The Metro

Michigan schools have struggled since the pandemic, with students lagging behind in reading and math skills compared to other states across the country. 

These skills predict how successful they will be once they enroll in college. Not every student wants to go to a traditional college. But for the ones who do, how do we prepare them? What does it really take to prepare students for college — and beyond — in a state where so many are falling behind?

Bryan Beverly, director of the Office of K-12 Outreach at Michigan State University, joined The Metro live during the Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss the challenges and opportunities for reshaping education for the next generation.

Beverly spoke about the many ways his office works to engage K-12 students and prepare them for professional learning opportunities around the state.

"[You have to] create an environment where [students] feel comfortable sharing what interests them, and then how can you provide supports around their interests," Beverly said. He continued: "...It's more about creating a culture where students feel safe more than specific strategies to pull things out of them; you want to make sure that the students feel safe and invited to the conversation."

There’s a constant tension in our politics and in young people’s lives. It sits between the skilled trades and a four-year college degree.

College is largely seen as the natural next step for a young teen graduating high school. But in the last few years, college has gotten more expensive, college graduates struggle to get entry positions, all while an aging workforce among the skilled trades offers more opportunity.  

So now, many are wondering: What kinds of jobs should we prioritize for younger people? And what kinds of investments should we be making in training tradesworkers? 

Ryan Bennett, president of multiple trades organizations — including the West Michigan Building Trades and the Michigan Pipe Trades — joined The Metro live during the Mackinac Policy Conference on Thursday to talk about skilled trades opportunities in the state.

"I was from that generation where you were taught that if you wanted to be successful in life you had to go to a four-year institution," he said. "You had to get a degree, you had to get one of those jobs that were going to be more white-collar in order to be deemed successful by all of the teachers and all of the counselors that prepped you your entire high school career."

Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline cuts beneath the Great Lakes, stretching over 600 miles and crossing beneath the Straits of Mackinac. For decades, the pipeline has raised concerns because of its potential to spill oil and contaminate water for millions of Americans. This water is also a source of sustenance, culture and sovereignty for tribal communities.   

Countless media organizations and journalists attend the Mackinac Policy Conference to gain a better understanding of what business, nonprofit and political leaders are doing to try to improve the state.

Annalise Frank, a reporter covering Detroit for Axios, is among them. She joined The Metro to talk about the Detroit mayoral debate planned for Thursday night and what else she is covering at this year's conference.

The next mayor of Detroit is not just tasked with managing the city, they also manage relationships with business and policy leaders from across the state.

Detroit’s mayor regularly attends the Mackinac Policy Conference to help build those relationships. But this election season, the candidates vying for that seat are here making their case for why they should be elected the next leader of Michigan's largest city.

Saunteel Jenkins is one of those candidates. The former Detroit City Council president most recently served as the CEO of The Heat and Warmth Fund – otherwise known as THAW. She joined The Metro to talk about how her past experience has prepared her for the role, and what her priorities would be as the city's next mayor. 

"I had to build coalitions with legislators in Lansing and in D.C., and work on both sides of the aisle to bring resources home for our families," she said. "There are a lot of things that I did as the CEO over the last decade that correlates with the job of the mayor."

In 2016, many liberals didn’t take Donald Trump seriously. They thought that he was wacky, ridiculous, offensive, and not a serious candidate for president. 

But during that time, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell thought differently. She was speaking with her constituents Downriver, and it was prior to President Trump’s first term that she realized he was well-liked, that he had a good chance at becoming the most powerful person in America. 

Almost a decade later, Trump has become central to the Republican Party and our politics writ large. Democrats have spent a lot of that time becoming the “anti-Trump” party. But after losing the 2024 election, many Democrats believe that position is not enough. They need to stand for something. 

So, what do Democrats stand for? What should they stand for? And what do they need to do to win back the country — specifically the low-income and marginalized people they claim to champion?

Dingell joined The Metro live from the Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss how she stays connected to her constituents.

"Every weekend I try to be at a couple farmers markets...I try to be in a union hall, I try to be in a veterans hall, I go to special events, I go to the grocery store — where real people are," Dingell said. "And I don't go with anybody, I go with no entourage, I don't have any staff, I go me, and people talk to me and they tell me what's on their minds, and a lot more Democrats need to do that."

Michigan U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin spent three terms in the U.S. House before running to replace outgoing Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow. She bucked the pro-GOP trend to beat Mike Rogers last November for the seat.