LeBron James speaks at a news conference after the opening ceremony for the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, Monday, July 30, 2018. The I Promise School is supported by the The LeBron James Family Foundation and is run by the Akron Public Schools. Photo : Phil Long ( AP Photo ) The National Interest The National Interest column tackles broader questions about what the country should do to increase educational opportunities for black youths. Prev Next View All Last week, President Trump scoffed—albeit passive aggressively—at basketball icon LeBron James’ intelligence in a tweet, stating, “Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon,” Mr. Trump wrote, “He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!” But it looks like LeBron is the one taking Trump to school. Advertisement In the same week, LeBron announced the opening of his I Promise School. It is open to 240 low-income, at-risk third- and fourth-grade students in his hometown of Akron, in northeast Ohio. Each year, the school will add grades, expanding to first through eighth grades by 2022. I Promise is a public-private partnership between the Akron School District and the LeBron James Family Foundation, a unique model that exemplifies LeBron’s exceptional abilities to see the bigger picture in the role education plays in community development. The new school is open for more days than the traditional school year, provides parents with job placement services, has a food bank on site, gives each kid a free bicycle and helmet, guarantees college tuition for every student who graduates and offers social and emotional support and other wrap-around services, something researchers and practitioners recognize as important. The school accounts for and addresses the structural discrimination that has long hurt black families—and black school districts. In a way, by connecting social assistances to the school, I Promise is providing wraparound services for the entire district. Amplifying the school’s offerings so far beyond the curriculum certainly isn’t conventional, but LeBron is deliberately stepping out-of-bounds, and kudos to him for that. “Everything these kids are going through—the drugs, the violence, the guns, everything they’re going through as kids, I know,” said LeBron, the son of a single parent, during his remarks at the school opening. “For me to be in the position where I have the resources, the finance, the people, the structure and the city around me—why not?” There have been other celebrities who’ve opened charter schools in the past, such as former basketball player, now sports analyst Jalen Rose; entertainment mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs; former tennis standout Andre Agassi; and rapper Pitbull, to name a few. Those who see opening a school as a means of giving back, like LeBron, have also leveraged charter school legislation to do so, to the applause of education reformers. Advertisement Charters, which are publicly financed but independently managed, give founders the freedom to do more than what a traditional school may provide. So it’s perhaps unsurprising that the launch of I Promise spurred comparisons with the charter and education-reform movements, which prize school choice, voucher systems and competition. If education reformers really want to step up their game, they can pivot and embrace a model of charters that look like I Promise. It’s one that I supported early on in the movement. Advertisement “[T]he fact that this school opened only because of the good graces of a very wealthy, civic-minded athlete underscores the continuing problem with education funding in this country,” wrote education writer Valerie Strauss in her blog for the Washington Post. She gives him props for situating his school within the public school district, as opposed to launching a charter, but argues that this isn’t how civic institutions should be run. “America’s public schools should not have to depend on any wealthy individual or private entity to be sustained or improved.” Reform advocate and writer Robert Pondisco replied to Strauss’ column with this short-sighted tweet: “As ever, no one asks ‘What about the other kids?’ when white parents move to affluent towns, or pull their kids out of zoned district schools. But it’s a problem when poor black and brown parents want something better — and when someone tries to offer it.” Advertisement It’s clear that LeBron has done his homework. His school offers a considered response to criticisms that have been levied against charter schools—that they impose what outsiders believe black kids need to learn, sidestep structural inequality, reduce the number of experienced black teachers and purposely erode locals’ voting power on school boards. First, LeBron is a son of Akron. Local communities have learned to be wary when outsider charter-management companies come in executing reform without asking what the neighborhood needs. That is not the case here. Advertisement Instead of working to disrupt the district—a purpose of many charter leaders—LeBron is working with the Akron public school district, which still has oversight of I Promise. If the effort doesn’t pan out, it’s the local district, not an outside entity, that can shut the school down. I Promise acknowledges that factors outside of school significantly influence student outcomes, and addresses the hurdles of student hunger, family unemployment and school transportation—issues that many reform advocates have considered excuses that black leaders give for low performance. LeBron’s investments in people and community separate him from charter leaders who don’t build upon the inherent value in local people or their institutions. Reform models predicated on competition and choice pit university-trained teachers against those trained in alternative teacher-training programs. Reform-minded organizations and foundations rage against labor unions; reform-leaning state departments of education battle local districts with school takeover and charter legislation. In contrast, LeBron’s new school and the district are on the same team. LeBron is not competing with the district; he’s adding resources and value to existing people and systems. Advertisement If education reformers really want to step up their game, they can pivot and embrace a model of charters that look like I Promise. It’s one that I supported early on in the movement. When I was the associate dean at the University of New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina, I also managed the first charter school, Pierre A. Capdau School, under Louisiana’s Recovery School District legislation. That was the law that gave non-profit organizations an opportunity to turn around a school that was failing under the auspices of the New Orleans public school district. Pierre A. Capdau was located within a few minutes’ drive from the college campus. Advertisement It made complete sense for a university that had a college of education, with researchers, student teachers and other support, to help K-12 schools that were in the same neighborhood. Researchers can help practitioners use data to identify problems and trends. Student teachers can provide an extra hand to working professionals while earning their degree. The university libraries, sporting and cultural events as well as academic programs offer resources a local school can use. When my university president agreed to take on a charter school, the original intent was to deploy the college of education’s faculty and students to help the school update its teaching practices and management strategies and modernize its technology. The original agreement between the university and the state department of education stated that after five years, we were to report what we learned and give the school back to the New Orleans school district. That agreement was built upon the belief that bureaucracy limited schools’ abilities to do those things, and charters gave districts the ability to try new approaches. But in practice, my team and I trusted local school leaders and the public school district to improve their schools—with support and resources from anchor institutions like ours. Unfortunately, education reform post-Katrina discouraged charter managers from returning schools back to the district, preventing partnerships like LeBron’s I Promise. Last month, oversight of New Orleans charter schools returned to the district in a unique arrangement, but charter leaders still manage the schools. Advertisement LeBron is an anchor institution, but as an individual he can’t necessarily help every school. But we do have universities, banks, hospitals and other organizations that are deeply rooted in cities but are disconnected from the schools next door. No, we can’t and shouldn’t rely on the wealthiest individuals to manage civic institutions. We need more reforms that bring existing resources and establishments together to build up local school districts, not “disrupt” them like many reformers like to do. Sure, outside investments can certainly help. But true community development assumes strength already exists, it just needs investment and support. By conceding authority to the local district, LeBron James’ school is helping the community heal itself. He is bringing Akron together by acknowledging that authentic reform doesn’t rain down; it comes up from the community. Advertisement LeBron is so much more than a basketball player. He’s a teacher, giving the rest of us a few important lessons on how to get involved in education reform and community development — chiefly, by not separating the two. This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s newsletter.<doc-sep>LeBron James addresses the media after the opening ceremonies of the I Promise School on July 30, 2018 in Akron, Ohio. The School is a partnership between the LeBron James Family foundation and the Akron Public School and is designed to serve Akron’s most challenged students. Photo : Jason Miller ( Getty Images ) I imagine that there is an undiscovered ancient text penned by one of the lesser-known apostles that recounts the life of Yeshua from a unique perspective. And, according to the Gospel of Antwan, when the disciples passed out plates of whiting and hush puppies to the multitude that showed up at Jesus’ open-invitation fish fry, one uninvited Caucasian looked at the meal and replied: Advertisement “Yea, though I praise the miracle of the Son of Man, I cannot help but inquire: Why does thou not provide any tartar sauce?” This biblical lesson serves to illustrate one undying fact. Whether one feeds 5,000 from a Captain D’s individual meal or offers universal health care to an entire nation, if you are a man of color, some people will find a way to criticize your efforts. The latest example of this phenomenon is LeBron James’ I Promise School. The newly-minted institution that seeks to address the educational needs for at-risk students in Akron, Ohio has been praised by educators, sports fans and the general public. It is a living example of how the combination of public funds and philanthropy can impact lives on a large scale. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that, because I Promise is a public school, the Akron School district will pay between 50 percent and 75 percent of the costs to run the school. The LeBron James Foundation has pledged to spend $2 million annually once the school is up and running, but district officials estimate that the school will cost about $8 million dollars to run. Aside from derogatory comments made by the current commander-in-chief, who attended private schools all his life, this revelation inspired a newfound joy among ‘small government,’ MAGA hat-wearers who have desperately searched for a reason to denigrate Lebron’s efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Yep. LeBron and educators implemented a plan to raise the education level for Akron’s neediest students and the only thing the haters could find to complain about is the cost to taxpayers. But are they correct? To be clear, taxpayers will not have to pay more money because of the I Promise School. Akron Public Schools projected a balanced budget for the upcoming school year and the Beacon Journal reports a positive financial forecast. A review of the local tax rates that fund city schools show no increase from 2017 to 2018. Advertisement Aside from the regular school budget, funds from The LeBron James Family Foundation will cover “about a fifth of the school’s total costs,” explains the Plain Dealer, noting that the money will come from “the district’s regular budget, covered mostly by shifting students, teachers and money from other schools.” It looks as if the I Promise school will receive a 20 percent boost in revenue from James’ own efforts to cover the programs that offer resources to students who need them. Yes, the taxpayers of Akron will partially foot the bill for the school. But they will be paying the same amount they paid last year, when there was no I Promise school. The only difference between now and then is that students will have a state-of-the-art-facility thanks mostly to Lebron James. Advertisement So why the hullabaloo? You know why. It’s for the same reason people loved the progressive idea of the Affordable Care Act but hated Obamacare. It’s why America needed a leader who was strong enough to stand up to Russia until Trump publicly curled up in Putin’s lap like a newborn kitten. It’s why football enthusiasts fast forwarded through the national anthem until they noticed Colin Kaepernick kneeling. Advertisement Because a black man did it. Or, as it says in the third book of the Gospel of Antwan: 16. And the homie told them: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.’ And the scribe said unto him: 17. ‘But what if my neighbor’s black?’ Then it doesn’t count, right?’ Thus sayeth Antwan.<doc-sep>
AKRON, Ohio — LeBron James’ new school is much more than a school. It meets the basic definition, of course, but not only will James’ I Promise School help some of Akron’s most challenged students with education and support, it will provide educational, career and emotional support for parents. “We are going to be that groundbreaking school that will be a nationally recognized model for urban and public school excellence,” I Promise principal and Akron native Brandi Davis said. “We are letting people know it is about true wrap-around support, true family integration and true compassion.” The I Promise School, which is part of the Akron Public Schools, opens Monday for 240 third- and fourth-graders. The school will expand year by year, going to second and fifth grades next year until it is grades 1-8 by 2022. “Looking at reading data, we identified students who were a year, two years behind in reading,” said Keith Liechty, the Akron Public Schools’ liaison to James’ foundation. “From that, we had more than 120 kids. We had to put a cap on it so we could fit under one roof. We did a random selection of all students who met that criteria and got to make these awesome phone calls to parents and say, ‘How would you like to be part of something different, the I Promise School.” NBA offseason grades:Who won the summer? More:Paul George on why he chose the Thunder over the Lakers The school is a partnership between Akron and the LeBron James Family Foundation, and the idea originated a few years ago when James and his foundation’s leaders planned the next step in their effort to help students. The name of schools stems from the foundations road map for students who promise to go to school, do their homework, listen to teachers, ask questions and find answers, be respectful of others and live a healthy life. Opening a new public school isn’t easy without population growth or rapidly developing areas of a district, but James didn’t let obstacles get in the way even as Akron shut down other schools. On Sunday, James tweeted, “The jitters before the first day of school are real right now!!! Tomorrow is going to be one of the greatest moments (if not the greatest) of my life when we open the #IPROMISE School. This skinny kid from Akron who missed 83 days of school in the 4th grade had big dreams.” As much as James is appreciated for his excellence on the court, his foundation will be his greatest lasting achievement – his life's work that is much more important than basketball. In a way, the I Promise School is modeled after James’ childhood only more organized and professional. As kid, James, who attended Akron Public Schools for eight years, and his mom, Gloria James, had help from the community – people who looked after them and made sure they got what they needed. Michele Campbell, the executive director of James’ foundation, teared up Sunday when describing what the new school means. “LeBron missed a lot of school in the fourth grade. It’s well-documented,” Campbell said. “We all know which path he took. He took the right path with some very good people around him and now we know him as the world’s best basketball player. He could’ve taken the other road, and we would’ve never known LeBron James. He would’ve been a statistic like a lot of students who drop out of school. “Every one of these kids, maybe they don’t become LeBron James on the basketball court, but they become the LeBron James of their passion and dream in life. We’re coming to them at a time when people came to LeBron and Gloria and wrapped around them and believed in them before he was this great basketball player.” The building is a renovated school, coincidentally located just down the street from St. Vincent-St. Mary, where James attended high school. School officials didn’t have access to the building until seven weeks ago, and staff have been working seven days a week to get the school ready for Monday’s opening. The entrance to the school features a split staircase with the IPS and LeBron James Family Foundation logos. High on the walls at the entrance are 114 sneakers worn by James. The corresponding pair will be sold by Upper Deck and proceeds will help fund the school and the foundation.