LeBron James Opened a School That Was Considered an Experiment. It's Showing Promise.

[SummerMadness]

LeBron James Opened a School That Was Considered an Experiment. It's Showing Promise.

The students paraded through hugs and high-fives from staff, who danced as Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” blared through the hallways. They were showered with compliments as they walked through a buffet of breakfast foods.

The scene might be expected on a special occasion at any other public school. At LeBron James’s I Promise School, it was just Monday.

Every day, they are celebrated for walking through the door. This time last year, the students at the school — Mr. James’s biggest foray into educational philanthropy — 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.

Now, they are helping close the achievement gap in Akron.

 

[Hank77]

 

[Ironhold]

One big issue with the educational system is that not all students respond well to the standard operating procedures.

Some kids have different learning styles, others need a bit of extra support, and some just aren't being challenged enough.

It's a fine line to figure out how to help those students while getting the rest squared away.

 

[variant]

Great things can happen when people care. It's nice to see that happening here.

 

[Root of Jesse]

Lebron started a program and left the Cleveland School System to fund it, pretty much. I agree with the poster who said that some students don't respond to standard ways of teaching. I was one of those. Couldn't pass a test to save my GPA. I made out alright, I think.

Frankly, I don't know that Lebron James cares about much else than Lebron James. Anyone notice how well he's done with the Lakers? Got rid of Magic Johnson and Luke Walton, probably going to bring in the ex-coach of the Cavs. Gonna have a team made in his image.

 

[Hank77]

Lebron started a program and left the Cleveland School System to fund it, pretty much. I agree with the poster who said that some students don't respond to standard ways of teaching. I was one of those. Couldn't pass a test to save my GPA. I made out alright, I think.

Frankly, I don't know that Lebron James cares about much else than Lebron James. Anyone notice how well he's done with the Lakers? Got rid of Magic Johnson and Luke Walton, probably going to bring in the ex-coach of the Cavs. Gonna have a team made in his image.

Here's an article that explains how the school opened in conjunction with the public school system. What Le Bron and the Family Foundation has/is paying for, etc.
I'm not sure why anyone would want to criticize this partnership if it can be paid for without raising taxes and all the kids are getting a good education.
Stunning Criticism Of LeBron James And The Funding For The I Promise School

 

[variant]

Here's an article that explains how the school opened in conjunction with the public school system. What Le Bron and the Family Foundation has/is paying for, etc.
I'm not sure why anyone would want to criticize this partnership if it can be paid for without raising taxes and all the kids are getting a good education.
Stunning Criticism Of LeBron James And The Funding For The I Promise School

Some people seem intent on criticizing. The man getting too much credit is not really a necessary line of criticism.

 

[Root of Jesse]

Here's an article that explains how the school opened in conjunction with the public school system. What Le Bron and the Family Foundation has/is paying for, etc.
I'm not sure why anyone would want to criticize this partnership if it can be paid for without raising taxes and all the kids are getting a good education.
Stunning Criticism Of LeBron James And The Funding For The I Promise School

Report: Akron Public Schools Paying Majority of Costs for LeBron's 'I Promise' School'

Seems like "Here's my idea. You do it, I'll put my name on it.

 

[Root of Jesse]

Some people seem intent on criticizing. The man getting too much credit is not really a necessary line of criticism.

I personally don't care. If it works, great. I guess it deserves Lebron's name.

 

[Nithavela]

Report: Akron Public Schools Paying Majority of Costs for LeBron's 'I Promise' School'

Seems like "Here's my idea. You do it, I'll put my name on it.

Reading that article, this line stands out:

The school’s $2 million budget is funded by the district, roughly the same amount per pupil that it spends in other schools.

So the school costs exactly the same as it would if it were operated like any other school, it just works better. Without this school, that district would have shelled out the same money for education. Seems to me that the thing making it stand out is the idea, and if so, Akron fully deserves any laudation.

 

[dgiharris]

Report: Akron Public Schools Paying Majority of Costs for LeBron's 'I Promise' School'

Seems like "Here's my idea. You do it, I'll put my name on it.

Not really fair, he did put serious resources into this...

the school’s $2 million budget is funded by the district, roughly the same amount per pupil that it spends in other schools. But 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.

similarly, NEVER underestimate the power of a big name being "part" of something. Those kids have a hero attached to their school and by extension them. That is extra incentive to want to do well, and if the end result is those kids doing 20 times better than they would have without it, than yes, Mr. James deserves the credit.

Also, worthy of mention is the model / paradigm the Mr. James insisted on using. To my knowledge, this is one of the few of these types of ventures that targets low performing and at risk kids. Usually, when celebrities get involved they like to make charter schools for the smart and/or the talented kids and they like to run said entity as a private entity. So by making this a PUBLIC entity run by the normal school district, this helps shatter the paradigm that public schools just can't cut it.

The school is unusual in the resources and attention it devotes to parents, which educators consider a key to its success. Mr. James’s foundation 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......the executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, pointed out what she called I Promise’s “secret sauce.” In one room, staff members were busy organizing a room filled with bins of clothing and shelves of peanut butter, jelly and Cheerios. At any time, parents can grab a shopping bin and take what they need.

In any event, very nice to see these sorts of things. Conversely, don't know why people would want to criticize it.

 

[Root of Jesse]

Reading that article, this line stands out:



So the school costs exactly the same as it would if it were operated like any other school, it just works better. Without this school, that district would have shelled out the same money for education. Seems to me that the thing making it stand out is the idea, and if so, Akron fully deserves any laudation.

This is what sticks out to me. It's not so much what is being done, it's who is claiming credit.

The project was sold to the public as being funded by James and a coalition of philanthropists he assembled to float the school. In July Money reported that “James’ family foundation will cover the costs of other extra school features, and with its partners has already contributed $2 million for building upgrades, extra staffing and other needs, the paper notes.”

But now, it has been discovered that Akron’s taxpayers will be shelling out for as much as 75 percent of the costs for the school, a far sight more than was previously assumed.

According to Cleveland.com, “The exact breakdown of expenses for the new I Promise School is unclear… But the district will pay more than half the costs — perhaps around 75 percent — once it is fully running.”

Indeed, the whole project is city-operated. The school is not being run by James or his coalition. It is operating in a city-owned building, staffed by public schools personnel, and mostly paid for by the taxpayers. James may have some influence, but essentially he is not the main administrator of the school that was sold as his pet project.

“The coverage made it look like the whole thing is his,” Akron school district spokesman Mark Williamson told the media this week. “He did a lot, but taxpayers should know it’s their investment too.”

 

[Root of Jesse]

Not really fair, he did put serious resources into this...

the school’s $2 million budget is funded by the district, roughly the same amount per pupil that it spends in other schools. But 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.

similarly, NEVER underestimate the power of a big name being "part" of something. Those kids have a hero attached to their school and by extension them. That is extra incentive to want to do well, and if the end result is those kids doing 20 times better than they would have without it, than yes, Mr. James deserves the credit.

Also, worthy of mention is the model / paradigm the Mr. James insisted on using. To my knowledge, this is one of the few of these types of ventures that targets low performing and at risk kids. Usually, when celebrities get involved they like to make charter schools for the smart and/or the talented kids and they like to run said entity as a private entity. So by making this a PUBLIC entity run by the normal school district, this helps shatter the paradigm that public schools just can't cut it.

The school is unusual in the resources and attention it devotes to parents, which educators consider a key to its success. Mr. James’s foundation 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......the executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, pointed out what she called I Promise’s “secret sauce.” In one room, staff members were busy organizing a room filled with bins of clothing and shelves of peanut butter, jelly and Cheerios. At any time, parents can grab a shopping bin and take what they need.

In any event, very nice to see these sorts of things. Conversely, don't know why people would want to criticize it.

OK, he helped create a program and leaves the tax payers with the rest. Conversely Kevin Durant's charity work stands alone. I think King James has a similar thing.
The Kevin Durant Charity Foundation | The Official Website of Thirty Five Ventures

 

[Nithavela]

This is what sticks out to me. It's not so much what is being done, it's who is claiming credit.

The project was sold to the public as being funded by James and a coalition of philanthropists he assembled to float the school. In July Money reported that “James’ family foundation will cover the costs of other extra school features, and with its partners has already contributed $2 million for building upgrades, extra staffing and other needs, the paper notes.”

But now, it has been discovered that Akron’s taxpayers will be shelling out for as much as 75 percent of the costs for the school, a far sight more than was previously assumed.

According to Cleveland.com, “The exact breakdown of expenses for the new I Promise School is unclear… But the district will pay more than half the costs — perhaps around 75 percent — once it is fully running.”

Indeed, the whole project is city-operated. The school is not being run by James or his coalition. It is operating in a city-owned building, staffed by public schools personnel, and mostly paid for by the taxpayers. James may have some influence, but essentially he is not the main administrator of the school that was sold as his pet project.

“The coverage made it look like the whole thing is his,” Akron school district spokesman Mark Williamson told the media this week. “He did a lot, but taxpayers should know it’s their investment too.”

You got a serious case of crab bucket.

 

[Root of Jesse]

You got a serious case of crab bucket.

It's not my reporting. And I never did say Lebron didnt do anything. He does a lot. But we know, Biblically that, if we do something charitable, then claim it as our doing, we've received our reward.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Why shouldn't we claim that what we is our doing? If gods don't take the blame for our mistakes they don't get credit for our good deeds.

 

[dgiharris]

OK, he helped create a program and leaves the tax payers with the rest. Conversely Kevin Durant's charity work stands alone. I think King James has a similar thing.
The Kevin Durant Charity Foundation | The Official Website of Thirty Five Ventures

I'm unsure of the tone and point of your posts?

Would you prefer that Mr. James's program not exist? Or do you just think the credit he is receiving is unwarranted and wish to knock him down a peg or two?

As I understand it, the money for that school would be allocated regardless of if James was part of it or not. So he has decided to put $600k on top of the money that would be spent regardless as well as put his name and energy into the program as well which makes a huge difference. Kids are very impressionable and human beings crave commonality and leadership...

So again, what exactly are you trying to say?

Is this all a bad thing? Would you prefer this didn't happen at all?

 

[Root of Jesse]

I'm unsure of the tone and point of your posts?

Would you prefer that Mr. James's program not exist? Or do you just think the credit he is receiving is unwarranted and wish to knock him down a peg or two?

As I understand it, the money for that school would be allocated regardless of if James was part of it or not. So he has decided to put $600k on top of the money that would be spent regardless as well as put his name and energy into the program as well which makes a huge difference. Kids are very impressionable and human beings crave commonality and leadership...

So again, what exactly are you trying to say?

Is this all a bad thing? Would you prefer this didn't happen at all?

The program increased the taxes of the people of the school district-all the people, even those who don't go to the school.
If Mr. James had started a charter school and funded it completely with the cooperation and buy-in of the school district, it would have been better.
It's not a bad thing, it's just not as good a thing as the media is trying to make it. I don't blame MR. James for that, either. This is really a knock on the media, again. Mostly, they get the story wrong.