Flashpoint: State of schools, entrepreneurship in Detroit

DETROIT – Flashpoint kicked off March by talking about uniting two Detroits. The guests talked about how to include more people around the city to participate in what they called the "new" Detroit.

Former Detroit Lion Ron Bartell, executive director of Ponyride Karla Henderson, Steve's Soul Food owner Steve Radden and President of Archer Corporate Services Dennis Archer, Jr. joined the conversation Sunday.

The panel touched on a clip from the Detroit Refill Chamber panel discussion that Local 4's Devin Scillian and The Detroit News' Nolan Findlay hosted on Thursday. The experts talked about how difficult it is to start a business in Detroit and what the process is like.

Bartell says being an entrepreneur shouldn't be hard, it should be an opportunity that everyone has. He thinks Detroit is struggling with that.

Archer said that some societies are simply less exposed to entrepreneurship and Detroit needs to start with the schools showing kids what it means to be an entrepreneur. He thinks Detroit can work to be a pipeline for entrepreneurship in the future.

Radden and Henderson talked about their own experiences in the field.

You can see the first segment in the clip posted above.

In the second segment, the panel returned to continue the discussion about entrepreneurship in Detroit.

Bartell talked about his path through playing professional football to starting his own business. The former Lion said entrepreneurship was instilled in him at a young age, and playing in the NFL showed him how owners in the country's biggest business went about their business.

He said his passion, even when he played in the league, was empowering people.

Henderson talked about all the attention given to the "new kids on the block" and how that affects business in Detroit.

Click on the video below to watch the second segment.

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The new president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers Steve Conn joined Flashpoint in the third segment to talk about his election.

Conn talked about why he's so angry with how the schools are being run, saying there's "a lot to be angry about."

He said the school closings are the worst in history and cited overcrowded classrooms and teacher cuts at major issues haunting the schools.

Conn said he knows what works in schools and believes the governor's plan isn't the answer. He wants to do what he's paid to do, which is educate the children.

When asked about the state of Detroit's financial issues, Conn said he has still has to find the resources to change the culture of the schools.

You can watch the conversation with Conn in the video below.

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In the web-only segment, Conn returned and continued the conversation about Detroit schools.

Conn addressed more of the issues facing the school system in this segment.

Click on the video below to see the rest of the conversation.

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