The Metro

Education plays an important role in the way in which society operates.The recent trends of literacy have noticeably started to decline. Rapid changes in our country, like the dismantling of the Department of Education and  highlighting the struggle of Detroit students with English language arts proficiency.

Important skills such as sifting through information, understanding context and discerning fact from fiction hinge on literacy skills. Standardized test results from last school year show 16% of students in Detroit public schools tested proficient in English language arts — nearing an 1.5% increase from the previous school year. But statewide numbers are much higher, with almost 40% proficiency.

Today on The Metro — during National Reading Month — Alyce Hartman, founder and executive director of Birdie's Bookmobile, shares how she is continuing to work passionately to get a book in every kid's hands in the city.

Hartman is also a K-4 STEM teacher at Detroit Prep and the Mack Kids Director at Mack Avenue Community Church. She travels the city putting books in little hands and filling the book desert gaps. The program also has a huge outreach lending to Detroit Public Schools, and shipping book packages to Ghana, Togo, Iceland and California, demonstrating its global reach.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The Michigan Legislature is split, with Democrats controlling the Senate and Republicans controlling the House, making many wonder what bipartisan work can get done this session. 

Education funding is one of the big questions being discussed in Lansing right now. When the Democrats had a trifecta in Michigan, they passed some meaningful education policies. Republicans have their own education bill package that they just passed in the House, but it’s unpopular with Democrats. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released her proposed state budget last month with notable investments in education. But it’s uncertain whether House Republicans will approve that funding. 

To discuss the latest drama and discussions in the Legislature and what else voters need to know, Michigan Public Radio Network political reporter Colin Jackson joined The Metro.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Southwest Detroit is a vibrant community that oftentimes gets overlooked as a Detroit neighborhood. Many residents are native Detroiters or have deep roots in the city. Similar to other neighborhoods in Detroit, people living there may feel unseen or forgotten. 

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation recently opened the Dresner Community Center-Gilbert Street in Southwest. The goal is to expand resources while trying to directly connect with the communities they serve. 

The foundation bought two properties, the St. Andre Catholic Church and Rectory and the community building on Gilbert street. The neighborhood hub will act as a space for multiple non-profits to live within the community.

Chief Executive Officer of the Dresner Foundation Virginia Romano joins the show to talk about the impact the community center will have in Southwest.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Today on The Metro, we bring you a conversation with the Detroit Documenters, an organization that trains and pays residents to cover government meetings in Southeast Michigan. 

One thing they’ve learned at some of those recent meetings is that County Veteran Affairs offices across the state are in a tricky financial situation. Money they usually receive from the Michigan County Veteran Service Fund was miscalculated. 

This comes at a time when President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are cutting funds and firing people in the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, making all financial support right now very crucial. 

Metro Producer Jack Filbrandt sat down with Documenter Marcia Hartman and Coordinator Noah Kincade to find out how this accounting came about and its effect on Wayne County. 

County VA’s can apply for $50,000 to support veterans. Any money not used from this is pooled together and distributed based on the number of veterans living in counties. 

Kincade spoke to Christyn Herman, a public affairs officer at the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. She said more counties used their initial $50,000 which shrank the pot being redistributed across the state. 

The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency is planning visits and working with county VA offices across the state, Herman said. They understand less money going to counties means fewer veterans being helped. 

Education in the U.S. is facing upheaval. The Department of Education is dissolving as President Donald Trump makes good on his campaign promise to dismantle it. 

Last week, Trump signed an executive order directing the education secretary to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.”

States and local communities already largely control education in the U.S. But some conservative activists have long opposed the department and its role as a civil rights watchdog. Since Trump took office in January, the department has paused thousands of its civil rights investigations.

Trump has blamed the department for lagging student achievement. He argues it is part of a “bloated federal system” that must be eliminated. 

One of the department’s key roles is distributing funding to many low-income districts, including Detroit schools. The Department of Education provides around 30% of the funding for the Detroit Public Schools Community District, says district Superintendent Nikolai Vitti.

Trump claims low-income districts will still have access to this crucial funding. But school officials like Vitti remain concerned. 

He sat down with The Metro co-host Robyn Vincent to discuss how the dismantling of the Department of Education would affect “all Detroit kids.”

He began by discussing one of the most pressing issues facing Detroit schools: a lack of funding — and why federal money is vital for Detroit students.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Today on The Metro, we share highlights from this week's episodes, including DTE Energy’s recent rate hike request and how high energy costs affect metro Detroiters; the importance of supporting small, local business economies and more.

Arab Americans have long been an integral part of the cultural and political fabric of metro Detroit, contributing to the region's identity and shaping local elections.

From Dearborn to the heart of Detroit, the Arab American community has influenced Michigan’s growth and political dynamics. However, as the political landscape evolves, a key question arises: Is there a solid political home for Arab Americans? And if so, where do they fit in today’s polarized environment?

For decades, Arab Americans have been a reliable voting bloc for the Democratic Party, especially in areas like Dearborn. However, in recent years, many have begun to question their loyalty to the Democrats. The catalyst for this shift has been growing dissatisfaction with the party’s stance on key issues, particularly its support of Israel’s actions in Gaza. This evolving political identity is creating uncertainty about the future of Arab American influence in Michigan’s elections.

Today on The Metro, we explored the political future of Arab Americans in Michigan and across the country. Are they finding common ground with the Republican Party, or do their political views span beyond the traditional party lines? The shifts in the community’s political engagement could significantly affect Michigan’s elections in the coming years.

As national and local elections approach, the political leanings of Arab Americans will play a crucial role in shaping Michigan’s political future. Their evolving political identity is fluid, shaped by a range of factors, but one thing is clear: their impact on the state’s political landscape will only grow stronger.

Guests:

More headlines from The Metro on March 20, 2025 : 

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Donald Goines is considered the "Godfather of Ghetto Realism." He wrote fantastical stories based on the realities and struggles of living in urban places and among vulnerable Black communities. 

Goines, born in Detroit in 1936, grew up during a time when the world was heading into World War II. He joined the military at 16, and fell into the world of heroin. He ended up in prison for drugs after returning from the war. 

Once released, he turned things around and wrote 16 books in four and half years before being murdered alongside his wife Shirley in their Highland Park apartment. Almost 50 years later, the murders remain a mystery. 

With the help of the film company Detroit Son, Goines’ story — and the mystery behind his untimely death — is being revisited.

Craig Gore is the executive producer of the documentary, digging into the life and death of Donald Goines. The film also highlights his contributions to hip-hop culture after his death. 

Robert “Tape” Bailey is the founder of King Tape Productions and the author of “The Hustle Code," a guide on how to change perspectives and circumstances with empowering messages.

They both joined The Metro to talk about the documentary’s progress and Goines’ impact on their work. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The Detroit Tigers Opening Day is Friday April 4, but the team has been getting ready at their spring training home in Lakeland, Florida. 

The Tigers have an 89-year history with the Florida city, the longest of any team in Major League Baseball. 

To find out more about this long standing connection, Metro Producer Jack Filbrandt talked to James Michael Denham, history professor at Florida Southern College and Director of the Lawton M. Chiles Jr. Center for Florida History. Denham is also a Tigers Spring Training Season Ticket Holder. 

Before it was Joker Marchant Stadium, it was the location of the Lodwick School of Aeronautics. The flight school opened in 1940 and trained 8,000 American and 1,200 British pilots for World War II. Joker Marchant Stadium opened in 1966, and you can still see barracks and other remnants of the school. 

The Lakeland Flying Tigers, Detroit’s Single A team, plays at Joker Marchant Stadium and carries on the site's flight history. 

MLB Spring Training ends on Saturday. The Tigers start the season March 27 on the West Coast. They’ll be back in Detroit for Opening Day, facing off against the Chicago White Sox. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More than two years after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, the war has been devastating.

After a shaky ceasefire collapsed, the Gaza Health Ministry reports almost 50,000 Palestinians are now dead from Israeli bombardments in Gaza, which now lays in ruins. 

All of this has left many American Jews — especially younger ones — in an uncomfortable situation. 

One week ago, hundreds of Jewish Voice for Peace activists were arrested for a protest outside Trump Tower over the detainment and potential deportation of green-card holder and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.

Still, many American Jews feel deeply uncomfortable criticizing Israel. American Jewish author and liberal journalist Peter Beinart says that’s because Jewish identity is tied to uncritical support of Israel. He hopes to change that in his new book, “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza.” 

WDET’s “All Things Considered” Host and reporter Russ McNamara spoke with Beinart about this and more before a talk he gave last week at a local synagogue in Ferndale.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.