People sometimes say to me, “Come on, do district really add Mandarin immersion just to draw in or keep families?” Oh yes they do. Here’s a recent example:

Lansing’s Post Oak Elementary draws students from other districts

From the Spartan Newsroom at the Michigan State School of Journalism

By  Shannon Line 

In its quest to keep students from moving away, the Lansing school district is expanding one of its most attractive programs: The Chinese immersion program at Post Oak Elementary.

At Post Oak, half the day is taught in English, and the other in Mandarin Chinese.

Ann Jones, the international baccalaureate program coordinator for Post Oak, said every class has two teachers, one for English and one for Mandarin. They work closely to coordinate curricula.

Lansing schools recently passed a $120 million bond, and part will help Post Oak build an addition. The school is adding seventh and eighth grade, and the addition will accommodate new students.

Please read more here.

And here’s some more on Lansing’s magnet schools.

Magnet schools exert their pull on Lansing students

By Sydney Naseef

Spartan News

A student who loves to act doesn’t have to wait until graduation to grab hold of their dream. The engineers and the health specialists don’t have to stand by until college to begin polishing their areas of expertise. An interest in international language doesn’t have to be delayed until adulthood. Lansing magnet schools allow for immediate immersion into specific interests.

How did they get started?

A parent’s decision on where to send their child for K-12 education is influenced by countless factors: socioeconomic status, location and high school graduation rates—just to name a few. The Michigan Department of Education requested back in the ’90s that intra-district schools of choice be implemented.  The goal was to give parents and students the freedom to choose between different schools in their own district.

Lansing took advantage of this opportunity. According to Dr. Eva Lois Evans, the retired deputy superintendent in charge of instruction, the district expedited intra-district schools of choice. Evans was on the front-lines of this decision, helping each school select and embrace a specific focus. Concentrations included visual, performing and communication arts, biotechnology and international studies. These allowed students and their parents to choose an ideal career path.

Please read here for more.