This is a breath of fresh air in our negative beleagered self promoting world. There is always hope- children are especially resilient - LBJ did a great thing
27
I am so proud of LeBron James!
9
Hope springs from the bottom; rarely - as we see in our so-called national leadership - from the top.
Mr. James, thank you for using your well-earned wealth to help us be a better society. After all, as Jesus said, it's the children who are the inheritors of heaven's kingdom.
10
LeBron James is a really good human being. There are so many people from sports stars to politicians and other millionaires who care only about themselves (and their $$$) who spend their millions on themselves .
Spending on the "biggest" what ever. House, car etc.
Mr. James has two things they lack. A heart and a brain.
Make that three things --A soul.
85
Something struck me somewhere down in the comments. LeBron would make a great President of the USA. True, he is not college educated. But neither in a practical sense is the boob in the desk now. He is young, vital, full of energy and obviously a quick learner. Never thought I would say it but a "jock" might be the best man for the job. Only person I see as more qualified from outside the "game" of politics, George Clooney.
9
And there it is:
"“LeBron made this school,” she said. “It’s an important school. It means that you can always depend on someone.”"
And that's it. A key to a successful life is in knowing that someone has got your back. It allows you to, in turn, help yourself and protect the back of others. The kid's understand this, and react accordingly.
Would that our elected elites inculcate this into their behavior. Because tell me, truthfully, does anyone think any of them have our backs these days? Truly?
John~
American Net'Zen
28
Only costs taxpayers 8 million a year - what a joke.
7
I'm 92.5 years old, raised six kids in Providence RI and was an activist for better schools - even then. So, pay attention!
The energy in this school, that will ensure success, is its own. It cannot be replicated - it simply cannot be. It should be and can be a model. There are, in fact, other very similar programs, including aid to parents and college tuition for kids who complete high school - which takes away nothing from this one.
Just remember, most communities will want to do some things its own way. - and should. Most will have different numbers, different mixes, different resources. Most will have to do some things differently and make a program its own way with its own energy. Carbon Copies Won't Cut.
It's the desire to lift ourselves up. It's the desire to do it ourselves. And ... And it's understanding that we all need help to do it ourselves. We all need love and support, daylight and electric light, plenty of teachers and teachers' assistants, attractive surroundings, plenty of tools and materials, encouragement, freedom, laughter.
And WELL and THOUGHTFULLY SPENT $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$s.
Done "at the speed of thought." At 92.5, what I enjoy most is learning new stuff and understanding what I've learned in new ways - and it's mostly what I do. With gratitude that I can.
L&B&L
Love&Blessing&Laughter
64
As if I wasn’t already amazed enough by what I was reading, I got to the picture of the in-school food pantry and I couldn’t help but vocalize “WOW!”
Unbelievable planning and execution by all.
37
My hero - and I mean it . . .
18
The first two paragraphs got me teary eyed. Celebrating children as they arrive at school has got to give even the most challenged child a better place to start.
44
@Chickpea I agree! I started to cry when I saw the room full of supplies and food stuff like peanut butter. The things we take for granted, LeBron and his team did not. I'm so Team LeBron!
12
What were the terms of the contract negotiation with the teacher’s union to add 1 hour of instruction per day and 1 year of “preparation”? To simply say that that was “negotiated” but then exclude the terms that led to the changes deceives the reader into thinking that the union just “went along” with the changes in an altruistic manner devoid of any added costs to the taxpayers.
8
Please let's not get crazy. There are improvements, but these students are starting from the smallest base possible; while gling from the list 1%, to the lowest 9% is admirable the absolute outcomes for these students are still highly problematic. As an examp,e, if your boss was under paying you at 5 $ per hour, then, gave you a 50% raise to 7.50 per hour, there is no way he would be congratulated, even though the percent increase is 20 times the norm. The bottomline is that % growth is absolutely useless when starting from such a low point. There was even a bragging mention of a girl being absent "only" 20% of the time. This is not success.
Although the title of this article implies tremendous success, the final results still indicates virtually all students well below grade level in reading and math. This is progress, not success. It is horrible parenting that creates this type of mess, and only much better parenting will alleviate it. The truth is most is the kids will be lost; all low expectations aside!
13
I'm not an educator, but even I know that lowered expectations mean lower results. Why do schools not understand this? How come a bunch of black children are "unredeemable" by grade school, yet white male adults are constantly being given second, third, fourth chances? I applaud LeBron, and I would like to know why this approach isn't simply the norm? I went to a high school in Baltimore where we were celebrated, and I saw kids in 9th-10th grade start to learn for the first time too. It's pretty basic: treat children with care.
33
Getting parents directly involved in their children's eduction is the key.
30
Just to set this straight: Mr James used his fame and fortune, which he achieved with both talent and hard work, to support a school for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, designed to help both the children and their families. Mr Trump, on the other hand, used his fame and fortune, acquired from a father with questionable business practices, grown (?), by his own questionable business practices, to start a fake university designed to cheat people, vets included, out of as much money as they could.
And Trump's base of "good Christians" revile Mr James and honor Mr Trump. How would Jesus react?
53
How wonderful that emotional needs are being addressed.
13
Wow! A school that has the funds to tackle to problems in educating the less fortunate by helping the families as well. Perhaps LeBron and Oprah can get together and try to change the system that is failing so many low income families.
11
In Judaism, there is a notion that no matter how successful you are, you are required to give back to the community, and conversely, no matter how deprived you are (or poor), there will always be someone worse off thus requiring you to give back. It's called "Tzedakah" based on the Hebrew Word for "Holy".
LeBron is a shining example of this notion and I hope is an inspiration for others rich and poor to do the same.
32
Meanwhile, in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford wants to increase class size and lay off teachers.
Look what a PUBLIC school can do when given proper funding! Who knew? Certainly not Betsey De Vos! Might I suggest she read this article and meet mr Mr James ASAP. What a great guy.
31
At the present time our Nation is "tan" and will soon be "brown". This fact has already been integrated in our society, especially within the media and our educational systems.
Our country has lived up to it's slogan, "The USA is a melting pot!".
I’m curios to know what Conservatives think about this. What would Ted Cruz or Mark Meadows say to this kind of program being implemented country-wide?
7
Supportive staff and hopefilled students benefit from increased funding and resources every time Love binds them together
1
For five billion dollars, how many such schools can we build?
8
Response to Jason of Seattle:
Children are not statistical artifacts. If the majority of the children rise to their best potential, whatever that is and become contributing, stable citizens is a huge educational
win.
Embrace it!!!
Cheryl
New Jersey
7
A beautiful and important story . This school is an example of what is needed to ‘Make America Great Again’, not Betsy DeVos’ twisted ideas and certainly not the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
11
I so admire LeBron James....love that he did this as a public school. Admire his giving back so that otheres could have a better life. Hope it continues to work. So nice to have something good to celebrate
55
As a lifetime educator, there are some points to glean here:
1. A little more than 25% of the regular budget was added by Mr. James. It’s not exactly little, but it’s not exorbitant to reach some of our most challenged students. One would think districts could come up with this money if the results were as promising as here.
2. The upward movement of the students’ scores is what we, as educators, are trained to look for, not the overall rate. For example, a student whose scores rise 200% is making extraordinary progress when compared to students who already “sit” at the 80th percentile and above. Eyes on the prize!
3. This school is concerning itself with the “least-desired” students. Frankly, this is where the focus of most of our attention in education should be. Many students are already succeeding and will do well simply because of their family and educational history. We lose too many kids at these young ages, and it is a damn shame we don’t take more responsibility to help them.
Thanks to the I Promise Foundation for taking a risk on these kids. I will be following their progress and praying for everyone’s ultimate educational success!
30
So the takeaway is more money and family assistance in public education means smaller class sizes and more success. No surprise. Now we need it for all children.
20
This dynamic we call "education" needs to reassert its priorities. In nature, no two things are the same. Every individual is a unique expression of existence. The mad scramble for testing and assessment negates the likes of a LeBron James.
5
I was excited to see the headline. My excitement died as I saw that these students did not excel nor as far as the article described it even satisfy standardized results. Instead, they exceeded their "individualized" expectations. Big whoop. In other words, students expected to fail did not fail to reach objectives defined as within their possible achievements. This is not success. It is massive institutionalized failure of expectations. How sad.
4
@Mickeyd
A student multiple grade levels behind cannot make up multiple grade levels magically in half of a school year. The idea is to close the gap so that they are on or above grade level within X amount of years. I'm sure the individualized goals are growth goals based on where the student is, what a typical year growth would look like, and then what a reasonable stretch goal (past a year's growth) would be for that student. The percentile growths mentioned are massive. If they continue, the students should be able to make up the gap over time.
62
This is a great effort by James and the Akron public school system. Our public schools are a mess, but it's not because we aren't spending the money. In GA, and other states, school taxes go directly to the state and are divvied up among the counties so that all schools have access to proper funding. ATL schools receive more per student in an effort to close the gap. This has been going on since 1993; outcomes didn't change.
The money that we pay in taxes goes more to funding the benefits and healthcare and pensions of the school employees; administration makes astounding money and a pension that is ludicrous and unheard of in the private sector. TARP money went to shoring up their salaries here in GA.
I loved the idea that teachers are allowed to hug kids and celebrate them. Thinking any other article about teachers hugging kids would be met with suspicion. Sadly.
Lastly, while this school is a wonderful gift for these kids, I do not believe the education system should be a social services arm where kids are fed breakfast buffets, given extended hours and tutoring. Many here think this should be adopted across the country, but fail to understand that it isn't about the money. It's about quality teachers. Our country needs to cut administration and pay our teachers better. We also need to eliminate the public service unions that demand no teacher or administrator ever be fired for cause without going to trial. That is nonsense.
7
@MaBut it is largely about the money. Which schools have the best results? Overwhelmingly it is expensive private schools and the public schools in wealthy neighborhoods that have more funding (either because of higher revenue from property taxes or because the families are able to donate more to make up for state and school district shortfalls). Smaller classes and more teachers get better results. It's just a fact. Kids who are not hungry perform better. It is just a fact. Many (most?) exclusive private schools with high tuition and small class sizes have 100% of their students enroll in college. Poorer public schools with huge classes, overburdened teachers and limited supplies have higher drop-out rates and much lower percentages of kids going on to college. These are just facts. Money alone can't make a difference but money well spent makes a huge difference. Kids from poorer families and neighborhoods often get poorer educations and kids from rich families and neighborhoods almost always get a decent to excellent education. These are just statistically supported facts.
11
@Ma sad but true..in Conn the average pension of a first year retiree at 62 was $60577 on a last year salary of 92,400..the average pay just passed $80,000(age 47) and the pension is 8 billion underfunded. These are all numbers from Conn Teacher retirement systems(TRS) Money is not the problem and most(male) teachers peers I know at age 60 are nice guys who love sports and went to teacher's colleges(at least in the 70s a step below University)..they are not going to rock the boat. I sound jealous and may be but when I went to University for engineering 40+ years ago one consolation to the long hours of study and work(year round) is that I would do better than my happy go lucky peers who went into education..I have done no better and now that pensions are around the corner probably much worse.
4
Bravo all around.
I would like to respond to one comment: “It doesn’t take money to build relationships...It doesn’t take money for you to teach students how to love”--doesn't it? When teachers have smaller classes and basic resources, they have more time to devote to each student. Counselors' explicit job is to form relationships with students, so schools who can afford more of them have more staff with whom students can build trust. The notion that money is unimportant in public education has been undermined repeatedly in the academic literature and the lived experience of thousands of teachers: see, for instance, recent profiles of teacher leavers by Vice/HBO and Time.
That the school can provide such extraordinary services on a budget close to the operating costs of the district's other public schools is laudable, but the cited $600,000 figure omits the $2 million mentioned elsewhere in the article spent on capital improvements made to the building before the school opened. It is also unclear whether the $600,000 contribution from James' foundation is recurring; if so, it comprises about 23% of the school's overall yearly budget, which is substantial.
This school is certainly innovative in the context of public education in the United States, but we should not feed into the narrative that money is not relevant to excellent public education.
14
@N
Links for referenced pieces were too long to include, but are here:
Time: http://time.com/longform/teaching-in-america/?xid=time_socialflow_twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=time&fbclid=IwAR2_IZ1eLR8FUnYnA3DIJEsJ_C4E0XUl6hPp_DhBX0R_0Q8IfOCR05kU2_E
VICE/HBO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nva8UofZ3fY
Many thanks LeBron for your efforts. We need more I Promise Schools across the country.
17
600K...not very much money at all to make sure a huge difference....Wow. and read the fine print, if the child is the father of the man, then it makes sense to look at the father the child has--the $ here is going, it would seem, to improving the warp, not just the woof. All the diff in the world.
In the mixed rich-working class jewish italian suburbs i grew up in it was the kids with active involved caring parents who tended to excel, parents that checked the homework, that EXPECTED you do to well, as far as i could tell; never mind the tax bracket...
15
I am so grateful that Mr. James, the school staff, and the families and students who enrolled embarked on this experiment together. The early data look very promising. I hope that these children and their parents thrive in the years ahead.
Mr. James, I hope one day, you visit the White House to talk about this. If your success in this endeavor comes anywhere close to your feats on the court, it will be cause for celebration indeed.
18
I'm delighted to learn that this is a public school.
Thank you, LeBron, for funding this, for continuing to be involved and supportive, and for giving credit to the feet on the ground who are making this reality for these kids and parents. It's hard to do well in school, or even get to school, when there's no food or hope at home; sometimes, there's not even a "home" at home.
It takes money to fix these things.
24
@Theresa If you read the article, you'll see that it is not about the money; it's about caring and hugging, and making kids want to go to school and learn.
3
Bravo Lebron, bravo community, bravo the hard working, innovative educators who have dedicated themselves to the success and support of young people who were written off by a system. These kids are of course a small sample of kids around the country who just need a little something extra to thrive. Hope this program can be replicated in many other communities!
17
LeBron, THIS is how we need to treat America's Future -- like Royalty. Well played.
23
This is what equality of opportunity looks like. Well done, Mr. James, teachers, and staff!
25
I loved the story - and Mr. James’ efforts. These students clearly feel THEIR education is important to important people and that is awesome.
In the super-picky-oh-please-who-cares category, the initial 240 students are not a sample and their improvement is not subject to sampling error - they are the universe of interest not a sample pulled from it. So their scores improved. Period.
Sample size only applies as an issue when a random or representative sample is used to extrapolate from a small group to a larger universe or population.
Sorry. Used to do this stuff for a living. And I did think it was a great story except that one clause.
13
@Diane Feldman
Good point, thank you for bringing this up.
1
This settles one question - no one should want to be like Mike. They should want to be like LeBron.
The public-private collaboration, where existing public schools are given the help they need by philanthropy, may be the optimal model for the Zuckerbergs of this world - instead of throwing 100 million dollars at an experimental charter school in Newark, trying to "move fast and break things" with children's futures at stake.
Here the success was achieved with much more modest (but necessary) funding, and instead of a control freak's need to try a dozen new things and reinvent the wheel, LeBron had the good sense and humility to leave the education to the experienced experts, support a public program that's already the entitlement of every citizen to make his efforts sustainable, to fill in financial gaps where they were needed, and to focus on a charity where he's from.
And many thanks to the public school teachers and staff who are making this possible, and were fighting this fight for the future long before it seemed winnable with help from an NBA legend. As they say, you da real MVPs. I'm sure he would agree.
42
“Habits of Promise” — perseverance, perpetual learning, problem solving, partnering and perspective — that every student commits to memory.
If this is truly woven throughout the fabric of every day, these students will learn behaviors that positively influence their ability to grow into contributing members of society. Perseverance, or grit, is much needed to be successful no matter your background.
19
Principal Davis is the only disappointing voice in this article. She said is does not take money to build relationships, etc.
But it DOES. Thanks to LeBron the food is there for the parents, the help for them as parents and as struggling learners themselves is available, and their kids get extra care and time. This connection and caring takes MONEY. Many many of the schools in this country have teachers and principals who care but who are starved of resources to the point where connections and relationships do not get a fair chance. A principal can always get a good reputation by saying she does not need money, but it a disingenuous stance to take because the principal looks good to those trying to save money but the kids and parents suffer the consequences. Let's not listen to the administrators who cater to those trying to cut budgets and taxes. We need to shout the truth: caring takes money too.
32
@James Laughner: Regrettably, I find YOUR voice "disappointing". Here we have an upbeat, positive article about the successes of a model school program underwritten by LeBron James in Akron, Ohio, that shows great promise, but instead of extolling its virtues and possibilities, you chose, instead, to zoom-in and nit-pick a comment by the school principal -- a comment (like most) that is easily interpreted in different ways. You excoriate Principal Davis because she said, in effect, that "[It] does not take money to build relationships". My take-away from her statement is that unless teachers establish genuine relationships with students and truly care about motivating and guiding them toward successful lives, no matter how much money you put into a school, such efforts are doomed to failure because students aren't stupid; they know when you care about them and when you don't. And when pupils sense that you're hostile or don't care, it contributes to the feeling that they shouldn't care, either, because they're not worth caring about.
5
Thank you to LeBron.
And especially thank you to the educators working at this school in balance, working very hard and nobly.
I think educators are fantastic people.
18
@Jim: Good point!
[The balance of my comment is an extension of an earlier comment and is intended for Mr. Laughner, above.]
Having taught at the elementary and high school levels -- including Severely Emotionally Disturbed (SED) students in the non-public school setting -- I have found that perhaps the most fundamental requisite for the success of students is the attitude of teachers toward those students. And while it takes money to run any school, money, alone, does not guarantee success. My own Booker T. Washington High School in Columbia, S.C. (7th through 12th grade during the 1960's), is a case in point. A totally segregated school, we received 1/8 of the funding that all-white schools received. Many of our books were stamped "DISCARDED," being passed down from white schools, which received new books. The entire staff of my school was black -- and produced doctors, lawyers, dentists, judges, teachers, PH.D's and citizens engaged in virtually every field of endeavor. And our children have risen even higher, not only boasting advanced degrees from America's most prestigious colleges and universities but also teaching there and becoming the new purveyors of knowledge and excellence.
Don't be so focused on a glass which you find half-empty -- unless you're willing to help fill it to overflowing. Our children deserve no less.
Sure, schools are grossly underfunded, but we must be realists -- and 'do the best we can with what we have' until we change things.
6
Senator Tim Scott was the author of the Opportunity Zone Program in the new tax law. It is a good way to incentivize private investment into struggling neighborhoods. Maybe there should be a similar program for education. Big wigs on the Wall should have the option to invest (tax free) in school systems that the gov has designated as an educational opportunity zone. If it’s true that LeBron’s Funding makes a difference, then it should be no different for some of these other big shots (of course there should be regulation around donation abuse). This would not be as controversial as say opening more charter schools or giving creating more vouchers for families to use for private schools. Simply donate donate money to an opportunity education zone, and you get a tax credit. Simple as that. Wish my neighborhood had people like LeBron.
11
In my view, as a retired NYC public school teacher, it is terrible for any adult(s) to label a third/fourth grader as "irredeemable." Sometimes adults can be a cause of the problem and not the solution. No youngster is irredeemable and no adult has the right to treat any kid as though there was no hope for that young person. Kids can be a success if adults believe in them and work with them and if the kids try their best. My congratulations and best wishes to the students and teachers at I Promise School. You a role model for all of us.Keep up the great work, kids. Sensational!
26
Let's list every inner city school across America (is there such a list?), list the "promise picks" that can be funded in them, and then have a place benefactors can sign up.
6
Thank you for sharing hope and kindness. And making school a safe place for these students. A supportive environment is the key to resilience and lifelong learning.
14
This is what hope looks like. Bravo, Mr. James, and all involved.
26
To LeBron: this story brings tears to my eyes, because this should be happening everywhere; this is the important stuff and I thank you for using your celebrity and money to create a model that could someday be your most important legacy.
33
Starting early is so important as is working with parents. Another important factor is recognizing that some students do not function at their ability in the regular school environment and the need to provide them with alternatives.
I'm glad this is a public school. We need more like it. Many parents choose charter schools because they believe their children will be safe there even though many charter schools are staffed by inexperienced teachers and administrators. More money should be appropriated to this type of public school rather than vouchers for private schools.
20
@Zoned you mention charter schools with inexperienced personnel(which are public ) then vouchers for private schools. They are not the same. This school seems to take on the attributes of a public charter school
1
Mr. James, a wealthy successful man, has chosen to give back to his community. I applaud him with all my heart, same as I applaud all people, regardless of income level, who choose to share themselves and their resources for the benefit of others. I am grateful for the many humane & caring people in this world, those who are kind enough & compassionate enough to at least attempt positive change for the common good.
21
I think the only way to really improve struggling schools is to do more to support students outside of school. I am an educator and in my experience students who come from less stable situations at home are often unable to keep in school which shouldn't be surprising. I like the idea of using the school as an avenue to support the whole family with things like health care, adult education, food assistance, etc. Thats the way to really support a child's learning.
24
Real educational breakthroughs almost never hold up -- innate talent matters too much.
My guess is that the higher scores are a statistical artifact: Take the 10th-25th percentile of scorers at any school and they will do significantly better the next year because of a natural reversion to the mean. I.e. you are mostly likely selecting a population of students who had a worse year than they usually do, like the girl who missed 50 days last year, so they will naturally do better the next year regardless.
Sorry to rain on this feel-good story.
1
@Jason
I've taught every high school subject, except foreign language, for twenty years. Innate talent is maybe 15% of the equation for success. The other 85% is being addressed as best as possible by Lebron's school.
20
@Jason
I as a 40 year teacher and a learning specialist, I agree with Jason that innate ability is important in academic success. Not every student in LeBron's school will go to college, though some will. Those who don't will leave school with the clear message that they can learn, they can succeed, and they are valued. Academic success does not insure success in life. The other things students are learning at I Promise do.
11
@Jason
Regardless of how genuine the efforts their is always at least one hater. Truly a moment when silence would have been golden!
Bravo! What Mr. James seems to get, that should be obvious by now to supposed educators, is that if you want positive, constructive change in the lives of our future generations you have to start in pre-K and our elementary schools, and involve family. Children naturally love to learn! They are eager to discover. All they require is a nourishing, positive and kind environment. That is what any and all schools should provide. By the time these kids reach middle and high school they will b ready for the challenges of coming “adulthood.” Not that we should abandon our present day teens, but early childhood is where the real advances can take hold and lead to a brighter future. Mr. James would be a great Secretary of Education!
21
One unalterable fact I discovered upon becoming a parent was that either I pay now or I pay later; but I'm gonna pay. I can pay for love, caring, and the best opportunities when my children are young. Or I'll be paying for bail, rehab, counseling, etc, when they're older.
24
So glad I clicked on this story. To think that kids this young were considered in danger of not graduating. A self fulfilling prophecy averted? It surely seems possible. Stunning that children can be written off at such a tender age. My guess is that involving the parents of these kids will be a key to future success. What a great idea - widening the focus to include the moms and dads who may well have suffered a failing system, to give them a chance at a GED in the same building as their kids, to make the experience a shared one. Societal scaffolding - lifting people up. Seems so basic, and yet widely sneered at in this cynical age.
Kudos to Mr. James for channeling some of his energy and cash into a mission that has the potential to change lives so profoundly. Kudos too to the staff of the school for believing in these kids and their families and doing the good work.
28
This is a great story - thanks.
I've read several of the other comments, and agree with many of the praises for Mr. James compassion and use of his extraordinary level of income to give back to the community, as well as the observation that this is the kind of treatment that all students, everywhere in the country, should be able to expect from their government-funded schools.
Personally, I believe we should funnel about half of what we now spend on the military into education and related things like job-training. Quit making more weapons and bombs and educate more teachers...and pay them what they're worth.
Our future lies in the hands of our children, and the decisions we make about how to inform and care for them now.
27
@LJMerr How about using money we spend on prisons? Sentences are too long and too many people lives are wasted there.
3
Congratulation to the whole team (school and children families) and also to Lebron. Keep on the good works.
8
I like that he chose to do this within the public school system instead of through a charter. I also understand and appreciate that the improvement results are gradual. I am always very suspicious of drastic turnarounds in education outcomes. Gradual and continuous improvements are sustainable.
Thank you to LeBron James for your support of the community.
32
I love this. All of this. One key thought is how important it is for the parents to be able to have access to food, clothing medical and education. ‘Allowing’ the parent to choose if they need items and just go there is wonderful. No judgy systems and people in place making you prove you need these things. May we all think about the systems we have in place that give people despair and remove them.
Peace!
24
Lebron, we are so proud of what you are doing and so proud of the students and parents, and staff at I Promise. Thank you.
17
This story makes a few clear statements:
1. Schools need to be well-funded to succeed.
2. Successful philanthropy need not be predatory. LeBron James is not peddling anything or asking for some influence in exchange.
3. It is evil to count out children, especially those who have not had an opportunity for proper rearing.
4. To have a well-adjusted child you should have a fit parent. Notice that most of the parents in this story are discovering their own humanity, some for the first time.
51
I am not sure i understand the teaching methods used to result in the improved test scores. I realize the caring nature of the school makes a world of difference, but does the school use a new method of teaching such as a retooled Montessori ? And can the program be extended to other schools easily, or does it take philanthropy. Educating our children is far more important than investing in faster planes or bigger bombs.
4
@david g sutliff I'm a retired elementary school teacher. I doubt that there is any special system being used (they rarely work and just make money for those who design them). What works is having high standards for all, meeting kids at their instructional levels, and being willing to try things that work for each individual student. Good teachers make meaningful emotional connections with kids. If you've got that, you've got everything you need to make progress. Making sure parents are involved is also important, of course, as is making sure kids have food and clean clothing, things that are NOT a given for many students. Year round school is another important component.
19
considering the embarrassment created in the past when "extraordinary" test scores were announced in several school districts and later shown to be tainted, i certainly hope these tests and their subsequent scoring have been the subject of intense scrutiny and oversight. it would be tragic if the results are proven false.
4
The article frequently mentions the strong relationships being built and only occasionally refers to technology. How nice!
16
I love it! This is a fantastic plan!
I have worked with inner city and poor children, and it was the most wonderful experience of my life.
Changing these kids future is like being part of a miracle. Bravo! Brava!
9
When someone in sports gets a contract that pays many millions a year I always wonder how they could possibly spend it all. This article allowed me a deep and happy sigh of relief.
More of these please!
25
Kudos for James.. Education is our highest priority. It changes everything else, and the I Promise public school is showing that more money can make it work for the students most charter schools try to avoid.
We need a lot more money for the public schools, for more teachers, for better pay for teachers, for tutors, for outreach to parents and for services that make it possible for pupils to attend school regularly and be capable of taking advantage of what it offers.
The quality of education in America for children from low income families is the country's shame. We should make it possible for all schools to emulate the I Promise experiment.
23
The photo of the teacher hugging the delighted student shows how much our species needs appropriate physical contact if we are to feel valued. The recent uproar about Joe Biden's behavior was an expression of how confused we are about what's appropriate and what isn't. Kids who are touch starved are more likely to become maladjusted but the adults in their lives are afraid of getting sued.
22
Betsy DeVos should be able to learn some valuable lessons from this example. If she and her team are intelligent enough to grasp the concept and outcome of LeBron James' courage and intelligence, then they would do the country a great favor.
25
It exciting to read about a successful integration of public and private funding in education that provides an alternative model to the concept of charter schools. The charter school model has created as many problems as it has solved. Cherry picking students and using non unionized teachers has made for a hostile relationship with public system which serves far more students. Mr. James' concept shows a new way to achieve enhanced levels of care and attention to the needs of both students and parents without snubbing the public system. One can only hope that this will become the primary way to improve educational outcomes for inner city African American kids.
31
What a wonderful story! Thank you so much for this uplifting news. When you look at this from way out in the Universe, it just says, This is it. This is the answer to how every school in America should be run, and if we care about our children and their future and the future of this country, we will all insist that all our schools make this kind of effort, and insist that the money be there to make it possible!
14
This is the best story of the week. What's being done here should be possible in all schools. Lower class sizes! Engage, support and involve families! Include social-emotional learning outcomes and supports in your curriculum! Hire qualified and dedicated staff (which is easier to do when you lower class size and provide resources that help teacher make a difference)! Apply sound teaching practices (e.g., helping a child with behavioral outbursts to practice using his words and reinforcing him for the times he does that).
After 40 years in early childhood special education, I'm thrilled to read this story.
It's appalling that young children are ever thought of as not being able to graduate. This school sees the promise that is inherent in children - as it should be - as it is.
Bravo to the staff and principal and district - and yes - to Mr. James.
38
Congratulations to the Akron school system and to Mr James! As someone once said, in a world full of people who couldn't care less, it is inspiring to see people who couldn't care more. This is a wonderful experiment. The families and children have made a commitment to improve their lives, and one has to have full confidence that they will. Look forward to seeing longer term follow up of both the children and the parents.
17
There is so much love in these photos and in this story. Thank you Akron and thank you Lebron James.
17
He’s now my favorite basketball player - ever. Could it be that we’ve always known the way out of generations of underperformance and poverty but have not had the will to actually do it?
19
Smart, insightful, kind, thoughtful - all the things our current administration is not. God bless Mr. James for his efforts. What will result from this insidious current administration is an explosion of good. Creativity rises from distress, like a defense. Minds open and thought flows forth - Mr. James has chosen to take his moment in time and use it to better his fellow man. Its a basic concept and has fallen to the side. The believers are out there and what Mr. James illustrates is that all is not lost in this current heartless administration. education and love are our only defense.
18
Would that every rock star athlete, hedge fund manager, or technology billionaire thought to support even one public school. What a difference Mr. James is making in the lives of these children, their families, community and beyond! Hopefully Mr. James will inspire others to invest in people instead of accumulating bright shiny things.
36
The secret sauce here that differentiates this school model is community engagement. Parents feel supported, welcome and actually trust the system- how incredible! How can every school create this magical community?
34
That they were able to procure a building and have space for all the extra programs and staff is amazing. It's much less expensive to hire additional staff than provide space for them to work in a building. Locally, we hire extra staff without considering whether there is a place for them to actually work. The result is teaching and learning occurs in noisy hallways or the corner of an already busy, probably productively noisy, classroom.
4
You really want this to pan out. I hope LeBron James sticks with this school, its children succeed, other schools emulate this school, and if all this happens, that James stays in the education field. Its really needed.
11
Amazing story and I love Lebron for creating this model. What if local companies started to follow suit in other cities? What if they could redeem the hopes of these people in forgotten areas?
9
I am shocked to think that there are people labelled as "irredeemable" at the age of eight. The thought that there are "educated" people who could come to such a conclusion is in reality a stinging indictment of our education system and our society in general.
It has been clear to me for a long time that America's "One size fits all" educational system is in itself the problem, and is a disservice to students at both ends of the ability spectrum. A standard academic program using standard techniques is not going to be effective for all students.
It is also interesting to note that the extra cost of such a program is insignificant. Why wouldn't taxpayers support such initiatives? Especially when you consider the potential cost savings on the back end: money saved incarcerating failed students; money saved on welfare for single mothers; money saved on unemployment benefits, and so on and so on.
40
Lebron is a good man.
46
Lebron for president!
14
Hurray for Lebron James. Everything about the efforts at this school are worthwhile, but it is the program to include the families which is truly essential. Those children need extra effort but so do their caregivers, many of whom are the product of generations of deprivation and lack of opportunity. The chance for the parents to obtain a GED, job training, just the attention of the staff pays off big time.
42
I am astonished (and about to lose a $100 bet) that at least three commentators here are not taking a written shot at the Secretary of Education. I can see one at the president, but that was a low bar anyway.
12
No mention of salaries, benefits, pensions for a staff from a billionaire.
1
@Ralph Petrillo
Promise 1 is a ~public~ school. Salaries, benefits and pensions are paid by the school district.
24
[[Students at the school were identified as the worst performers in the Akron public schools and branded with behavioral problems. Some as young as 8 were considered at risk of not graduating.]]
What percentage of those students came from fatherless households?
5
And why exactly does that matter? They’re students in need & underachieving, enough said.
31
@Rosa
[[AtlantaApril 13
And why exactly does that matter?]]
Fathers matter. Having two parents matters. Two incomes, two parenting styles, good cop bad cop, taking turns reading with the kids, checking homework.
Somewhere between 67 and 72 percent of "black" children are born "out of wedlock."
And [[the school district, where achievement and graduation rates have received failing marks on state report cards, has been trying to turn around its worst-performing schools for years.]]
Where are the fathers?
Education begins at home and you get better results when you have two parents there.
Parse that sentence and tell me where it's incorrect.
1
@Rosa
It matters because fathers are important to children.
1
I immediately noticed the picture of Ms. Whorton hugging Ibn al-Qaadir. Is that even ALLOWED in schools any more? (And if it's not, maybe that's part of the problem.)
16
@Connecticut Yankee
I noticed the same thing. I don't think touching students is permitted in Vermont. And yes, I believe it is part of the problem, especially with young students.
4
@Connecticut Yankee
I’m a teacher in Rhode Island. We have been specifically, strongly warned not to touch students at all because of the problem. They call it “gotcha”— parents are out to get us, with their children’s help. Meetings, police, lawsuits; expensive, time-consuming distractions. What can be done?
6
@Connecticut Yankee
That was exactly my thought!
Guess the values of this Democrat are Republican in some ways. I see the school here doing what is a parental responsibility. And clearly the parents have failed their own kids. But if we are going to help them and create something better this is certainly a start. What is happening here is not wasted.
5
Our society doesn’t take care of those at the bottom. Trump reduces food stamps so much that they amount to $1.50 per meal! This school is supporting the stressed parents as well as the children, providing them with food, emotional support, teaching the kids how to regulate their emotions and draw strength from their successes. I’m very impressed. Thank you LeBron.
29
@JEM
In many cases the parents were failed as kids too by their schools and environment. If we are going to break the cycle of poverty, we have to help adults and children.
4
@Diane
Pay for education now or pay for prison.
Way better deal in my estimation.
1
Look at the resources it takes, to lift even a small number of children out of failure. Instead of building a wall, we should be building more bridges to success..
43
Most of the news about LeBron James is whether, at 35, he will help the Lakers be a success, or an ingredient in their failure.
Dude gets my #1 NBA, all-time hall-of-fame selection:
- not because of his basketball skills (about which a reasonable case can be made that he is better than Magic, Bird, Wilt and Bill Russell, even Michael Jordan), and his amazing intelligence (remembers every play of every game)
- but because of his big heart, and his impact on these precious, young human beings.
267
My friends who know me well, know I was gobsmacked when I read Jonathan Kozol’s Savage Inequalities in 1991. It did not leave me unchanged. I would go on to spend a year volunteering at an alternative Ed high school deep in South Central, at a time all my friends said I was crazy. I would mentor a 16 yo gangbanger who would later tell me “All I’m wanting to learn, I owe to you.” (IMO, my greatest achievement so far in life). Kozol’s book, he taught in the South Bronx, is a powerful indictment of public school funding. The rich suburban parents would say, money isn’t the answer for those kids. And yet, the minute any effort was furthered to equalise funding between urban and suburban districts, would say how dare you take money from my kids’ district. Sounds a lot like DeVos. Well you can’t have it both ways.
It is so beautiful what LeBron is doing at this school, and the proof is in the (early) pudding. However, let’s not lose sight of the fact that our entire school funding system needs a complete overhaul, so as not to treat children of colour, or of lesser circumstance, as disposable, as they currently, overwhelmingly, are.
Bravo LeBron! But let’s fix the whole system, so that every child of this supposedly great country, has an equal shot.
44
Perhaps the NY Times journalists and especially their pro-charter editors will take note of this reporting.
1. The school in question is part of the public school system using experienced teachers - not newly minted college grads given 6 weeks of training.
2. The school in question looked for some of the lowest performing students to teach.
3. There is no mention of this school having suspension rates of 15% or 18%, as certain supposedly top-ranked elementary schools run by private charter CEOs do. And the principal isn't telling everyone about how she has no choice but to give out of school suspensions because even the Kindergarten and first graders are so violent.
4. No one claiming that smaller class size is a waste of money.
I could go on, but no need. The contrasts between this school and certain charter schools subsidized with tens of millions of dollars from billionaires who support high suspension rates of 5 and 6 year olds is stunning. The contrasts between LeBron's vision and the vision of no-excuses charters run by CEOs is stunning.
This vision is a school run by people who believe in the value of all children. The vision of education "reformers" are schools where a student only is valued if he performs well on a standardized test.
65
I hear many supporting reparations to families that had AA
slave ancestors. I don't think giving anyone money to spend wildly is a solution.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
I do think we should invest heavily in schools like this and community development. Employment in hard-pressed neighborhoods could create jobs that improve their communities and health.
13
@Anne I disagree with you solely on the basis that all African Americans (myself included) are not poor. I know how to fish. My household boasts college graduates. We are fiscally responsible and I invest in real estate. Reparations is about proper financial restitution to descendants of those who gave this nation a financial advantage due to free labor by way of chattel slavery.
This nation has fiscally repaired their wrongdoings of various other people. Your comment implies that a majority of us are poor, uneducated, and fiscally irresponsible. I'm not sure you even realize it and that's a shame. Especially since this article isn't even about that.
@Anne Who said anything about giving anyone any money to spend wildly? Using your own analogy, the problem isn’t that anyone needs to be taught to fish, let alone given fish. We (White people like myself) need to stop going around breaking poles, and keeping all the fishing line for ourselves. We need to stop gating off the land with lake access. Look to people of color’s ideas on reparation and think, think, think. We have proven ourselves incapable of fixing this with our biases and ignorance.
1
Such a strange time. On one hand, the rich celebrity parents are paying for their lack-luster children to get into college. On the other hand, LeBron James is truly helping children and families to get the education the deserve .
Wouldn't it be great if the Felicity Huffmans and Lori Loughlins of the world would be made to donate money to kinds that really need it.
38
Now contrast what Mr. James has done with his foundation and Mr. Trump. Enough said.
15
What a great story! A well-funded public school open to the most challenged students. What every poor kid could benefit from.
8
What I find most radical about the I Promise school is the inclusion of a child's emotional and social development as part of the curriculum.
I tested for a 140 IQ. And yet, as I wrestled with my inner demons, I was failing at school. Badly. Poor self-esteem. I was not ~supposed~ to succeed.
I'm from a middle class background. I cannot imagine the stress of those less fortunate.
28
This is a wonderful program.More power to LeBron and all the teacher.
I hope they start sex ed early. That could help. too.
2
LeBron 2020!! Just think what America could be if we had a President with the heart and vision of Mr. James.
20
Right on King James!
LeBron James can do way more than dribble.
James is following in sports activist wake of the likes of Muhammad Ali.
The legacy of African enslavement plus Jim Crow separate and unequal while black in America has focused and limited positive socioeconomic black progress in sports and entertainment. But few athletes have the motivation and will to become civil human rights activists.
14
We need more people like LeBron James.
10
This is a public school, that admits students via lottery, has an extended school day, and has extra funds raised via philanthropy. Were it a charter school, I doubt the slant of the article’s author, or the reader comments section, would be so glowing. But, since it’s Lebron and it’s run by Akron City Schools, rather than a nonprofit charter organization, the hive of indignation is instead all praise. Odd indeed.
3
@IntentReader
The students are identified as being in the lowest quartile then, are chosen by lottery. These are not students whose parents have them simply fleeing the public school system.
1
Yes. good schools require money. But they need something else even more: committed and caring people to reach, teach and comfort children in an honest and respectful way.
The line that touched me the most was the girl who said ".....LebBron wrote us a letter, and I knew it was real because the paper was was signed in pen.....That encouraged me."
There's the magic elixir--a real person who steps up to help and believes in these children.
Money's good, but connecting with each other is the icing on the cake.
16
This is a community school.
Multiple high quality studies have affirmed that community schools are an extremely effective model of education reform.
The four key components of this model are:
1) Integrated student supports
2) Expanded learning time and opportunities
3) Family and community engagement
4) Collaborative leadership and practice
See https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/Community_Schools_Evidence_Based_Strategy_BRIEF.pdf
19
King James! We love you!!
4
Pretty wild that a basketball player is better at running a school than the Secretary of Education.
331
I was born in Akron, Ohio in 1944 when the segregated city struggled with racism and providing a decent education to all the students.
Some parents sent their children to private or Catholic schools that had a better student teacher ratio. My parents moved our family to Cuyahoga Falls, a totally segregated suburb, to find a better school selection.
Despite valiant efforts like the ones mentioned in this piece, today’s Cuyahoga Falls has little more than token integration while a more suppressed racism still exists.
The comments here indicate that public education in America is still below par in many communities even in states that enjoy large surpluses like Texas.
As a retired American expat in France I find a similar struggle in the public education system exists here. With America’s Trumpism advocating for bigotry and less diversity, the future looks grim despite these occasional bright lights of unselfishness!
10
This is wonderful. Kudos to Lebron for doing God's work.
The enormity of this challenge is what daunts me. His school has 240 kids, and the vast majority have not had the parental support to be successful. Parents who read to their kids, who check report cards and make sure they do their homework. Who make sure that they have a pencil when they get to school.
We are asking the school system to fill that yawning, gaping hole left by parents, and that's a brutal challenge. It takes a massive amount of resources and a lot of one on one effort to raise a child.
11
Bravo! As great a player as LeBron is, he will leave a far more meaningful legacy with education that can last generations. At a time when it seems we sink towards the lowest common denominator, how inspiring to reach for excellence and intelligence.
If only everyone with similar means would do likewise.
5
Great story, great school. Parent involvement and support
is the answer. How about a laundry room.
7
Way to go LeBron. A brilliant example of the power of positive leadership for our callow and feckless President and his divorced-from-reality Secretary of Education.
I spend a couple of hours every day in the digital pages of the NY Times, slogging through the sturm und drang of our daily existence and rarely do I find a gem such as this.
I'm elated to know that a positive program for educationally disadvantaged kids in a public school, supercharged with a relatively modest annual donation, can show such promise.
17
Wow! What an uplifting story! Particularly impressed that the focus is on family--children, their parents, the teachers and administrators. Too often teachers are thrust into the spotlight to create miracles out of nothing but their instincts. This school seems to recognize that learning is not an 8 to 3 activity. Parents need to continue at home what children learn at school. Children need to see parents fully engaged in bettering themselves, reading for pleasure as well as for other purposes. Above all, positive attention needs to be given these children. TV, computers and other electronic gadgets do not socialize young children to the real world. Bravo Mr. James! Long after your basketball skills are no longer effective enough for the NBA you can be proud of what you've started--and hopefully will continue--in the Akron schools.
18
I hope this is being studied so it could be used as a model for public education in our country. Having a food pantry, clothing bins and G.E.D. Tutoring and counseling on-site is simple, solves many problems and brings in the parents to a learning environment they never had. Mom or Dad is doing better and bettering themselves, kid sees this, I’m going to be like Mom or Dad. Just so many things happening here besides just maths or English.
If this works through 720 kids, making significant strides in bettering themselves and their families, let’s use this. Heck of a lot better than spending $70,000 per year per prisoner.
Go Lebron!
15
It Is not shocking that smaller class sizes, longer instructional days and a longer school year would increase and accelerate academic growth. Now, who is going to chip in the extra $600,000 for every other school in the district, or for that matter, the country?
7
@Hbolling: I live about 30 miles north of Akron.
About 10 years ago, my district got a new superintendent -- a black woman -- highly motivated for change. She wanted to increase the school day in my failing district (92% black) to 5 hours a day from the current 4 hours and 45 minutes (!!!!).
The teacher's union threatened to strike.
They refused to work another 15 minutes a day.
The superintendent backed down ASAP. She is gone now -- quit and left -- we've had two supers since. Schools still failing, and rated at the bottom of the state. District losing population. Ranked D- on state exams.
But god forbid that spoiled whinging union flunkies work 15 minutes more each day. And you think they would work a LONGER SCHOOL YEAR and give up their 2.5 month PAID summer vacation?
1
God bless these sweet babies. I understand that some may be skeptical of this program, but my understanding from this article was that this was kind of a last ditch effort for these kids. Just want to mention briefly, don't want a fight, but I'm not sure additional school funding would help this kids. I'm afraid that it would just be spread around on a per capita basis. I don't believe that classroom size is the problem with this group of kids. I think it probably has more to do with home life, poverty, emotional well being, and a basic understanding that there is hope. They need need not only education but also role models, after school daycare and nutrition, clothing, all of it. I won the birth lottery, they didn't. I'm going to write a check and pray for them.
9
At age 35, Mr. James is half the age of our White House occupant. A great athlete, self-made, calm and focused on problem solving at the grass roots. This is leadership.
39
Issues in education are more than just curriculum or even quality of teachers. Responding to the whole life needs of a child is a key part of what will allow this school to succeed. Giving parents tools to not only help their children but to strengthen themselves, providing assistance with food, clothing and other life resources is amazing and so necessary. Also creating an environment of respect, encouraging emotional and psychological well being, either by teaching conflict resolution or self soothing skills like mediation also give these kids a long term shot of success-one that isn't easily identified on test scores. Thanks to LeBron James for supporting this.
15
I commend LeBron James. A good majority of our politicians. philanthropists and religious leaders are in to destroying our public school systems via charter schools, vouchers, tax dodges, etc.
12
The school sounds like it offers a welcoming climate, and that's a good start.
But after too many stories of dramatic assessment gains often followed by a return to a test-score mean, we should be asking for more evidence that students' assignments and real work -- projects, essays, application of learning in math and literacy to content areas of science and social studies -- are complex and worthy of real school. I don't see that in this story.
In fact, the photograph of a student, presumably in grade 3 or 4, sitting on the floor with what looks like something a kindergarten student gives me pause.
I do believe the children at the I Promise school are learners capable of meaningful learning, but test gains over one year isn't enough to demonstrate that.
5
@Cookin I can understand some skepticism but do please remember the young mother who's realizing self-worth. That's everything in being able to create a positive future for oneself and a child. If these kids rise to excel in college, great. If they are able to simply become healthy, contributing members of their community regardless of further academic achievement, that's the best. It may take longer for some. That can be okay too.
11
@Cookin
Don't niggle. It is too early in the school's existence to have long term results by which to judge its success or failure.
As someone not involved daily in educational issues, one of the great problems that I see again and again is that people are not willing to give new approaches a chance. Every effort at reform is met with the tired, persistent idea that "this will never work" and followed by the idea that only traditional methods can be successful...often, only for a few.
For many different reasons, the educational system and the environment in which kids live tells them, "You can't do this." Over time, they incorporate that notion into their being and give up.
This school, from the report, sounds like it is trying to give students a different and entirely positive message. It will take time to know whether there is a real difference in educational attainment but, if nothing else, the school might help to establish a positive outlook on life which could translate into real accomplishment regardless of test scores.
4
This is familiar. A celebrity. Love and encouragement. Numbers that astonish.
Skepticism isn't amiss.
2
@John Briggs
Not really. These kids had nowhere to go but up. This isn't a KIPP academy that takes only the top 25th percentile. These kids are the bottom 25th. Love, kindness, stability and consistency goes a really long way for our lowest performers.
6
Not only is Mr. James a brilliant athlete, he and his small team of educators appear to know more than the entire self-serving billionaire-funded "School Choice" - aka Ed Reform - crowd.
26
This is promising. It isn't expensive and can be easily replicated.
14
@Davina - Exactly, we've already invested in the physical plant. Unfortunately much of it needs upgrades and repairs.
2
The children, all of our children, are this country's (this world's) greatest resource. But it takes investment to take any resource and make it into something useful. The investment is in people - supporting all of our children, and the parents, the community, the teachers and the infrastructure. A lot of people work their hearts out, and can't do enough without more time, more staff and more support.
This is a wonderful demonstration of what schools should look like for all of our children, not just those that can survive the educational budget cuts (because of location in wealthy districts.) So let's appreciate what this foundation is doing privately, and start following the pattern with large public support.
27
How wonderful it would be if all schools cared about the students as much as this school does.
17
BRAVO Mr. James
thoughtful investment in future generations. focusing on positivity and making the current system stronger instead of privatizing.
i truly hope others of your financial capacity and notoriety will follow your example. BRAVO
29
At last, some news to lift our spirits. The gift of money is not the main story, to my mind, although it certainly helps. What really counts here is something that's totally free: it's about caring; it's about respect; it's about paying attention, to the children and the parents as well. So simple and basic, yet so rare, whether in the domestic or the international realms. With this kind of approach, it seems like we could change the world.
51
Compare Jame's success in closing the gap in public education to Gate's. Both had good intentions, but one had first hand experience in what was needed and was able to better collaborate with those already on the ground running.
43
Wow! I hope this succeeds for the children's sake and for Mr. LeBron. This could be a model for other schools working with students in need. Doesn't every child deserve to be cared about, loved, treated like he/she is special, and not relegated to the bottom of the pile because there's no money?
19
There's still hope! Thanks Mr. LeBron
11
Such a wonderful story! Thank you, Lebron Family Foundation! Keep it up! We need you!
36
So amazing to see this kind of thoughtful philanthropy, and respect for what parents and students need. It is far easier to teach to the top then work to educate children who struggle. The mark of a great teacher is to encourage all children to reach their highest potential, not merely the most talented. Mr. James and these teachers deserve our deepest respect.
54
Mr. James, you built that. Imagine a Country full of these Schools, imagine the greatly improved lives of these Children. A genius plan, compassion and trust, and just a little extra Money.
Magnificent. My humble thanks, and awe.
64
Every public school should be like this and that is not compatible with low taxes.
78
@Barry64 Trump increased the military budget without even receiving a request from the military. Given the bloat in that department, I think a little shifting is in order.
27
Mr. James is a true hero. It would be so easy for him to become caught up in the frivolities of the wealthy, but he is a better man than that. His dedication to helping provide opportunities to those with little hope is an inspiration we should all aspire to promote in our own ways. Certain other so-called leaders could learn from him, and perhaps even feel a bit of shame by comparison. I wish more people had the integrity of Mr. James.
47
@Ed Martin
CEOs and hedge fund managers learn much from him.
But they won’t. Too busy counting their millions and billions.
2
So many of our issues can be solved by adequately funding schools and early childhood care. Children shouldn't have to go to school with 35 students in a class. That is insanity. The "good" public schools are only that way because the parents can raise money to fund district gaps or the local property taxes pay for what's needed.
42
@Mrs B
Agreed. Decades ago, the state of New Hampshire ruled that paying for schools with the Property Tax was unconstitutional.
This is, by a long shot, the best news I've read all day.
The only thing that dampens my happiness over this remarkable endeavor is the knowledge that, at its heart, the program is showing what can happen if students and parents receive the support they need. That's depressing because it reveals that so many students -- millions of them across America -- simply do not have access to basic necessities such as clothing, food, the level of individual attention a small class size makes possible, and a sense of commitment that they and their future matters.
The middle class and above can, by and large, take those things for granted. (There are, of course, exceptions.) Imagine what kind of country we could be -- what kind of economic growth and prosperity we could all share -- if all kids received the motivation and support they needed to succeed in school.
101
The only tragedy is that this school is an exception, not the rule! Imagine the future we might have if ALL EDUCATION were grounded in the premise that every child is capable of learning and succeeding that that the greatest success occurs when whole families are given a chance to succeed!
36
This is so fantastic - extra staff and plenty of supplies are what is needed to support a caring and dedicated staff at a school like this. These children are so worth the extra investment Mr. James is putting back into his community. His next big project should be to encourage his teammates to do the same for their home towns. Lovely! Not easy, but fantastic.
29
Imagine if our government invested just a little more money in all the kids in this country so that they all had breakfast, a decent teacher/pupil ratio and social support for families - imagine how much stronger of a country we would be with smarter graduates entering adulthood. As a kid who sometimes went to school hungry and had stresses at home which did not get addressed at school I know from experience how hard it is to pay attention and to live up to your inborn capabilities when your stomach aches with hunger and you haven't slept well due to the chaos at home. We not only fail our children by not helping them, we punish them for the poverty into which innocently they were born.
89
@Skunie
I was very touched by your letter. I totally agree with you. Hope your life is turning out good now.
6
@Skunie Your parents failed you. Why is that everybody else's financial problem? Harsh? yes. True? also yes. Education is a complex world made more complex by teacher unions and job entitlement mentality, all in the name of educating children. James' program may work, it also may just be a fluke. Let's talk in 10 yrs, when his popularity wanes, and the population of students is more statistically meaningful. Of course this response will be attacked by those whose agenda represents a never ending river of public money from faceless corporations portrayed as evil capitalists yet taxed to death for purposes of social welfare.
@Skunie
Thanks for writing Skunie....."...we punish them for the poverty into which innocently they were born." Your words are profound.
I'd love to see 10% of the Pentagon budget diverted to the children in honor of LeBron for his leadership.
10
Way to go Lebron! It doesn't matter who is the best basketball player. You are great!
21
Wonderful story! I love Lebron’s commitment to helping his hometown. Hopefully will be a model for others. Pulling for continued success! Go kids go! Parents too.
26
It shouldn’t be this way, but 9 times out of 10 the private sector does it better than the government - whatever “it” is. I work as a consultant to the nonprofit sector. So I see it first hand, in all fields, whether it’s education or health or homelessness or public parks and gardens. it’s easy to say “the government should fix the problem.” But alas they don’t and philanthropists need to step in. I’m glad LeBron is helping out. We need him to.
9
@C Not sure what you're saying. As I understand it, this is a public school with public school teachers that James gives money to. It is not clear where the innovative educational concepts for it came from. Clearly, an infusion of private money would help all public schools do a better job. Many dedicated, visionary public school teachers and principals have ideas they would love to put into practice if there was money for the additional staff, materials and social support for families.
33
@C I'm sorry but I disagree, and this school doesn't prove your point at all. It is a public school, with additional, adequate financing and commitment, necessary because of disinvestment in education. There is nothing "private" going on here except that the extra money is coming from a private foundation. The "private sector" would be the world of charter schools, which are a very problematic example.
I challenge you to provide an example where the private sector did "it" better without any government role at all, whether it be investment, protection, regulation, etc.
46
Government is nothing more nor less than what we all agree to do together. This school IS a government school. If it succeeds, it is a government success. LeBron's contribution is to demonstrate what we could do together, if we chose to. This school as a result of its early amazements forces every American to now confront the question, "How can we go another day denying all our children this?".
This is the question we each face, and how we answer it will, in fact, be our government.
55
Excellent article
I note the part about longer days and a longer year.
The average school year is only around 180 days. Worse there's a huge break over the summer so kids forget everything they learned. Then they have to spend a significant amount of time relearning the stuff they forgot when school starts again.
There are 260 weekdays in a year. I submit that kids should be in school or probably about 230 of them.
That's one week off each season for break, plus some federal holidays. That's a 27% increase in number of teaching days. Who wants to place a bet that doesn't increase learning.
18
Are we willing to pay teachers for those additional days and add to school budgets?
6
How wise and a tribute to common sense(not so common) that supporting families will help the children. Oh how I wish that this type of support for families would be a national priority! We could change the world one family at a time!
31
Gee -
If other big cities, which are for the most part are led and run by the Left Wing could learn that fixing the inner city Jobs, Education and Housing problems are more important than organizing a national tour to promote subverting the Constitution then we as a nation might actually start to make some progress as opposed to spouting "progressive slogans"
Imagine if every Large City in America could make significant progress on improving Jobs, Education and Housing in the inner cities how that might translate into lower levels of violence in those locales.
Just goes to show common sense actions speak much louder than progressive slogans...
Well done Mr. James!
9
@Java Junkie These problems don't just exist in urban areas, they are in rural and once predominantly middle class areas, too. Also, your POTUS just encouraged a government official to break the law by promising a pardon --- lets lay off the righteousness about subverting the Constitution until the GOP can, at a minimum, follow the laws of the land.
3
@Java Junkie. Obtuse references and associated digs at "liberals" undercut the credibility of your assertions. Be specific, get respect; otherwise, you're part of the noise.
1
@Java Ju
That takes money. That huge tax cut your guy gave himself and his donors did nothing to alleviate this problem. His pick for head of the department of education Devos is attempting to cut all manner of programs to support children but it’s the liberals problem. Riiiggghhhhtttt. Also, as for subverting the constitution, have you seen Mitch McConnel?
3
So cool. Hope this does not get over-hyped. Even if the results are half of what is touted here, it would be impressive.
Clearly much can be improved about how we educate and support students like these!
7
Besides being a great basketball player I've always felt Lebron James was a man with humility and a heart. Despite his bigger than star status, he's always been humble in post-game interviews, downplaying his contribution and focusing on his teammates instead.
He's done the same thing here, saying "he could take credit for only a small part of what was happening," and praising those who work with the students every day.
Can you imagine how Donald Trump would brag about his own accomplishments if he was ever involved in anything even half this successful?
One almost gets goose bumps thinking what if we had a president who had the same level of compassion, humility, and a vision that was really about making America great again, rather than a slogan meant to cheat his unknowing supporters while enriching himself and his Republican cronies.
Lebron 2020?
47
@JHM
We did have a president like that. His name was Obama.
I was thinking the same - Lebron for president!
4
@JHM no more celebrity presidents but he is a good person for sure
1
Not just teaching the students with a healthy dose of love and concern but winning over the parents by providing them help or opportunities - they see school as a wonderful place to develop themselves - the whole family values the school - that’s the difference between those who do well not just in school - also in life -
41
I may be a bit overly political these days - but I'm noticing how touch is not forbidden here. I think we've gone too far towards being afraid of touch, even a side hug, pat on the shoulder, etc.
21
@SusanStoHelit i agree 100%. in the 1980's our children in our local public elementary school was met every day at the entrance, along w all other elementary students, by the principal, vice-principal or similar person of authority. he/she would be down on one knee- eye level w the students - and give each one hug or high-five or pat on the back and say a few encouraging words - to each student.
it was heart-warming to see this. the kids took it for granted after a while but i'm confident they looked forward to crossing that threshold each morning to a smile, hug and encouraging word. it was calming and a great way to start the day.
that's all gone now. sad. no touching of any kind. no whispering in a student's ear.
8
Kudos to LeBron for pushing forward with this despite all the Naysayers. The community of teachers are to be commended as well as they share his vision. It does not take more money to make learners but takes heart and vision. Part of the success is probably that they have a food pantry where any parent can stop and get food and clothes without filling out forms or feeling looked down upon.
Wish other billionaires could do this - not just donate money to the system .
19
It does take more money. If our country was really serious about educating and helping all students and their families, in need,with wrap around services , it would happen.
4
I hope this good news is truly good, but it seems a little too soon and a little too much. Usually, quick results reflect administrative sleight-of hand.
8
This is an example of what we could do if a socialist government made decisions for the people, not billionaires hoarding their riches.
13
@Tibby Elgato This is exactly what a socialist government could *not* do. Such a government would layer a heartless top-down bureaucracy on top of any innovative program.
Think strict rules, strict political correctness, zero compassion (absolutely no hugging), etc. Of course, costs would skyrocket, student test scores - not so much.
7
@Todd-you may be thinking about communism, not socialism.
Socialism is a social theory ....It theorizes that a collective cooperation of citizens will make all governmental institutions public. For example, no one will receive a healthcare bill when going to the doctor because they, and everyone else, have paid a hefty amount in government taxes. That’s where the collective cooperation comes in. Think Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland. All nice, successful, open countries.
Communism is still founded on the idea of collective cooperation, but differs in that communists believe that cooperation should be run by a totalitarian government made up of one and only one government. China, Cuba, North Korea.
14
@Todd I strongly disagree. There is nothing heartless going on here in this article, as this is simply an example of a well-funded truly public school with trained professionals doing what they went to school to do — make a difference in the lives of children.
9
I have tears in my eyes reading this. I can't wrap my brain around how fantastic this is on every level--the attentive education, a family resource center, the emotional guidance (meditation!!). And for the same cost per student as other Akron public schools? LeBron needs to be the next administration's Education Secretary and show Ms. DeCutbacks the door.
Sure, LeBron's donations fund the extra services, but if those services mean turning out healthier, smarter, more confident and more productive young people, then those expenses would be more than paid for in what was saved should municipalities decide to implement the same programs.
53
This comment section is full of people saying how wonderful this is and how it proves that it's possible to turn things around for kids. Yet time and time again, public education systems have asked the public for funds necessary to implement the supports described in the article, and time and time again the public's response has been a resounding no. So the american public wants these things to happen, to a few kids who were lucky to get in based on a lottery. Not to every kid. Not if they have to foot the bill. We care about kids in this country, just not enough. But please stop blaming teachers for the shortfall you created.
152
But even though we do vote for more tax money, it doesn't help in our inner city school district where the city gives abatements to the corporations and the property values are so low that it hardly makes a dent. Schools in Ohio are funded by property taxes that mean the wealthy (white) suburbs have amazing schools and the poorer (black) city has whatever they can scrape by with. Our funding system was declared unconstitutional twenty years ago. And nothing has changed.
30
@Ludovico
So.....exactly WHERE is the money WE TAXPAYERS have already given to Uncle Sam/our State/and our cities?
It isn't just local parents who are refusing (actually, reluctant) to throw extra money into the bag. It is obvious our current Administration would much rather spend $$$ to throw a military parade, or build an unwanted & ostentatious wall, rather than upgrade schools or hire more teachers.
And maybe it’s just because I am only reading the Reader Picks and not “All”, but I don’t think I’ve read one comment yet where the parent was blaming teachers. ??
At any rate, I think that our legislators must be required to hold quarterly public meetings at City Halls or on library grounds so they can be held accountable if funds allocated to, say, upgrade leaky plumbing in inner-city schools is shifted instead for new landscaping for City Hall or a shiny new statue somewhere.
8
Thank you, LeBron James and all the staff and teachers at the I Promise school! Hopefully, everyone involved is in it for the long haul, years and years of commitment to improving the lives and prospects for these kinds in Akron.
11
As a special education teacher in an inner city magnet school I have to smile reading some of these comments. I have known of a mother of one of my students with 2 other children living out of a car and working full time as a CNA taking care of the elderly but not being able to afford even a basic decent lifestyle. I see kids come to school cold and hungry some days. Is it any wonder that working with the whole family helps the child? As an elementary school student I couldn't wait for a school vacation. Our students often say they cant wait to come back to school. As long as our society devalues the working poor these problems will only grow. For the super rich who go to extraordinary lengths to avoid taxes and soothe thier consciences by blaming the victims. I say this, pay now or pay later as our society crumbles around you.
301
My mother said one time that it would be awful to take away summer vacation, she had such great memories of life like that. I said that world doesn't exist anymore and for so many kids summer is a time where they have to stay inside for their safety, everyone else is at work, and they fall further behind the wealthy kids every year. It's time for the nostalgia of summer vacation to be recognized for the history it is-- and the hardships it creates for most families, short term and for life.
30
Thank you for your work & thoughtful comment!
12
@Teresa Skurkis
As a veteran of decades of teaching youngsters, I couldn't agree with you more. Young children reflect their world. Living in poverty, not knowing where you'll sleep that night or from where your next meal will come make concentrating on school very difficult.
The solution to poor kids is good employment for the adults in their lives. A safe and secure home, a sane routine, and parents/guardians with the time and energy to partner with their children's school all conspire to make school achievement possible.
6
I am uplifted by these students who, when given what they need, surpass expectations and begin to realize their worth and their ability to succeed. Hats off to the students, the teachers, the district for its financial support and all the other good folks helping these kids to a better, brighter future. And thanks, most of all, to one of the greatest basketball players who ever put on a pair of sneakers who, more importantly, happens to be one very classy human being.
27
Hallelujah! The power of love and acceptance (and community schooling!) is amazing.
17
While it’s too bad that we have to rely on people like Lebron James to build decent schools for poor kids, thank goodness there are people like Lebron James willing to do it.
44
What kind of a human being labels ANY 3rd or 4th grade child unredeemable? And is it any wonder that these children have behavioral issues if they are treated as hopeless at age 8? What an incredible statement about education in this country. Bravo to Lebron James for looking for solutions rather than spouting rhetoric and making excuses. You can bet if these kids were from Shaker Heights rather than inner city Akron, the resources would be flowing and not one would be seen as beyond redemption
34
It is sad and disheartening to see 4th and 5th graders in dropout prevention programs, but today’s curriculum demands so much so quickly of kids...even VPK (voluntary pre-K) is tougher and asks more academic skills of kids than what many of us think of as “traditional kindergarten”. If they cannot read in first grade, they know they are behind, and if they don’t or can’t get academic support at home, many kids have already given up in 2nd and 3rd grade. It’s is so difficult to catch up, and many schools do not have the support staff to shepherd each student through this delicate time. We do our best, but it is extremely difficult. All good teachers celebrate every bit of progress, but when the state says it isn’t enough, your hands are tied.
8
@sw
As someone who went to Shaker schools K through 12, Shaker only works because the residents of Shaker Heights have agreed to be willing to be taxed heavily in the service of good schools. It is a heavily liberal suburb. I checked my parents' election district results from 2016 and Clinton got over 90% of the vote.
But the key is that people need to be community minded and want better for all.
Unfortunately , America was founded on the opposite.
5
@sw believe me I know, personally, kids that were lost causes by the 3rd grade. Family was banned by other family members from functions, expelled from 2 schools and overall nasty child. They exist.
1
Thanks to the staff and the generous person who made it all possible. Yes, we can.
13
Mr. James is doing more for this country than it's President.
45
Any public school in NYC would do anything to have these results.
7
I worry about the future of education in our country because I do think the Republicans are all about keeping the masses stupid. This school gives me hope and I would love to see the NBA (I know our own department of education won't bother) pour money into the program to expand it to other cities. Kudos to LeBron James and the Akron school system for being willing to dream big and develop a program with heart and brains.
18
It's especially wonderful for that group of young people that Mr. James didn't take.....advice and just shut up and dribbled.
17
It's an encouraging story. However, there are thousands of "fancy" schools in this country where every attention is ostensibly paid to the emotional and cultural needs of the children, and where there is plenty (probably in some cases, too much) parental involvement. And yet what comes out of our public and private school systems these days is primarily ignorance, self-absorption, and lack of ambition (except the ambition to be a media sensation).
I suspect that another thing that helps this school and its students succeed is that expectations for student performance are kept high, nothing is dumbed down, children have to, from time to time, actually compete with each other, and lack of civility is not allowed. Lack of stress can't be the only reason these children are excelling; it's the fact that they are expected to excel that helps to propel them. I doubt anyone in the school administration worries that things are going to be too hard for their students and the test results will make the administrators look bad. They know these kids are smart, and they treat them accordingly.
8
I love this.
9
Thank you to Lebron James and all those involved to show what can be achieved with better funding of schools and a positive attitude. Helping these kids and their parents not only helps them, but also benefits all of society.
This approach seems to be the opposite of zero tolerance policies.
18
Those $100 million donations to Ivy league schools would have a far more meaningful impact if used to build and fund inner city schools run and taught by highly paid professionals.
Cheers to Lebron James. He gets it.
342
“Mr. James’s foundation has provided about $600,000 in financial support for additional teaching staff to help reduce class sizes, and an additional hour of after-school programming and tutors. It also covers the cost of all expenses in the school’s family resource center, which provides parents with G.E.D. preparation, work advice, health and legal services, and even a quarterly barbershop.”
If every school had a wealthy, caring benefactor like LeBron James, achievement gaos woild shrink dramatically. Having worked in high poverty, majority minority schools in three state sm I can attest that most teachers love their students and do everything they can to help at-risk kids achieve. Sadly, love is not enough. All children need and deserve parental and community investment to meet their human needs. Children whose parents can’t or won’t provide adequate caregiving should get extra support from the community, but many Americans are reluctant or outright hostile towards paying to help others in need.
43
I find this story uplifting and the entire support system at this school is to be commended, but this level of commitment is unrealistic. I want to know about the private lives of the faculty. Does all the time and personal commitment cause personal hardship? Not talking about financial hardhship, but emotional hardship and exhaustion. At times we ask educators to give so much, but what about their own families and relationships.
7
While it is tempting to see this as a 'great story', as so many here have, what it's really a story about is how our country doesn't care about educating our children properly. Then millionaires, who have benefited from the largest income disparity in our history, can swoop in, have their faces, names, and shoes all over the place, and play hero. The story should be: 'we know how to educate children but we won't pay for it and so most kids rot while a few 'lucky' ones get to be poster child for charity.'
30
@revdoc2001 Sorry, that's just too negative. Most of us are hard-wired to respond more favorably to the positive.
Yes, this is just a few kids but it's real and a great model and motivating. And hopefully some of these kids will grow up wanting (and knowing how to) give back and be important influences in their communities.
3
It's not actually that hard to get better outcomes from 3rd and 4th graders, plenty of "experimental" schools have done this. It's when they get into middle and high school that the achievement gap appears and widens. This is nothing, come back in 5 years.
11
@Jemilah
Without better outcomes now, there will be zero chance of success in five years.
Your negativism is disheartening. These kids, already written off, are at least getting a chance.
5
This is such an uplifting story and the responses here show how desperate we are for any positive news about education. I hope this will be a front and center issue in the 2020 elections since De Vos's policies are indefensible. After decades of the military industrial complex not working out well for us as a nation, let's give the educational industrial complex a go?
12
What an inspiring story! This reminds me of the community-wide improvements Dr. Tiffany Anderson put in place in the Jennings school system when she was superintendent there. She took a school that was failing its students and transformed it into a safe place--even while it was bookended by schools that were seen as failing its students. She's an inspiration, as is LeBron, and we need more schools where we understand that to help kids sometimes all it takes is lunch, and maybe breakfast and dinner if they're willing to come early stay afterwards to study. The challenges are massive, but the simple changes make extraordinary differences in these kids lives.
4
As an educator of children in grades 1 and 2 for 10+ years and as someone who volunteered in homeless shelters, I commend the school's commitment not only to the students but to their families. In caring for the families, you care for the children. Neuroscience tells us a stressed brain can't learn. When you provide safety and security for the family, that is passed along by their parents to their children. It is an incredibly smart investment. If I was younger, I would move to Akron in hopes of becoming part of this incredible school community. This is wonderfully inspiring to me.
162
@EB I would up vote your post more if I could. And a school's commitment to their students & families is dependent on the community's commitment (community in the broadest sense, i.e. ALL of us as a country) to support it - yes, with tax $$s.
5
Before retiring I taught for 16 years at a the School Without Walls, a unique public high school with a similar ethic. We wrote and designed our own curriculum. Students had limited state test requirements. the student-teacher ratio was 15:1. Every teacher knew every student, and each teacher was responsible for mentoring 20 students each year. Engagement was encouraged and praised; hostility was not accepted. The school still has the highest graduation rate in one of the most poverty stricken districts in the country. Schools like the Akron experiment ARE possible with the right staff and a willingness of students and teachers to work routinely beyond their publicly perceived job descriptions. Yes it's expensive, but not as pricey as dealing with the consequences of a failed education system.
135
@Andy Nagel
And here it is,
https://www.greatschools.org/new-york/rochester/3417-School-Without-Walls/
Why not ask obvious questions?
Why can't a place like Akron have good academics along with good basketball?
What can't NYT cover the long and frustrating history of urban educational reform (and Rochester would be a good place to do it)?
Do people really think that money is the big obstacle?
Isn't a term like "graduation" used loosely in our society, in particular in urban schools?
Is it a good idea to hype a program like this so soon?
4
@Ted Christopher
Yes, money is the problem. Money to pay more people so we can have smaller class sizes for students who need them. How will we ever break the cycle of generational poverty if not by investment in the next generation?
Yes, let's hear the early results, good or bad. But it's a long haul to graduation, and these students face every challenge we can imagine. The results are very likely to go up and down.
You're right about graduation - there are many sets of criteria now. The better measure will be if these children are healthy and entirely self supporting by age 24. That will be the measure that matters.
3
@Andy Nagel "each teacher was responsible for mentoring 20 students each year" A relatively simple and cost-effective step that I'd love to see more schools embrace. My son had a designated advisor for his freshman/sophomore years and then another for his junior/senior years. It wasn't just an optional occasional check-in for the students; a hour was dedicated daily to group advisory time. His advisor was my very accessible liaison to the school. I can't say for sure, but I think his status as a sophomore at UC Davis is owed in no small part to his advisors.
1
Fantastic story! I love that they provide food and clothes to the parents as well.
30
This is great news, but is it new? I've been hearing of studies for years that have shown that enlightened investment in early education makes a huge difference for children of poverty.
However, it is a difficult political challenge to get the privileged to subsidize the education of the less fortunate to an adequate level when they actually enjoy all the advantages of their class, especially when such advantages benefit their own children. More resources invested in poor neighborhoods generally means less in wealthier ones and more competition for those enjoying the benefits of our tilted playing field.
Of course, ultimately, investments made in the most challenged children of our society pays huge dividends, but not so much to those paying for it, at least in the short run.
I wonder what percentage of whites (at least subconsciously) prefer a society where their skin color is an asset.
If you are white, the odds are you voted for Trump. If you are reading the Times, perhaps you are the exception.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/12/nyregion/it-turns-out-spending-more-probably-does-improve-education.html
9
I’m so grateful when athletes and celebrities leverage their money and power in ways like this. And as the article explains, it’s already having an impact. Thanks Mr James for being a caring and responsible adult. Now, on the other hand, about that President....
38
I gather that there's much more teacher diversity at I Promise. And this matters because 60 percent of the students are black. According to the IZA Institute of Labor Economics study published in 2017, when black children have a black teacher between third and fifth grades, boys were significantly less likely to later drop out of high school, and both boys and girls were more likely to attend college. Kudos to Mr. James!
34
As an incoming ECE teacher to low income children in Vegas, this article gave me strength and courage. Thank you for this inspiring article.
27
Three of the pictures included with this article show physical contact between adults and children and yet when I googled "are teachers allowed to touch students" I found this:
The union is unequivocal in their warning to teachers to keep their hands off students: “There is no safe touch in the relationship between a teacher and a student no matter how innocent or well-meaning your intentions. You cannot anticipate either the reaction or interpretation of the child or their parent.Feb 4, 2015
What could be more important to a young child than the comforting touch from those entrusted with their care? As a society we keep jumping off the deep end in our attempts to ensure that nothing ever goes wrong.
66
@susan
I remember, after one of the tragic school shootings, a teacher agonized over not being able to touch or hug her students to comfort them!
10
Once more a class act, Lebron. Hopefully more professional athletes feel that they too are the "Chosen Ones," when it comes to having a positive influence on youth and communities. A whole lot more heart needs be going in to raising today's youth, that's for sure.
28
At the heart of opposition to more funding for schools and public services is this idea that we would be giving undeserving people handouts: if they don't have to work for it, they won't appreciate it, or they'll take advantage of the system. "Self-reliance" is at the heart of our culture, so it makes sense to me that this idea persists, even among progressive folks: "I don't give money to panhandlers, because they might spend it on booze or drugs." It's really not too different from "If we give folks free food and clothes, they won't learn to work for those things"? Convenience, low prices, and tax breaks endure.
On the other side of this issue are people like Ms. Wyatt: “I was skeptical even of my own life, wondering, ‘Am I even worth fighting for?” Yes, you are. You are deserving of love and respect as much as anyone else. We as a nation are going to need to come to terms with the fact that "self-reliance" only works for the very few of us that can function in our broken system (and even then, we probably got a lot of help along the way). For everyone else, we need to level the playing field. This will come down to a lot of "handouts" (I use the term ironically here) in the form of money, time, and other resources, with the faith that people who feel supported and loved will actually succeed rather than try to game or cheat the system. I believe that these kids - and their parents - cannot just benefit *from* society, but actually help to make it better in the future.
40
@Anna your comment sparked a thought in me.
"with the faith that people who feel supported and loved will actually succeed rather than try to game or cheat the system"
I'm a nurse, my husband is a social worker, we're both parents. There is never a doubt in our minds that the love we extend to the people we work with, and to our children, benefits them in the long run. Even if the gains are minimal, even if they can't be seen outwardly, love given freely is always beneficial. But the public assistance programs in this country work in quite an opposite way. It's financial assistance given, but at a significant cost; the application process is humiliating, time consuming, inefficient, and at its core, designed to make the person applying feel bad about themselves. And so we have people who "game the system" for many reasons (although I would stress that the incidence of this is less than is perceived by some). Makes me wonder though if part of the "gaming" stems at least in part from the injury caused by the indignity of the process.
22
@Lea
You said: "Makes me wonder though if the "gaming" stems at least in part from the injury caused by the indignity of the process."
That is indeed possible! If that's the case, I honestly don't blame them - our culture encourages it, even. Look at our president, who claimed that not paying his taxes made him "smart... It would be squandered." Wealth ain't a virtue, but it sure it treated like one.
In my very limited - and personal - experience with that sort of thing, I'd say that some of it could also/instead(?) come from the fact that gaming it is really one of the only ways to get ahead and lift oneself out of poverty. Food stamps and other "benefits" are often cut off before the person receiving them could be able to save or invest a tiny amount.
Furthermore, schooling can make little difference. Like many of my peers, I may have a "good" job (as a teacher), but I can't afford a car, to live without roommates, or to save for retirement thanks to crushing debt. Good thing I love my job enough to do it until I'm dead.
6
@Anna Agreed. I work in social service settings and have recently done extensive interviews with clients as part of some research. What I overwhelmingly learned was that poor actually believe in "self reliance." They actually want to take personal responsibility and try very hard. They don't stand around blaming structural issues and poverty, though they have every right to. They are humble and they just want to make it. Its the rest of society that thinks they deserve what they have (and then some) and then take for granted all the opportunities they have by luck and chance. Then they judge the people who barely have anything for relying on "handouts" or accuse them of "gaming the system" when in reality, these folks just want a chance at a dignified life.
3
A+
25
When I read that first paragraph describing the way the kids are greeted as they enter their school, I actually felt as elated as they must feel. Imagine starting your school day like that? Amazing!
27
@Katrink I feel like it would just become noise after the first few days, prolly wouldn't be very effective in high school.
1
@Bryce
You, sir, must not work with teens on a regular basis.
2
"Nataylia Henry, a fourth grader, missed more than 50 days of school last year because she said she would rather sleep than face bullies at school. This year, her overall attendance rate is 80 percent."
v.
http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/research/time-school-how-does-us-compare
"However, time requirements typically do not vary dramatically from state to state. Most require between 175 and 180 days of school and/or between 900 and 1,000 hours of instructional time per year, depending on the grade level."
20 percent of 180 days is 36 days.
Apples v. apples.
6
@lao tzu
It's a huge loss of days, even thos it is remarkably better.
1
@lao tzu
And to put this in context, my district considers that a student needs to have an attendance rate of 95% at minimum in order for them not to be significantly affected by missed days.
1
@cheryl
Five weeks v. seven weeks is ... yeah, better, but it's not really success.
Ms. Green has gone to some effort to portray the school positively, and I'm happy to see the kids being treated well. But while movement from the 1st percentile to the 9th percentile may indeed meet or exceed "individual growth goals" it doesn't sound like they're passing.
1
This story makes you realize how much better the school experience could be for millions of students everywhere. Republicans who want a fast-growing economy should be supportive of these kinds of schools (which require greater funding) because nothing boosts GDP better than a well-educated work force. Return on Investment (ROI) is though the roof on helping people achieve their potential, rather than waste it.
25
@Against Verres
What Republicans really want is a renewable source of cheap labor. As long as their own kids get the best education, they are perfectly happy to let black and brown children languish. Republican educational policies (see: Betsy DeVos) consistently reinforce this notion.
8
Emotionally and materially insecure kids can't learn, no matter how many extra hours of school they get. This school addresses the underlying reasons for failure to achieve. The rest follows naturally. It is a model for all underserved areas and is the only way. And it does take money.
96
What this demonstrates is the need to hold our public school system more accountable. Is it going to take more resources? Yes, but that also means that we should expect more and not accept the current status quo mediocrity. The teachers at this school are putting in an extra hour a day and there is a longer school year. Students don't exist in a vacuum and school systems need to address the whole child (meaning issues at home). That will cost money short term, but we need to ensure that it doesn't just go into the pockets of the teachers, but rather is put to use supporting the students. In the long run, this will pay huge dividends long term if we can have our public school system turn out more productive students.
10
@Matt J.
"...but we need to ensure that it doesn't just go into the pockets of the teachers"
Frankly I find this unnecessary teacher-bashing insulting. Do you really think teachers are in this profession to line their pockets??
I work in a high-poverty inner-city school and if you asked me to chose between a raise and a full time social worker on staff or a parent support program or an extra hour in the day to work on social-emotional skills, the raise would be my last choice every single time. I'm here for the kids' success. Why else would I be here?
22
@Matt J.
"the pockets of the teachers"? Why shouldn't teachers working harder get more pay? Teachers in many states have put in long years at below market pay for their education, only to see their pensions and benefits under siege. They are required to take additional graduate courses - at their own expense - just to keep the jobs they have.
Meanwhile, teachers are being told they have to take responsibility for their students' test scores, their sense of self worth, their nutrition and their physical safety - even at the cost of their own lives. They have to face arbitrary "accountability" standards, while dealing with less.
If you had this enormous increase in responsibility, wouldn't you expect a bigger paycheck? Would you take additional college and graduate course, at your own expense, just to keep your job, while your staff was being whittled away? Or do you work for the greater good, and not the paycheck most people need to survive.
Good schools benefit all of us, even those of us without children in them. They make the U.S. a better country. The people who make that possible deserve more than they are being given.
15
Really? As a teacher and single mom, my day started at 7:15 AM and didn’t end at 4:00. After a long drive home and feeding my own children, I sat and graded papers and reviewed my next day’s lessons. Most teachers I knew did the same. It’s an insult to all hard working and caring teachers to think otherwise. We know what works, but we are not in charge. We carry out what is given to us by our state and higher ups. Respect us as professionals, support us, and give us the resources we need to engage students.
10
I salute Mr. James and the other people involved in this operation. They are helping to set children on a path to success and one where these kids can be proud of their achievements. This type of schooling idea should be used as a model throughout our country. I remember hearing all through the years from our politicians and school administrators that the children are our future. Much of these words have been worthless rhetoric. Here instead, Mr. James and his group back up their words.
28
This article made me weep! This is what should should be happening in all our schools every day. Mr. James is using his wealth to make a positive and long lasting difference in many lives. If only more wealthy people would do the same. Just reflect on how how different this is from the Trump approach which was to use charitible dollars to buy a giant protrait of himself. Maybe Mr. James should run for president.
97
Kudos to LeBron James he’s showing a huge amount of compassion and class. Hopefully people will follow his example.
23
Too bad that one has to depend on having the best basketball player in the world come from your city, but let's hope we all learn from this, and isn't he magnificent for caring so much about where he came from!
44
Agree w/ most of these comments, but also would like to add something else: this is a PUBLIC school. As a PS teacher, I'm especially aware of the charter schools that siphon money from the public schools. LeBron James is not doing this. Also, this school works with the parents, both in helping the whole child (nutrition, clothing, etc) and in offering classes for these parents. If only all our PS could do all that!
414
@Jen Maria
Yes the teachers are doing the work, but how much easier is it to put in extra time when you think, "They support us, they support our kids" and the kids know it too.
The lesson here is that if we support our kids, all kids, and if we support our public schools, we can do better.
I believe all public schools can do that, if only we as a country are willing to stand behind each and every child and believe in them, and to have faith in teachers to help them achieve their goals.
36
Charter schools are public schools. It’s the law of the land.
1
@JA This statement obscures the fact that charters are operated by private, for-profit companies. These profit-driven entities take public tax dollars from the district, and these schools often have less accountability than regular public schools. Many can cherry-pick their students, which public schools can't do, so charters can appear to be doing better on tests when they really just have more students who are doing better generally. Even so, most charters perform at the same level or worse than traditional public schools.
I'm not just a grumpy nay-sayer; I taught at a charter school for three years, and I've been studying education policy in grad school for 8 years. Charters are not the answer.
13
I work in Akron, and have met the leaders of the LeBron James Family Foundation and the I Promise School. They are doing an amazing job, and the story does not end there. They have struck up an agreement with The University of Akron in which those students who come out of this program and graduate from high school college-ready, will be assured of a college education at The University of Akron. These students and their families are facing a lot of challenges, but we believe in them, we believe in this approach to education, and we are proud of everything they have achieved so far.
382
Thank you, Mr. James, for setting an example of 21st Century noblesse oblige. The school is a model that can be replicated. Our possibilities are endless, especially with so many newly wealthy minorities.
19
Twelve years of formal schooling spent sitting in classrooms is not an education – it's purgatory.
Being schooled is not the same as being educated any more than being hospitalised is the same as being healthy.
Most kids understand this, Rousseau understood this, but precious few adults have since.
For example, I was the archetypal high achiever. I won many prizes all through my formal years of schooling, in mathematics, English, Latin, history, chemistry and RE. (Never in French or German) I had no talent so had to work incredibly hard instead. Eventually, I was exhausted. Looking back, it was a complete waste of my time and effort. I would have been better off being put to work in the fields from dawn to dusk.
Kids don't need twelve years of formal classroom schooling. They should be outside in the fresh air, in the sun, in the wind and in the rain, playing and exploring, learning about nature and where the wild things are.
Kids do need to learn skills, crafts and a trade so they can earn a living. This is best achieved through a seven-year apprenticeship.
They can always return to formal schooling when they are adults if they want to enter one of the professions or increase their book learning.
Just because modern societies demand obedient wage slaves, noses to the grindstone, doesn't mean that incarcerating kids in institutions is a good thing.
Kids need to learn to read and write, basic arithmetic and geometry. That's it. Everything else is inessential.
10
@Colenso It should be noted that Rousseau's children would famously walk on the table during dinners so that their father would notice them. That's not to say that all the other stuff isn't true: class and race and power in general inflect our educational system in ways that are palpable and downright embarrassing. Kids should also definitely get outside more, too, and there are growing reams of literature on the benefits of being outside. But a lot of these kids don't have the opportunity to get out in wild areas or to escape the worst effects of inequality so they need something else, which in this case means systematic affirmation and education. Rousseau was many things, but a halfway decent authority on education was not one of them.
11
@Colenso It should be noted that Rousseau's children would famously walk on the table during dinners so that their father would notice them. That's not to say that all the other stuff isn't true: class and race and power in general inflect our educational system in ways that are palpable and downright embarrassing. Kids should also definitely get outside more, too, and there are growing reams of literature on the benefits of being outside. But a lot of these kids don't have the opportunity to get out in wild areas or to escape the worst effects of inequality so they need something else, which in this case means systematic affirmation and education. I'm also curious about how apprenticeships, which are as ripe for abuse as any other system and just as restrictive are better? Anyway, Rousseau was many things, but a halfway decent authority on education was not one of them.
1
@Colenso One cool thing I learned in my formal education is that it isn't very intellectually sophisticated to extrapolate sweeping generalizations about what is best for humanity based on one's own individual experience.
Seriously though, I'm sorry you had such an awful formal education experience. I'm not sure that it invalidates the whole concept, however.
17
Let's have many more news articles like this, focusing on good works, compassion, and people helping people. Thank you! Props to LeBron! May many others follow in his footsteps.
33
LeBron James is my favorite basketball player of all time. I've watched his leadership on the court and off, (I will never forget when he bought those gorgeous suits for the under confident young players on his team), as well as his amazing athletic skills and hard work ethic, for years. I'm not saying he is the perfect man, (tho some younger folks would say he's darn close), but his school is a reflection of the man, whose beliefs are probably more important to him than basketball. He knows the value of being cared for, loved and appreciated by other people, and now he is making this happen for others. This type of school can lift up the lives of many others.
33
An inspiring counterpoint to stories about crumbling schools and underpaid teachers. I commend Mr. James for using his wealth and influence for such a worthy purpose.
However, I feel this article glosses over what seems to me a major point: although the $2M budget is paid by the district and equal to what it spends on other schools, the $600k that Mr. James is adding represents a 30% increase in funding. Someone in the article is quoted as saying “Money can’t buy relationships”, which is true, but money is paying for an extended school day, tutoring, smaller classes, a food pantry, adult education, etc. ALL schools are doing their best to create relationships and provide for their students. But give them 30% more funding and they can also truly meet the needs of their students the way this school does.
Ms. DeVos loves to say more money is not the answer. Easy to say when you have tons of it. More funding is ABSOLUTELY the answer.
508
What you’re describing isn’t a school but some sort of social services agency.
7
@Ed it’s a school with social services. This is not new. When I was a child in the 1950s and 1960s, I recall standing in line in class to get the Sabin oral polio vaccine in a sugar cube. We got referred to eye doctors if needed after in-school eye exams. Once or twice a year we had dental exams with hygienist and dentist, in school. Every Thursday we brought forward our nickels, dimes, and quarters to be added to our savings accounts as part of the school banking program. None of these are academic programs, but there they were, helping everyone.
35
@Ed Why can't it be both? This is what our struggling communities clearly need. As the other person who replied to your comment pointed out, schools have always had social services folded into their programs. The well-heeled private schools I attended held community events all the time and offered all kinds of social services to its wealthy families. Public schools have moved away from this idea because the obsession with standardized testing has swallowed up anything that isn't about getting kids ready for those tests. This story shows how misguided that is.
16
I love this! I love that the kids are touched, physically embraced, that love is part of the curriculum, among the many other smart and biologically congruent practices at this innovative school. Kids are learning relationship skills, conflict management skills. Their nervous systems are being trained to manage emotions, behavior and stress well. This school is on its way to proving that it's not the so-called problem kids that are the problem but the school, the people and the system. Change the system--add love--way better results! Hurray!
38
"Reduced class size" were the words that caught my attention. When I was teaching remedial classes at the state university, my classes were limited to 15 students and that seemed too many to be truly helpful. I can't even begin to imagine a classroom of 45 or more seven year olds. It just boggles the mind to think that any teacher is capable of even maintaining discipline with those numbers let along making each student feel valued and attended to. Where are our priorities? We shouldn't need to rely on the compassion and wealth of committed citizens like Mr. James. We have the money to do this--let's find the heart and the will to make this happen.
93
@susan It isn't the number of children in a class that is important. It is the number of children who are discipline problems. A good teacher can handle one or two. With more than two children presenting discipline problems, the classes deteriorate, regardless of how many are in the class.
For example, there were 60+ children in my Catholic grammar school classes and one nun. The nuns were strict and terrible to some kids. No discipline problems that interfered with learning, however. It was assumed that everyone of us 60+ children could and would do the work and behave in class. The result: just about everyone read, wrote and did arithmetic at or over grade level. Several ended up with professional degrees. Most went to college.
My point is that money in and of itself doesn't do the trick. Parents and children have to feel that education is something they can do. The kids have to get enough sleep, regular meals, and encouragement.
4
@AnneAnd I'd be willing to bet that there were no written assignments, primarily multiple choice tests, a lot of rote learning and little tolerance for confusion and questions from this very homogeneous classroom. Our public schools are not filled with good little soldiers and I think we owe our students/children more than this kind of automated learning.
12
Do you really think most classrooms presently teach by rote learning? You need to visit a local school. Kids in this day and age would not learn this way. We are not back in the 1950’s when I was a kid.
4
LeBron James is not only a star in the basketball firmament, but he is a star when it comes to compassion and wisdom.How many rich men think of the communities they came from and immediately hope to share their good fortune with the young people who are struggling to get an education? The answer to my question is, practically none.They never look back on their own journeys and reach back with a hand up for others.They often establish a scholarship with their name or a building which will celebrate them.Mr.James is putting his money to,work where he knows it will make a difference-a place where he hopes to help children have some of the benefits he did not have.I spent a lot of my early years near Akron-thank you, Mr.James
58
What a beautiful and uplifting story. It brought back memories of when I worked as a counselor in an inner city area of Los Angeles and met a small, but mighty kindergarten teacher who treated every child as a little prince and princess. Her fierce commitment to the potential of each student had many of them performing as excellent readers by the time they entered first grade. Her retirement ceremony was filled with grateful graduates who thanked her for seeing the diamond hidden within each one of them. Thank you so much, Ms. Lillian.
56
You are keeping hope alive, Mr. James, for these children and their families. Much respect to you. Hard to find enough good words to convey about the work of all the adults involved, and the children who are accepting their guidance and support and grabbing the opportunities being afforded to them. The children are the Chosen Ones in their own life story. The are finding self affirmation. Magical and very basic at the same time.
24
Perhaps fourth-grader Nataylia Henry, wise beyond her years, said it best, "“LeBron made this school. It’s an important school. It means that you can always depend on someone.”
Children need to know, to feel it in their bones, that someone DOES care, and will always care. That gives them hope. All too often, disadvantaged children are subject to abject disinterest during their school experience -- NO ONE CARES! That attitude on the part of the adults around them quickly rubs off on the children, who loose hope and cease to care themselves.
When adults DO care, and DO display their caring each and every day, and accompany that caring with high expectations for the children in their care, the children will rise up to meet those expectations, as flowers reach toward the sun. That's the secret sauce -- CARE!
75
Wow! Wow! and Wow!
The man is a King in everything he does!
What risk he took to his personal brand, the legions who love to publicly hate and attack him, by reaching out to the supposedly "unreachable." One can just imagine the ridicule and harangue any misstep would have brought.
Instead? A brave hero, showing, as the children in his school recognize, that caring, support and empowering families and parents can produce miracles every day.
Truly, no one is "unreachable." Way to go Mr. James!
What a story!
62
Lebron, leading by example. Inspirational.
20
mr james---you are doing something very inspirational!!! what an excellent use of your time and money.
and look at the results--there are no throw away children--they and their parents just need a helping hand.
and u have shown the way. u r an excellent man.
thank u!!
17
What I notice most in the pictures of students and staff at I Promise is the touching—hugs, holding hands, laying on the teacher’s lap. They seem to have created an environment with a lot of love and affection between students and staff, the physical aspects of which are banned at many schools. I would guess that in addition to including the parents, feeding the families, providing clothes, and teaching conflict resolution, I Promise is a second home for kids, parents, teachers and staff.
167
I was actually shocked by that in the photos too! When I worked in public schools, you didn’t dare and weren’t allowed. Plus, hugging and physical contact increased the risk of getting lice and germs! Even shoulder pats were discouraged. Always bothered me, but actually some kids don’t like being touched, and that must be respected. Interesting to know how touch is deliberately used in this environment, and the reasons why. I mostly worked in a progressive and “woke” district where kids’ personal rights and integrity meant hands off. So fascinating.
8
This approach to education is so important. I cried reading this. I am so glad that these children are being given an opportunity because they are told that they have opportunities.
29
in a time when it is really hard (albeit necessary) just to read the newspaper and see everything that seems to be going wrong, this story is a huge bright spot. I hope this inspires others to give back but to do so in close cooperation with educational professionals. Its the partnership here that is the real story.
26
Kudos to Mr. James. I don't want to take anything away from his support and help as well as the administrators but I think we need a sustainable model for running schools. We cannot rely on individual philanthropy for radical change. Success in our public schools has to be the norm. All schools in this country should have resources and opportunities to thrive. regardless of individual generosity. Once again, Kudos to Mr. James
19
There have been many movies and books showing that students that had been given up on (usually poor and black or Hispanic) can succeed when they are cared about and taught well. I'm heartened to read about this latest example, but it is distressing that it only happens when someone exceptional makes it a personal mission. Shame on the US for letting profit, politics, and racism put these kids in a desperate situation to start with.
Respecting and caring for the kids *and* their parents is so important, not just for their test scores, but as one mom said, for feeling like there is hope and giving them a reason to step out on a limb and try. Having grown up in a poor alcoholic (white) family, I have a tiny appreciation for how damaging hopelessness and trauma can be. School is the best place to catch and address it. I am so grateful for these teachers, administrators, and Mr. James. Thank you for reporting on this.
119
Shows you what kind of amazing outcomes we can have when we invest in public education – students, parents, and teachers alike. Thank you to all of the educators who are putting in the work to make a positive change in the world. Really inspiring stuff.
32
Kudos to Mr. James. Based on very limited times I’ve seen him interviewed what I noticed was that he seems to be a very reflective person and expresses ideas that we should applaud. In our world there is no substitute for education. The earlier start the better, continue until you achieve a goal that makes you proud. Give back
62
I wish we had a President who projected positivity, opportunity, and the humanitarian benefits of education and self-determination.
106
Our prior president send his children to Sidwell Friends, not Washington D. C. public schools. So did the Clintons. Both presidents denounced charter schools of any sort.
These two presidents did great harm to children.
1
@Shawn Bayer
Don't be stupid. The secret service cannot look out for a presidents child in certain environments. Those two presidents and their wives did more for public school children than any others.
I would include Laura Bush though with her literacy programs for children. Clinton focused on healthcare for children. Michelle Obama did an amazingly inspirational job with children's nutrition and exercise.
Melania's Be Best campaign is sort of a joke esp. because her husband is the worst. I don't blame her. She wasn't ever a public service individual. She hasn't the skills and never had the talent or desire to be a public advocate.
11
@Shawn Bayer
Interesting that you aren't able to name one single step the *current* administration has taken that has had a positive result for public schools. As far as I know the Clintons and Obamas are not running the country, as much as right-wingers still seem to believe.
8
This is a great article, but what we need to wake up to is that we don't need to wait for millionaires and billionaires to save our public schools. We can demand this *now* of our leaders. In my state, the government has underfunded public education for years, despite huge surpluses at the state level, and instead has insisted that it needs to give tax breaks to companies who promise to create all kinds of jobs, and who never are held accountable when they don't. Then we're told that we need to have "school choice" and have our tax dollars go to operations that, at best, show similar results to public schools, and at worst, are fly-by-night operations that never open but get to keep the money. Bravo to LeBron for showing us the importance of public education.
554
@MAL. You aren't from my state, but you could have been speaking about it. I do think what you have stated are the primary problems all across the nation - underfunded education (horridly low teacher pay at the top of that problem), emphasis at the state level on business breaks (not just losing tax dollars but making communities pay for their "presence"), and lack of any real attention to fly-by-night schools at all levels.
And I agree that millionaires and billionaires should be paying for our schools - but through much, much higher taxes. All those people, not just those with a conscience, like Mr. James.
19
This school, wow.
15
Will they also teach basketball? Seems like that should be part of the curriculum.
1
I hope to heaven that this is neither a statistical fluke nor underhanded behavior by adults. Mr. James has done a great thing for these children by putting his money where other people's mouths are. The tough part will be replication, but at least there will be something worthwhile to replicate if this holds up. It is a shame I have to have even the slightest bit of skepticism about this but we have to consider both the latest from the college age parents as well as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Public_Schools_cheating_scandal
6
This is great to see. I am generally in favor of the "whatever works" approach to education. If charters work, then use them; when the general public system works, use it. Since there is hostility among many to increasing charters, maybe more districts can try this model (assuming a sponsor is found). Whatever the method, this is wonderful.
15
If only education leaders would admit that this is the way a school should be run - not just for our struggling students- but for all students! Smaller class sizes, time to build relationships, supportive administration and so much more are essential to empowering students and helping them feel supported. As a teacher, I miss having autonomy in my classroom to make decisions about curriculum and standards. We have become test mills with little time to help our students enjoy learning and building relationships.
185
@Renee
As a former teacher, I simply want to say that I agree with you completely!
14
This is what our nation should be focused on...well educating its children, not some of the children, not the children of the privileged, but each and every child in this nation. Bravo to Mr. James. A rich man using his riches to advance another generation of Americans.
662
@kadewi
With all the Billionaires this, the Richest Country on the Planet, has, one might wonder why many, many more mightn't do better to do Well.
Lebron, you're a Hero.
America could use a few Hundred more, to emulate you, sir.
8
My wish would be that every school could be this supportive.
At the very least, every school district should be watching this experiment for ideas about how to improve educational opportunities
40
Thanks to Mr. James and the hardworking teachers for a ray of sunshine in these gloomy days. Most importantly, thanks to the students and parents for stepping up to the challenge.
You have, together, brightened my day and maybe even my week.
105
Mr. James is a wonderful person as well as a great athlete. His intelligence and compassion are remarkable.
Hopefully, other celebrities who make huge salaries and have people's attention will be inspired to emulate him. The kids' comments are so poignant.
An article like this is very healing among all the articles evidencing human selfishness and short sightedness.
205
@MarieDB
I agree with your sentiment Marie, yet a good education should not depend on the generosity of celebrities. Instead of cutting the taxes of wealthy people who have no need for it, what a waste of potential, of future creativity, of community well being it is to under-fund education.
19