VOL. 51 — NO. 10

JUNE 2013

Low morale. Increased testing and pa-perwork. Annual evaluations. Teachers aregetting a lot of piling on, especially in De-troit. They are under an Emergency Man-ager who doesn’t ask for their input, re-ward them with raises, or praise theirwork.

To discuss all this and find solutions, theDFT held mobilization meetings in May.More than catharsis, the meetings helpedidentify issues facing DFT members andwhat can be done about them.

“The main thing everybody in myschool is taking about is salary,” said Bowteacher Judy Furlow. “I’ve been teachingfor 35 and a half years but I feel like I’mmaking what I did 30 years ago.”

Mark Moroni, a DFT Executive Boardmember, suggested becoming the voice ofwhat is going on in the district, both posi-tive and negative. He said it is a bad timein Michigan for all teachers, not only inDetroit.

“Morale is down because the publicdoesn’t like us,” he said.

AFT organizer Jodie Easley is assistingthe DFT in strategic planning with threegoals:

1. Assessing and engaging the majorityof members.

2. Raising Political Action Committeefunds so we’re ready for the 2014 election.

3. Engaging members through morecommittees.

Nikhol Atkins, an AFT Michigan or-ganizer, said what helps with morale isbuilding commonality, sharing best prac-tices and supporting other members.

“I’m not looking through rose-coloredglasses,” said LaShawn Sims, a DFT Ex-ecutive Board member, “but I think weneed to look at what is good.

“A year ago we were in a much worseplace. I’m looking at the [right-to-work]law and now it’s a little clearer that youhave a three-year time frame. It was a

DFT Mobilizes its Members

huge sigh of relief. They can’t run usthrough the wringer.”

But in order for the DFT to be a viableunion next year, Easley said, a lot ofgroundwork has to be done this summer.

“We need to have things to take awayfrom here to do.”

AFT Michigan organizer Nikhol Atkins

As a Detroit school social worker, Kathy Hemingway doesn’tget shaken easily. But recounting the difficulties of six studentsstrained her speech and made her eyes well up. One of the stu-dents, the eldest of five, could never do right by her mother.

“She was thescapegoat foreverything,” Hem-ingway said. Stillthe girl persisted ingetting a diplomaand acceptance to auniversity. Othershave lost parents,dealt with serioushealth issues, or areresponsible foryounger siblings.

“Your heart is re-ally, really sadwhen you stop and

think about it,” Hemingway said. She and eight Detroit socialworkers interviewed teens to award the Mildred Ellis scholar-ships, named after the first African American to head up the DPSOffice of School Social Work Service.

The scholarships go to students who have overcome hardship.Each year Hemingway doesn’t simply hear stories of hard-

ship. Those students are sitting in front of her, asking for ascholarship.

“It just goes to show you they have met insurmountable odds,”she said. “They had every reason to use an excuse to quit. Butsomehow they learned to stand on their own two feet.”

This year the committee awarded $1,000 scholarships, fundedentirely from Detroit school social workers and their supporters,to six recipients. They are: Elizabeth Gonzalez of Cass TechnicalHigh School, Ibrahim Hamilton of Northwestern High School,Tiffany Henderson of Cass Tech, Chrishawn Miles of Cass Tech,Delvonta Pinkston of Northwestern, and Iresha Spears of DetroitInternational Academy for Young Women.

The Mildred Ellis Scholarship Fund has funded $225,000 inscholarships. Next year it celebrates 25 years of giving.

Kathy Hemingway, Iresha Spears,Chrishawn Miles, Elizabeth Gonzalez,Tiffany Henderson, Delvonta Pinkston,and Curtis Stout.

Rewarding Students Who Overcome Hardship

Page 2 Detroit Teacher June 2013

The Detroit Teacher is the official publication of the Detroit Feder-

ation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers local 231, AFl-

cIO. Member of the Union Teacher Press Association, Inter national

labor Press Association & Michigan labor Press.

editor — Margaret Weertzmweertz@dft231.com — 313-875-6776

The Detroit Federation of Teachers 2875 West grand boulevard, Detroit, Michigan 48202

(313) 875-3500

WHy IS DPS KIllIng OFF THe

neIgHbORHOOD HIgH ScHOOl?

The number of high school closures and schools turnedover to the Education Achievement Authority (EAA)over the past few years has destroyed the concept of the

neighborhood high school. The schools and their impressiveheritage are being discarded.

Consider the closures: Redford, Cooley, MacKenzie, North-ern, Southwestern, Chadsey, Murray-Wright, Kettering.

And the schools turned over to the EAA: Central, Denby,Henry Ford, Persh-ing, Southeastern,and the brand new,$54 million Mum-ford.

It should benoted that HenryFord ($20 million),Denby ($18 mil-lion), Central ($60million), and South-eastern ($60 mil-lion) all underwent

major renovations totaling $158 million since 2004. Detroit tax-payers have paid $212 million for these renovations and thenew Mumford that are no longer part of Detroit Public Schools.

The facilities that once harbored Murray-Wright (FrederickDouglass) and Northern (Detroit International Academy forYoung Women) are still utilized but are not traditional compre-hensive neighborhood high schools. The brand new East Eng-lish Village Preparatory Academy, on the site of the formerFinney High School, is a merger of Finney and Crockett highschools, and is scheduled to become an application school oncethe current student body graduates.

The neighborhood high school is in danger of extinction dueto the decisions made by the DPS leadership. The only neigh-borhood high schools left are Western International HighSchool, the schools at Cody and Osborn.

The latest to fall victim to this ill-conceived plan is North-western High School, which is scheduled to become DetroitCollegiate Preparatory@Northwestern beginning this fall. Thiswill become another application/theme school, joining CassTech, Renaissance, Martin Luther King Jr., Davis Aero-space@Golightly, Communication and Media Arts HighSchool, Ben Carson Academy of Medicine, and the DetroitSchool of Arts.

So where does the average student go to high school if hehas no interest in the theme schools and doesn't qualify for theapplication schools? DPS is becoming a K-8 school district ex-cept for application and accelerated-learner high schools.

High schools do more than complete the k-12 learning expe-

rience. For many students, their high school becomes theiridentity. While we embrace the concept of schools of choice,we also must uphold neighborhood high schools.

With this reconfiguring of DPS, many students will have nochoice but to look to a charter or an EAA school for highschool. This further reduces the number of students in DPS, re-duces our funding, and inhibits our ability to maintain stabilityand pay off our crippling debt.

Where does a student who lives on Warrington and Six Milego to high school since Mumford, Pershing and Central areEAA? Where does a student who lives on Tireman and Beech-wood attend high school if he doesn't qualify for Northwest-ern?

Where does a student who lives on Beaconsfield and Mackattend high school if he doesn't qualify for East English Vil-lage? The answer: either EAA or charter. Too many families inDetroit don't have the resources to transport their children fromone section of the city to another to attend high school. We arenot meeting the needs of our customers when we deny them ac-cess to a comprehensive high school IN THEIR NEIGHBOR-HOOD!

There is nothing wrong with schools to meet the needs of ac-celerated learners. However we cannot do that at the expense ofthose students who may not establish their academic and careergoals until after high school.

Despite losing more than 100,000 students over the past 10years, this district is too large to forget about the critical mass ofstudents who receive their k-8 education in DPS and are enti-tled to complete their education in a DPS HIGH SCHOOL!

The community has supported this school district for toolong, especially in dark economic times, to settle for anythingless. They should not have to depend on failing charters and anuntested, underfunded EAA to complete their education.

These actions are an insult to the sacrifices of this commu-nity and they need to be corrected, post haste.

Keith

Johnson

President’s Report

June 2013 The Detroit Teacher Page 3

Are We

Ready?by edna Reaves

DFT executive Vice President

In light of the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, one has to ask,“Are we ready?”

Does DPS have a plan? No one plans to have an emergency,but we should be prepared for one. We cannot anticipate every

Updates . . .

type of crisis that may occur, but we can implement a few ba-sics steps to help.

The fire department advises each home to have an evacuationplan in case of a fire. They tell you to have a meeting place ifyou evacuate the home so that everyone can be accounted for.How confident are you that your school is ready for a crisis? Doyou have a meeting place if you have to evacuate your school?

Do you have lockdown procedures if a gunman enters yourschool? What do you do in the case of a bomb threat? Howwould you prepare for a tornado? Where would you go? Doyou take fire drills seriously? Have you practiced these poten-tial situations with your students?

These are questions that most teachers can’t answer. I wouldventure to say most administrators can answer these questions.Do we have a plan from central of-fice to assist schools in these situa-tions?

I visited the DPS website search-ing for a safety plan and could notfind one. The closest I came was aFrequently Asked Question pageunder the Detroit Public SchoolsPolice Department. According tothe DPS Health and Safety Plan,every principal is required to havea safety plan in place. It must beavailable if a parent asks to see it.Have you seen your school’s safetyplan?

The DPS Health and Safety Plan form suggests schools haveeight fire drills, two tornado drills, and two lockdown drills peryear. I’ve been with this district 25 years and have not had morethan three fire drills per year. On many occasions the only rea-son we did was when some mischievous student pulled thealarm. Before we could evacuate, someone was over the PA an-nouncing false alarm. I can’t recall having a take cover drill or alockdown drill.

Are we ready? I would venture to say no. On the couple ofoccasions of a bomb threat at one of my schools, staff wasn’tnotified. If we found out, it was because we saw custodians andsecurity personnel looking in lockers, someone leaked the infor-mation, or we overheard conversations on a walkie-talkie.

What are the criteria for determining the credibility of athreat? When is the staff notified? Who makes the call to evacu-ate?

We often learn from school-related tragedies about a heroicteacher who put herself on the line for her students. We know itis instinctive in each situation, but we should at least knowwhat to do, what not to do, and what to look for in a given sce-nario.

This is tornado season, who is monitoring the weather duringthe school day? Do they know the difference between a“Watch” and a “Warning?” Where would you take cover?

Moving forward, we all should urge principals to produce asafety plan and practice that plan so both staff and studentsknow how to respond in the event of a crisis. Let’s not becomethe Monday night quarterback and say what we should havedone.

edna Reaves

Retirements Announced

The following DFT members have announced their retire-ments: Wendy newberry and David Sweeney. If you have re-tired within the past six months and would like it announced,please call the editor at 313-875-6776.

Sheryl Taylor, above center, pulled off a spectacular CareerDay at MacKenzie School on May 23. The school counselorbrought in 38 speakers, including several Detroit stars. Ca-reer Day speakers included WDIV meteorologist AndrewHumphries, WJLB radio personality Foolish, and the DetroitPolice Department Swat Team.

Detroit Celebrities at MacKenzie Career Day

Page 4 Detroit Teacher June 2013

Reading More Thana Million Words

by William bowles

Western International

Media Specialist

Lucero Perez, a ninth-grader at Western International HighSchool, won an award from the Detroit Public Schools’ Officeof Literacy and Media for reading the most books and scoringhighest on quizzes on those books during a contest.

Lucero’s classentered the con-test along withall other DPShigh schools andelementaryschools. Luceroread more andtested better thanall other highschool studentsin the district.Her teacher, TaraBaker, was onhand when shereceived herprize – a newKindle.

The program,AcceleratedReader, is thereading compo-nent of Renais-sance Learning,a computer-

based learning and evaluation tool for reading and math. It is acritical supplement that strongly enhances student performance.

So far this year, Lucero has read and passed a quiz for 29books. She has read over a million words and is close to achiev-ing her goal of two million words. Western students overallhave read 822 books for leisure reading. Many of Baker’s stu-dents have read over 10 books this year.

Western International teacher TaraBaker and student Lucero Perez

Former Detroit

Teacher’s Program

goes nationalJoe Marwil has been teaching 4-year-olds

Spanish and phonics at the University ofDetroit Mercy Special Programs for threeyears. The programs are offered as a com-munity service by the University of Detroit Mercy.

The former Detroit teacher designed the program for thepreschoolers. Now it has been picked up by the Institute of Read-ing Development.

Marwil, whose family founded the Marwil Bookstore on thecampus of Wayne State University, is thrilled with the success ofthe reading comprehension and language skills program.

“They’re using a format of my program all over the country,”he said. “It’s an honor to me.”

Marwil credits his alma mater – Mumford High School – withteaching him to speak and read Spanish. He also speaks Hebrew.

“I love it,” he said of teaching preschoolers. “I see the rewardin the children, in seeing people learning. It’s the reward of giv-ing back to them and the thank yous I get.”

Joe Marwill

Little Dresses and Pants for AfricaFor four years, Spain School teacher Maryann Luke worked

with her preschoolers to teach them how to give. She learned of aprogram called “Little Dresses and Little Pants” for children inAfrica. The dresses and pants are sewn by volunteer senior citizensfrom pillowcases collected from the children and their parents.

After they collect and sew the items, they are shipped to a repre-sentative for Little Dresses for Africa, Luke said.

“This year we collected 67 pillowcases and made 20 dressesand pants that will go to an orphanage or school in Malawi,” shesaid.

Luke says the program is hugely successful with her students.“We’re changing lives one little dress at a time,” she said.Information about the program can be found at www.littledress-

esforafrica.org.

June 2013 The Detroit Teacher Page 5

Ronald Brown Academy celebratedMarch Is Reading Month by holding itsannual Family Reading Night on March27. This year’s event, spearheaded by In-structional Specialist Myrina Scott, wasone of the best ever. In addition to makingthousands of books available to familiesat no cost, teams of teachers conductedliteracy activities centered around chil-dren’s books.

The school’s Title I parent involvementgroup worked with Neighborhood LegalServices to bring the Exotic Zoo as part ofthe festivities.

“It’s all about bringing our familiesand the community together to enjoy timetogether while instilling in our studentsthe importance of reading,” said principalDamon Sewell. More than 200 people at-tended this year’s reading night. Familiesrotated to 30-minute sessions on literacyand listened to stories, took part in livelydiscussions, and arts and crafts. Several

staff mem-bers evendressed asstorybookcharacters forthe day.

With theaid of Neigh-borhoodLegal Serv-ices, the TitleI Parent Ini-tiativebrought inthe Exotic Zoo, which featured a 15-footpython that kids and adults observed andtouched. The zoo featured a tortoise,lizard, and many other exotic animals.

The two-hour event included raffles forliteracy games and gift cards, and familiespicked out several books from the “lunch-room library” to take home to add to theircollection. Some even brought blankets

and camped out enjoying some qualityreading time together. A large number ofthe books were donated by the KiwanisClub.

“I received some great feedback aboutthis event,” Scott said. “I don’t know howwe’ll top this next year. But we’ll try. Wewant our children to become lifelongreaders who look forward to embracing agood book.”

exotic books and Animals exotic books and Animals

at Ronald brown Academyat Ronald brown Academy

Second grade teacher Valerie Reed dressed as Pippi Long-stocking with fourth grade students Zariah Culbreth and Va-lerie Duncan and Zariah's mom Deleisha Culbreth.

by Tony Shopinski

Retired Davison Teacher

Davison Elementary and Middle School washonored May 1 at a “Green School” ceremonyat Wayne County RESA. Davison was one of128 schools in the county recognized as a"Michigan Green School.” Davison qualifiedby fulfilling a number of related activities suchas recycling, saving energy, gardening, and pro-moting other environmental friendly policies.

Holding up the banner are Maria Jones-Foster, who coordinates Davison’s gardeningprogram, and Tom Barnes, Davison’s physi-cal education teacher and archery instructorwho is in charge of the school’s "go green"program.

Davison SchoolsHonored as Pure green in Michigan

Page 6 Detroit Teacher June 2013

by Patrick Falcusan

DFT Retirement counselor

Since the ESP was announced, the DFT office has beenflooded with phone calls. Because the ESP had been developedin secret by DPS without any knowledge of or input by theDFT, it was difficult to answer members’ questions. Now thatmore information on ESP is known, it is easier for members todecide if the ESP is right for them.

The amount of the ESP incentivehas caused confusion. Some mem-bers thought the incentive was 65 per-cent of their 2012-13 base salary(around $42,422 for most at MAmaximum) times five for a total of$212,111 over a five year period. It isnot.

The total incentive is 65 percentof a member’s 2012-13 base salary(around $42,422) divided by 60 andpaid out in 60 monthly installmentsover five years ($42,422 divided by

60 = $707 per month for 60 months.Anyone who had already planned on retiring or resigning at

the end of this school year but had not yet notified the districtshould take the ESP. Everyone else has to consider their ownsituation.

For members not eligible for a pension, taking the ESPmeans you are quitting. Being eligible for a pension means youare over 55 with 15 years of service credit or over 55 (46 with

MIP) and have at least 30 years of service credit.Your pay and healthcare will stop and your pension will not

begin. You will be living on $707 a month minus taxes andpenalties for taking the money out of your TSA.

For members eligible to retire but who planned on workinga few more years, the decision to take ESP is still difficult.

If you have MIP, have more than 30 years of service and areover 57, then taking ESP is probably a good idea. MIP pensionshave a cost of living and by the time ESP ends, your Social Se-curity will start.

If you are over 55 but less than 60 with more than 15 yearsof service credit but less than 30 years you are eligible for anearly reduced pension. The reduction is forever and mightcost you more than ESP is worth.

If you have Basic, you have a fixed pension and if you re-tire several years ahead of schedule, your pension will al-ways be less and this lost pension income might be morethan the ESP is worth.

If you had planned on buying time with your TIP moneyand sick day money (which you don’t get with ESP) not buy-ing the time would reduce your pension and the lost pensionincome might be more than the ESP is worth.

If you had planned working a few more years, how muchmore money would you have made by working vs. being retired?How much more money would you have put in your TSA?

Everyone considering taking the ESP has a lot of home-work to do. Go to the DPS run workshops. Go to the individ-ual counseling sessions. Do the math. Ask questions. Talk toyour financial advisor. Retirement is a major life changingdecision. Don’t be rushed into it.

Is the eSP Right For you?

DFT Supports the Moratorium

DFT members wore blue on May 9 to protest the rush to im-plement Common Core standards. Jerry L. White Center HighSchool staffers wearing blue (right) are Lenore Ellery, SharonMcFadden, Lisa Almeranti, Delphine Horton, Shelia Glass andMarcus Walton.

AFT President Randi Weingarten called for a moratorium onassessment-driven sanctions tied to Common Core State Stan-dards until solid implementation plans are embedded in schoolsand proven effective through a year or more of field testing.

The key is high-quality implementation, a deliberate andthoughtful plan of action for introducing new standards intoschools and making sure they are embraced by schools and thecommunity at large, Weingarten said.

Educators need to “unpack” the standards and fully under-stand what they are. They need a curriculum tied to the Com-

mon Core, and the time and support necessary to adapt theirteaching to these ambitious new demands. Those prerequisitesare still missing in schools across the nation, Weingartenstressed, and that makes it imperative for Americans "to put ourfoot on the accelerator of high-quality implementation and putthe brakes on the stakes."

Patrick Falcusan

June 2013 The Detroit Teacher Page 7

Mark Twain students are anxiouslyawaiting Global Connections Field Dayin June. Students selected a country toresearch and learn about the social, eco-nomic and historical connections to theUnited States. After gathering informa-tion about other cultures, the studentsprepared reports and presented their re-search to the entire school. Students getexposed to other ethnic groups andlearn about the fascinating culturesworldwide, ending in May with a cul-minating celebration – the Parade of theFlags and International Taste Fest.

Art teacher Lorraine Jeter workedwith all of the students, from kinder-garten to sixth grade, on internationalart projects. In addition to the curricu-lum, students gain an internationalmindedness.

In kindergarten, the students madethe American Flag out of tissue paper.

They learned how many stripes were onthe flag and what the stripes repre-sented.

First-graders learned where the coun-try of Mexico is located and discussedthe language spoken in Mexico. Theylearned about the Huichol Indians whoare indigenous to Mexico and believethat art is meant to ensure prosperityand health. This culture likes usingbeads, yarn, and wood in their highlycreative and imaginative art.

First-graders worked on the projectOjo de Dios or “Eyes of God,” whichwas made with Popsicle sticks and yarn.

Second-graders learned about Ja-maica and discussed the Jamaican cul-ture and beliefs. The students created aJamaican mask as their final project.

The unit for third and fourth gradeswas Asia and ended with the studentsmaking their own kimonos out of col-ored paper.

Fifth-graders learned about Franceand some of its icons like the EiffelTower. The final project was buildingthe Eiffel Tower with Popsicle sticks.

Sixth-graders learned about the conti-nent of Africa and the many countrieslocated there. They talked about themany cultures infused throughoutAfrica and their influences in African-American culture. A big discussion cen-tered on the many masks, which camefrom different countries like Jamaica,Australia, France, Mexico and Japan.The students designed an African maskand learned that the masks have sym-bolic meaning.

Success isHelpingPeople

After explaining that HAP is not astorage facility but a health mainte-nance organization, HAP representativeDarryl Hibbett explained ingredients ofsuccess to students at Greenfield UnionSchool.

“My job is to find out what other peo-ple’s live are like, what their needs are,”Hibbett said at the school’s May 23 Ca-reer Day.

“I listen to their wants and needs andtry to help them.”

Hibbett, a HAP labor liaison withunions like the DFT, UAW and AF-SCME, helps negotiate health plans forlabor organizations.

Speaking to sixth-graders who want topursue sports, Hibbett talked about hisown football career in high school andcollege at Howard University in Wash-ington D.C.

“In order to be a football player youhave to go to school, right?” he said. “Ifyou can’t be a football player – not thatyou won’t – what else would you be?”

Hibbett said the lifespan of a profes-sional football player is three to fiveyears, so even superstar athletes need tohave a Plan B. With his characteristicgentleness, Hibbett underscored the im-portance of caring for others whateverjob a person does.

“I have to respect everyone I come incontact with,” he said. “That’s part ofmy job.”

Mark Twain goes International

Art teacher Lorraine Jeter helps stu-dents create masks for Global Con-nections Field Day.

by Mark O’Keefe

DFT controller

Many controversial laws enactedby the Michigan legislature inthe last two years were passed

with the intent of improving public educa-tion through greater accountability. Thestate has made teachers accountable forthings they have no control over, while ex-

empting itselffrom accounta-bility for finan-cialmismanage-ment.

Teachers arehappy to be ac-countable forthings they cancontrol. Theyobject, how-ever, to havingtheir jobs de-

pend on improvement in student testscores when they are forced to teach inovercrowded rooms with inadequate in-ventories of text books, and no conse-

Page 8 The Detroit Teacher June 2013

Mark O’Keefe

quences for students who miss an averageof more than one day of school per week.

If the state legislature believes in ac-countability in public education, it shouldstart with a look at its own record in run-ning public schools. Under the guise ofproviding improved financial manage-ment, the state took over Detroit PublicSchools in 1999. When it returned controlto the school board, the state had turned a$93 million dollar surplus into a $120 mil-lion deficit.

The second takeover began in March2009 and continues to this date. On paperthe district’s deficit has been reduced from$219 in March 2009 to $78 million today.Unfortunately, the reduction was achievedby borrowing $249 million. The fact is,DPS has incurred an operating deficit of$108 million during the second takeover.

With combined operating deficits of$321 million during nine years of runningDPS, the state has convincingly demon-strated a complete inability to financiallymanage a school district.

Good business practices would dictatethat the state be held accountable. Weshould prohibit them from taking over and

financially destroying any more school dis-tricts. Instead, we are doing the opposite.The state is appointing more emergencymanagers to other districts, and evenstarted its own school district, the EAA.

The state provided further evidence ofits inability to handle school district fi-nances when it failed to provide fundingfor the EAA. There was no money tobuild, buy or rent facilities, and the abilityto meet payroll was dependent on receiv-ing millions of dollars in donations fromcharities that would certainly want some-thing in return for their financial support.A school district that “depends on thekindness of strangers” is essentially in thesame business as Blanche Dubois.

With no money for schools, and no dis-trict willing to give up its schools, the EAAconvinced DPS to give it 15 schools andcharge a dollar a month for rent. This couldnever have happened unless the State ofMichigan was running DPS and EAA.

Any corporate board that turned over itsassets to a competitor would be ousted. It’stime for Detroit to hold the State of Michi-gan accountable before its schools, stu-dents, and money are all gone.

Where is the State’s Accountability?

carver School

Hosts Shark TankA dozen students at Carver Elementary School sat nervously

May 23 outside the media center before entering its version ofthe ABC program “Shark Tank.”

Like all the schools in Detroit,Carver participated in LemonadeDay in its own way.

“Tricia Barnes is a fan of‘Shark Tank,’” said KarenMcEwen, academic engagementofficer. “She thought let’s take ita bit further and see if these peo-ple are interested enough to fi-

nance these businesses.”

Five fourth-graders created the Fashion Boutique and tooktheir product into the Shark Tank – dozens of sparkly head-bands they made by hand.

Although the panel of Detroit business professionals and en-

trepreneurs grilled students on their business models, it alsosupplied kudos.

“They were nice and made it easy to understand their ques-tions,” said Shelby Moore, who established the “My SistersBeauty Room.” “They gave me ideas about what I should puton my business card and how to get more clients.”

Then one panelist offered a comment she treasured.

“You’ve been doing hair since you were 10. You’re good atit.”

Tricia Barnes and JeannieJones.

June 2013 The Detroit Teacher Page 9

DPS Officer Claudette Williams and martial arts en-trepreneur Richard Plowden attended CookeSchool’s Career Day.

Speaking to generation e

Detroit mayoral candidate Lisa Howze became a CertifiedPublic Accountant and lived a corporate life. But she wantedto be a motivational speaker. Speaking to Cooke ElementarySchool students for Career Day May 15, she said the best jobsare the ones you create yourself.

“You never have to be jealous of what anyone has,” she said.“You just have to do it yourself.”

Richard Plowden, a martialarts entrepreneur, awed stu-dents when he said he grewup without a microwave, faxor cell phone.

“Everything starts with anidea,” he said. “One of youmight develop a car that runson water.”

The speakers – organizedby teacher Dionne Brantley –reminded students that all jobs start with a high schooldiploma.

“Anyone interested in being a police officer?” said DPS Of-ficer Claudette Williams. “Starting today you can’t get in trou-ble any more. And you have to finish high school and college.”

Williams said officers need to pass two tests – written andphysical – and exercise every day. Besides the discipline re-quired in becoming an officer, there’s more to the job.

“You have to care about people,” she said. “That’s why Ilike teachers. Because it takes special people to be teachers.”

Detroit Teachers

compose

lemonade Day SongWhile teachers across the country prepared for Lemonade

Day – the day in June students explore their entrepreneurialspirit – two Detroit teachers caught the entrepreneurial bugthemselves.

Richard Cross and Anita Alef at the Turning Point Academytook five students to the Collective Recording Studio in OakPark on May 8 to record a song about Lemonade Day.

“I no-ticed theydidn’t havea jingle inhere,” saidCross, amusic ther-apist, abouttheLemonadeDay cur-riculum,“so I wrote‘LemonadeDay’ tohelp pro-mote it.”

Theyrecordedsix ver-sions of the song on a 7-minute CD – including a favorite jazzversion – in two hours.

It was quite the learning experience for the students.

“They only see the end product of these rappers,” said Alef, alanguage arts teacher. “But this is a process and they have a lotof takes. They couldn’t talk in the beginning or the end.”

The students participated in the set up and sat through thewhole ordeal with patience.

Alef believes students need to think about innovative ways tomake money. So far her students have come up with ideas, in-cluding a handy man service and a food truck.

“I think we have to encourage more people to make their ownmoney,” Alef said. “I’m trying to get them to say, ‘Hey I canmake some money this summer.’”

Cross and Alef modeled what a true entrepreneur has to do.After composing the song, they took students in their own carsto the studio. They also picked up the $150 tab for the record-ing. The CD includes a national radio promotion and a DetroitPublic Schools promo. They hope an educational organizationis interested in the song.

Teachers Richard Cross and Anita Alefwith Turning Point Academy students atthe recording studio.

Page 10 Detroit Teacher October 2011June 2013 The Detroit Teacher Page 10

All meetings will be held at 2875 W. Grand Blvd.,Detroit, unless otherwise noted. All Meetingsstart at 4:30 p.m. Dates and times are subjectto change.

June

6    General Membership Meeting, 4:30 p.m.

13    Last day for students

14    Last day for teachers

18    Retiree Chapter , 11:30 a.m.

August

26    First day for teachers

29-30 Schools closed, Labor Day

We’re on

Facebook! Check us out at

www.facebook.com/DFT231

new grievance Procedure at DPS

by Mershira Oliver

DFT labor Relations

Administrator

The grievance timeline has been shortened dramati-cally. With the district’s slow movement, I am notsure why it would shorten the timeline for submis-

sion. In the past, contract language stated a grievancemust submitted within 60 calendar days from the time theevent took place or the member became aware of the con-ditions.

The new contract states grievances shall be submittedwithin 20 calendar days from the date of violation. This isa major change and a loss of 40 days to file a grievance.The loss of that time takes away latitude at the buildinglevel for members and administrators to correct possibleviolations. This change was made without input from theDFT and was imposed by people who have not worked in aschool.

Administrators also will have less time to respond togrievances. The last contract allowed administrators 10school days to respond to grievances. Now they have 14calendar days. Normally 14 calendar days is the same as 10school days. When there were 10 school days, breaks andholidays did not count. With the new limit, a grievance filedon June 10 must be responded to by June 20 but under theold language a response was due Sept. 10. So administra-tors may actually have less time to respond.

DFT members will have to be diligent when faced withcontractual violations. As soon as you are a victim of a vio-

lation, you should file a grievance immediately. The vastmajority of members attempt to resolve violations by meet-ing with administrators hoping a correction will be madewithout a formal grievance. With a shortened timeline, youcannot afford to wait to file.

Throughout the year we receive many calls from mem-bers about contractual violations that occurred more thansix months previously. We cannot afford to wait sixmonths. Grievances not filed in 20 calendar days will notbe heard.

Members with similar grievances at a school or work lo-cation should file a class action grievance.

A beautiful piece of language was removed by the Dis-trict in the new contract. It allowed members three years tofile for errors that occur in computation of wages or fringebenefits. That language was in place and served memberswell over the years. Now errors involving money are alsosubject to the 20 days.

Please be diligent. Keep good records. And be sure to fileStep 1 grievances at the building level within a week to en-sure you are within the abbreviated timeline.