at the district had otherprojects to work on, and they knewthat the end result of this was going tobe increased expenses for the district.But, to their credit, district officialsbegan to meet regularly with us.

We reached agreement on oneaspect after another: whether to use acollective bank or donate directly toindividuals, how to define catastrophicillness or injury, maximum number ofdays to donate, etc. Then we hit amajor obstacle. In order to limitexpenses, the district wanted to cut offmedical benefits to members who werebeing paid with donated sick days!

To convince the district to incur thisadditional expense, we used factualinformation gained through researchwith the district’s insurance carriers.We used logic in making comparisonsto the use of one’s own sick days. Andwe pointed out the impracticality ofhaving to discontinue payroll deduc-tions for health insurance during thistime. I am convinced, however, it wasMr. Chaptini’s urgent situation and theClippert staff’s unwavering support thatensured that medical benefits wouldcontinue for Ray, and all DFT mem-bers who receive donated sick days.

The news of Ray’s passing wasvery hard to hear. I take some comfortin knowing that others have benefitedfrom changes he helped bring about.Four other DFT members sufferingfrom catastrophic illness or injuryhave been able to receive sick daysfrom their brothers and sisters in theDFT, and continued medical benefits.I pray that nobody else will have to.But for those who do, I can only say,“God bless you, Ray Chaptini.”

Mark O’Keefe

Visit the

DFT Web site

www.DFT231.com

Notice of Elections• Nominations for the Biennial Election of DFT Officers,Executive Board Members and Trustees will open onMonday, Sept. 27, 2010 and close as the last order ofbusiness at the Oct. 14, 2010 DFT GeneralMembership Meeting. Candidate’s Eligibility is Oct. 13,2009.

• Nominations for the 2011-2014 Delegates to theMichigan State AFL-CIO will open Monday, Sept. 27,2010 and close as the last order of business at theOct. 14, 2010 DFT General Membership Meeting.Candidates Eligibility is Oct. 13, 2009.

• Nominations for the 2011-2014 Delegates to theMetropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO Central Labor Body willopen Monday, Sept. 27, 2010 and close as the lastorder of business at the Oct. 14, 2010 DFT GeneralMembership Meeting. Candidates Eligibility is Oct. 13,2009.