LANSING – November elections found candidates campaigning strongly on this theme: Michigan needs jobs, jobs, jobs. 

Most residents agree that upgrading the economy is a prominent concern, and there are similar concerns about education.

In a town hall meeting held by the Center for Michigan, nearly 275 citizens, business professionals, statewide leaders and members discussed tax reform. 

The results were clear: The state Legislature should spend more time on economic and education systems for a better future.

“We’re gratified to have so many concerned citizens and leaders to discuss a situation that gets glossed over too often,” said John Bebow, executive director of the Center for Michigan.  “It’s notable how conclusive some of the results were.  They clearly outdistanced everything else.”

The non-profit center based in Ann Arbor sponsors conferences to provide a forum to discuss politics and public policy issues.

Education funding was a hot topic.  More than 70 percent of participants said the state should increase spending on higher education, suggesting budget increases ranging from $300 million to $1 billion a year.

Separately, Iris Salters, president of the Michigan Education Association, said the state needs an eye-opener when it comes to funding.

“Michigan has a reputation for pulling back on their support for public education,” Salters said. “We previously were a state that funded their education system at a pretty decent clip. As we’ve met hard times, we’ve been looking at shifting responsibilities to school districts.”

Superintendent Michael DeVault of the Macomb County Intermediate School District said the conference in East Lansing was informative.

“The whole conference talked about how Michigan should move forward,” DeVault said. “Obviously, education is an important piece of that.”

DeVault and Salters both said education is a key component to success in other states.

Salters also said Michigan needs to offer better opportunities for young teachers.

“Young teachers are finding comparable salaries that they can get if they move someplace else,” Salters said. “We’re going to be struggling with the attraction of new teachers to stay in Michigan, and we’re going be struggling not only because of finances, but because of the respect for educators.”