By Mark Bashore, WKAR News
LANSING, MI – Lansing public school teachers and students return to class today (Tuesday), only days after attaining an important federal learning standard for the first time.
State Education officials announced last week the district and almost all of its individual schools hit "Adequate Yearly Progress" targets. Don Weatherspoon is a former state education official who's worked closely with Lansing schools. He says to maintain AYP, Lansing teachers need to communicate clearly with their students.
"They've got to focus on what are the expectations for every student in terms of what they must master. And those teachers and administrators not only have to understand, but they have to pull together," Weatherspoon says.
Weatherspoon says a focus on 'alignment' also means standards are maintained across the system. Officials estimate close to 15,000 students are enrolled for the new year.