But. Afternoon everyone, good afternoon eagle I've. Got the greatest, story. That. Has never been told. When. We started the Eagle Academy back in 2004. There was a report, that, 75%. Of the inmates from the entire New, York State correctional. System came from seven neighborhoods, in New York City and all, those neighborhoods, with a concentration, of black boys are some, of the lowest performing schools, are those. Are the spots that we want to try to go into to create the Eagle Academy. People. Believe that you're from the South Bronx you're not gonna make it you're not gonna go to college you're not gonna be what you want to be I'm proud of being, able to see him graduate high, school because. I didn't do it our. Young men are up against, it in every. Front, and it shouldn't have to be that way so. My organization. Decided. We were going to do something about that. People, see our young men and the first thing they do feel, this fear we get to lean into that discomfort, as a school we're gonna take it off and we're gonna smile while we do we're gonna grow our guys you. Are stepping into a world that doesn't, care for you black, boys who, are behind academically, they, are the demographic, that everybody. Is trying to avoid. That. Is the population that we have asked for that's. The reason we were created, in the first place because we see the promise in the potential and each and every one of them. Education. It is an, ocean liner we, have to slowly, turn, that, ocean line around and this. Is a started, you, are going to face challenges each. And every, day we, beat up these young men Avenal Academy the champ is here. Let's. Let's, dive in and. You. Know David, I actually want to I want to start first with you it's. An extraordinary story and, it's, clear. Why. You, started. Eagle Academy but, what's less clear is, how, you did it. So can you just share with us the backstory of, that first. Academy, the obstacles. Challenge, is how you confronted, those sure, well, first of all thank you torence for for, having us and for your whole team. Who helped to put this together. Real. Privilege for us to be here. So. This. Back story is interesting and I think I have to start out by, saying this I did. Not start, the school alone. I'm often referred to as the founder. In. Many ways I have been the face of it it's. Since its inception but. I think it's important, to note that. The. School was, the. Byproduct. Of the. Imagination. Of the 100, black men organization. And, I. Think that's important, because they've been lots of initiatives that have been started by like one person, and it's, kind of like the Superman theory of this one guy, a gal that kind of comes and swoops in and says I'm here to save, the day that's not really a very. Often as a sustainable. Kind of model. But. It was an organization, of men I was a member of the 100. And. So we as an organization. Came. Up with the notion. Of having a an all-boys, public, school. And. We worked really hard to kind of get it off the ground right be. Very clear it wasn't a guys that put in the work to do this okay. And that's always it's never that it was a small, handful, maybe, six, to eight guys who, really put in the put. In the work to make it happen but, we had the idea to do it because we will we, were tired of looking at all the negative statistics and. There. Were so many panel, discussions, and conferences, that. Were being held all over the country talking, about the problem. With. The outcomes, for young men of color in particular and, but. It seemed like at the end of the day no there were no solutions, it, was just let's continue to just talk about what all of the problems are, and. You, see people battling, on the on, the panel discussions, to see who can tell the story best about. What the problem, is. But. At the end of the day it seemed like the most you could hope for was a good after-school. Program, for fifteen or twenty kids like that was as good as it got and so, we decided that we were going to try to go a little deeper in the creation of the school very, important to note that there. Were no all-boys, public. High, schools in the, country when we opened our doors there. Were there, were private schools and parochial schools. But just, a regular, New York City public school it didn't exist there, hadn't been one in New York City in over 30 years and so. We. Need a political, cover to. Be able to do it because they actually had been a decade before us some, other folks out of Brooklyn who had tried to start one but, they were not successful and so. You needed you, needed the politics, to line up to be able to do that and so the very first person that we met with was. Our then-senator, Hillary Clinton. She. Got behind it. Completely. And said. I want to see this be replicated all over the country once we get it up and running.
So. She was, she was our first political champion. If you, will she. Arranged for us to meet with Mayor. Bloomberg who, was a brand new mayor at the time and Joel, Klein who was the Chancellor of the New York City school system but. I think because she gave it her blessing. The. Mayor and the Chancellor got behind it and said, even if we're sued we're. Going to move forward with this and it. Was, so to be soon because. By, definition I. Talked a little bit about it in a film that means. An all-boys single. Gender public, school means that your. Daughter can't, go to the school and yet, your tax, dollars, pay, the teachers in that school there, are some people who believe that on its face it's. It's. Unconstitutional. To. Have an angle. Gender school now, you should also know that, they. Had already been for several years single gender schools for girls they. Called the young women's leadership academies. And there. Were three of them by the time we opened our very first one and, so if anything we came and we kind of balance the, playing field since, that time Hillary, Clinton was. Able to help, foster legislation. That, allow for the proliferation of single. Gender schools but. If you the legislation, says if you have one for boys you should have one for girls it, doesn't have to be started by the same organization but the district, itself should, make sure that, there's a balanced, playing field and that's what we've been trying to do in public, school, versus, the, charter school system how, did you think about those trade-offs well. That's really she did. Charge because, the charter schools. Have. Become, a really big deal particularly since we launched. We. We. Could have started as a charter school we made a decision, not to open as a charter, very. Deliberately, and, that was because not that we were anti charter, we. Would have gotten a lot more funding, if we were a charter school a. Lot. Of the big hedge fund companies they were only supporting, charter. Schools but. We decided to do it because at the end of the day our our, determination. Was that. Most. Kids are still going to go to traditional public, schools that's. Still the case today ninety. Percent of all students across America go, to traditional. Public schools at. The high school level which is where we started less. Than two percent of kids go to charter schools. Uuuugh. Really couldn't tell that just. By reading the articles, you think that charter, schools have. Like half of the kids across the country they do not and one. Of the things that we were trying to say was that when all is said and done most. Kids are going to still go to traditional public schools if you. Don't lift up models, within a traditional, public school system, you're, just playing around on the margins when you talk about innovation and really, making a difference so. Great. Charter schools I know all of the big charter school leaders but. When all said and done most, kids are not in charter schools and, most teachers are unionized, teachers within. A traditional public school system we, wanted to be counted, in that number to, show that you could actually move the needle in that. Space. In. Doing, this work and that's the reason why we decided to do that we now have six. Schools I was. The principal founding, principal of the verse of the very first school in the Bronx, we now have one in every borough in New York City and we have one in Newark New Jersey so we have six schools, 3,000, young men have. Graduated, now over 1500 young men and sent them to colleges, and universities across the country and we're just getting started and, what's. Also really powerful about the film is just the presence, of black, male teachers. How. Did you drive. The recruitment process there. Yes. Interesting first, of all I think a lot of men. Of color in particular were very drawn to Eagle. It's the that the notion of a school for, young men who look like them, who have similar experiences, to them we, didn't even have to do a lot of marketing, and.
The Marketing we did was not targeted, to men of color it was just marketing, about the, uniqueness, of a school for young men where. We're trying to. Address. The, issues that young men and young men of color in particular have. Was. A draw in and of itself. But. Also to be very clear, most. Of our teachers overwhelmingly. Are female. Yeah. No no we we we, have a lot of men who are serving, as mentors. Most. Of our teaching, force are still women because, across America, most, of the teachers across America are women. Less. Than two percent of men. Of color are teachers, in America less than two percent and. That. There's a reason for that there, are lots of reasons for it but one of one of them is the very fact why. We created the school in the first place. Men are not men, of color not even graduate from high school, well. 50%, don't even graduate from high school much. Less graduate, from college to. Put themselves in a position to even be a teacher in a classroom so. The the it's a very small pool of men, of color in the first place. And so. We. Our, numbers. Are, significantly. Higher than the average school. But. For, me our best teachers are still the the, women who are in our class and they leave I'm leaving, because. They are the ones that really still drive it and and and make it make, it go what we have done I think is to help even the women in our schools understand. What. Are the best ways to engage, with. Young, men because. They do not get taught that in the schools of Education, that, are supposedly, preparing, them for the reality of what it means to work in our public schools even. If they're not coming to an Eagle Academy they're just going to a traditional, public, school they, don't get one day of training of. What, it means when, you've got those boys in your classroom, so what happens they, show up the girls sit in the front row the girl, girls are eager to learn they're. Ready they, look like them and even, if they're not the same color they're girls there's a girl connection, then. You got the knucklehead, boys at a plane around in the back and, the, teachers, have, no clue, what to do with that energy it's, not that there's anything wrong with the teachers, and isn't, really nothing there's nothing wrong with the boys it's. Just do you understand. How many of you have, brothers. By. Show of hands. Right. Y'all. Know there's a little difference between the boys and the girls right there's. Just an energy that. The boys doing is a silliness. That they bring and if you don't understand, what that is and how to manage, that kind of energy, boys. Wind up on the short end of the stick because they don't wanna get suspended, they get thrown out of school they get disciplined all that negative stuff happens because, the adults who are in the room have, not been properly prepared on how to work with boys that's what we do got. It so it's moving. To John. Given. Your your stature or all of your career. Successes. You you could have chosen, any. Number, of subjects, to make. A film about what, what, drove, you to tell this story and, also, talk to us about the, title. Because. I, think. That there's there's. More texture and color there as well. So. First of all when, you said stature I was like is he talking about me. Thank you turns it's. Really. A pleasure to be here thank. You to Arianna and Louis. It's. Really a humbling. Opportunity. So. The first thing I would say that the, let's. Not with the title, so, the infamous future I chose, that title because, of the. Stereotypes. And the negatives, that are constantly. Bombarded. To. Us as, people. Of the general, public when. You see these images and the videos and, the, news and and. It's always something, that's negative, I. Would, say the majority of the time is something negative, whatever, the side of the conversation is so the conversation, could be that we did something, in a neighborhood, or or. It could be something. Bad's happening, in our community, but, there's just a negativity, that's associated with black, and brown boys, and, black, and brown people so. I chose, to say. Here. Is something positive that's happening, with what you say is negative. Let's. Look at creating. The attention, to make you think hmmm what's this but, when you see it I want you to understand, that, there. Are organizations like. Eagle, Academy there are people. In your neighborhood who, are doing good things for people in, your neighborhood and we, have to sometimes celebrate, that and, raise. Them up because. It's important, for us to tell these stories and don't wait for someone else to tell the story tell it yourself and.
If It just means celebrating, that person, saying thank you buying them a card if you're able to you, know do. Something greater, do something greater I was given. The opportunity to make. A film. That. Was really focusing, on, Eagle. Academy David. Banks and really. What these amazing, educators, are doing for black and brown boys. And. You, know what. Really drove, this story I can, tell you. When. I first okay, so the, very first time I met David banks. It. Was a friend of ours that. Named. Susan Chapman, I think. Louis might know who she is so, she, said, to me oh you should, meet, David banks you said you're doing a documentary, but my documentary. Was on education. In America, and the issues, around education. So. I. Said. Okay I'll meet David I said it's high school but you know okay. So I walk. Into his office and. I. Said hi I'm John Campbell and he said I've, got the greatest story, that has never been told I was, like oh my god. Right. And, so I then. You, know was intrigued, with whatever else he, had to share about the Academy and he said I'm gonna take you around to all the schools let's let's get you on the calendar and oh my goodness I was so. Encouraged. By his enthusiasm and. What, it means, to him to help serve. And support these young men of color. That. When I went around to the schools I I had been filming, for six months at NYU I, had been filming, at University. Of Massachusetts and. I had six, months of about four, five hundred hours of, film and I. Said to my director, I think, I'm. Gonna have to start over. The, reason why I need to start over is we need to tell a positive, story the issues are the issues but, let's be the ones to tell a story about what's actually working and, he. Said I think you're right John he's from London as well Richard, Butterworth, is his name an, amazing, guy of course he's from London with that. You. Know so, so. I then spent, the. Following. Year. Around. Mr.. Banks and, David. Actually didn't know that the film was primarily, now around. Eagle Academy because. He thought he was just a part of the conversation, of Education. And. So I think it was the day that we did the first screening. There. Wasn't a dry eye in the place you know and I, think he was just. Encouraged. By, the fact that you know really this was the story that was about Eagle Academy and, I was just humbled that, he'd, given me this amount of time and the educator said what had really done, the same and, Joshua. Who you saw was the main student, and his mother who is incredible. You know just telling, their truth telling the story yeah.
Thank. You so David. The the documentary, actually kicks off with you. Giving. The the, group some, real talk and, you. Talk about how, they're entering, into a world that doesn't care about them that they're under assault and then. You, invoke. The the famous Muhammad, Ali chant. Of the champ is here, so it's clear that there's this whole dynamic of the real. Talk and the the, the difficulties. That these. Young men will face but, also the, the, inspiration. And and trying. To instill in them the things that will help them deal. With it how, do you balance. Those. Sides of the picture you know the the, keeping it real but also. Making. Sure that they're, inspired, yeah, you, know and that happens not just through, me and him anymore I mean it happens on a daily basis at each one of our schools. And. So we're just having conversation. With our. Young. Men every. Single day and so. One of the things I. Think is pretty, unique about what we do is we do a daily town hall which. Means every. Day the. Young, men are required to be in school for. A period of time before their first period class starts, and during. That town hall there are a number of things we do, but. We have real talk with them so. It's it's not it's not an English class it's not a mat they're in the lunchroom but. The entire student body is there and and. We talk about events of the day so, things are happening in real time, you know the passing, of Tony Morrison right we'll have our own moment of silence for that not. Only we have a moment of silence but. We also pour. Libation, and if I take you to any one of our schools we've. Got a plant in the middle of the room and young. Men get a chance to come up on a daily basis, and pour. Libation. And. You. Know whatever is on their heart right, so it's a way of them kind of letting go of that. Baggage. That may be there some, of them have a loved one who may, be dying or and. And they just want to let it out they need to release they. Do that we talk about you, know people who have passed you, know that are known to all of us and. It's. A way it's a ritual, but. It's it's it's a very much a social, emotional, kind of connection, it builds. A spirit of brotherhood amongst. The young men. And. They get to throw their throw, their arms around each other say, we're here for you because every time they pour libations the, entire, group says, che. Che. Che, right, so kind of an African, tradition. That. Says we're with you right, and, a lot of times that these young men don't have any place else in their lives where, they actually get a chance to do that right, and so things, like that are just so important, so, while we talk to them about the challenges that in fact are out there we. We, also build. It immediately. You. Know but, these are the possibilities, for your life as well you know do something we call Rutgers and Rikers. You know we. Take the students to Rikers. Island so. That they could see what. It's really like when the inside of that prison when, you make the wrong choices or, you associate, with the wrong vote. These. This, is how it can ultimately look, and we, don't want you to hear, about it in some romanticized. Version, of guys, who went did, 10 years in prison they come out and act like they're tough guys we. Want you to see what it's really like so, you get a chance to go in but. Two weeks later we take you to rutgers where i went to school. This. Is what it looks like when a college, campus when you make other kinds, of choices. So. That's, what we talk about we say keeping, it real and with, young men it's really. Important, that, you, tell, them what they in fact are up against what the odds are, but. Then we. We tell them simultaneously what, the possibilities, offer, them as well you talk about a place like Google. Unless. Young, men had an opportunity to get an internship or a job shadow, or something they have no idea, what that means to be here so therefore there's no Drive. In. Their. Classes, be, to say one day I may, be able to be working, a tech industry, at a place like Google if they don't even understand, that this exists, other than a commercial that they see on TV. That's. What we try to do we try to build we try to open. Up the doors of possibility and, exposure. Because, if you open up their minds, to what. Is out there, here. Is hard to dream of being an investment, banker if you've never met one but. When you when, you put them in a position to see it then. You you you eat the light goes on, now. Everything, that they're doing in their math and English and social studies classes, tend, to make a little bit more sense because. They can see the goal of where we're trying to go so the reason why boys love sports so much the. Goal is very clear, we're. Trying to earn that trophy, we're trying to win the championship, even, from Little League it's, very clear where which what the goal is so therefore we'll work real hard and practice because we're clear about the goal in school.
The, Goal is not clear so. The only thing that they are engaged in is practice every day and they don't know what this is all about where, are we trying to go with all of it why are we doing this math in the seventh grade I don't understand it's like we're just doing it to do. It and if, you don't explain, to boys why. We're. Doing this and where we're going, they, will give you a hard time. But, once they make the connection to. What. The goal is and what we ultimately trying, to achieve then. You get them running on their own toward their own success, that's, really what the goal of education, is supposed to be all about. Got. It and I also want to make sure we give the audience some. Opportunity. Ask questions so I asked. John a question and then open it up, so. John. What's so amazing and brilliant about the documentary, is the, crispness, and the focus. There's. Nothing, gratuitous, it's. Beautifully. Composed. It. Could easily have been over. Two hours I, think it's around 40, minutes so. How. Did you think, about the trade-offs there what to include what to, edit give. Us your thought process, pain. And suffering comes to mind. It. Was a process, because I. Think we had over 600, hours, of film just. On, the infamous feature and it, was really, tough, but. You know as, a writer the main thing for me is making. Sure that I'm focusing, on the intention, and what's the story here, and. In trying to do that, the. The, mother was key of, course David was key joshua's key. Lakia. Washington, was key there were certain key people who said, very inspiring, things and and, believe me the the, shortcut that you see of like, lakiya Washington, I, mean, she. Had everyone in tears for about an hour you, know because she was so dynamic and, inspiring, about the truth about what, these boys mean, to her you. Know so imagine, you know having a conversation with the director that okay we gotta cut it down we gotta cut it down forgot, a character we gotta cut we only need 30, seconds, right how, can I get some of these other inspiring. Pieces but as. Long as you focus on the journey of the, student, the journey of Eagle Academy the, journey of the, mother the journey of the educators, and where they're coming from you should. End up with something, that. Allows. You, to, in, a good amount of time just. Really portray. The. Heart and the depth of. The story and so I really. As I was saying before, I'm. Just grateful that everyone was so available, and. That we were able to capture that but, it's very difficult to do that and you go back and forth and you spend a lot of money and you, go, back and forth again you spend more money because you want to get to the place where. You, feel if I can kind of feel my teeth, gritting, a few, times then, that's the heart for, me. And. If, I can feel that the numbers, are in there the the details. About the, percentages. Of what's happening, in the neighborhoods, and things of their nature if I can get all of those things then that's the meat of the story and so that was really the, intention behind it you know any. Questions. Nameís, yeah please go ahead thank. You both for coming so. Two questions, for you being. Someone born, and raised in Baltimore and, given the negative. Press of Baltimore, as of late would love to hear, I guess, both of your visions, for what's, next with the film with the school to, build on the success, that you've had and, expanding.
That And then to second, question what, can we do to, help. So. I would say great, questions of first, of all. This. Challenge. Particularly. I mean the education, system in general but particularly, with boys of color is, like. It's. Not just a national, problem it's an international. Issue i sat. For a number of years on the board of a group called the the. International, boy schools coalition, these are boys schools all around the world from, New Zealand to. Australia. To London. I mean. All, of it I've traveled all over the world kind, of dealing with this issue wherever. You see boys of color they are struggling. Across. The planet, it's. Really an amazing phenomena, and for somebody like me growing up as an african-american male right here in New York City to. See. The, disconnect, from school, and. Then. The kind of the wasting of human potential it's. Very tough to just sit in to watch that that's why I've committed, my life to this. Space and trying to help as many, of these young men as I possibly, can. We. Have been asked by school districts all across the, country to. Open an eagle Academy, in their City, we. Have now decided, that we're not going, to open any more schools. What. We're going to do and what we are now doing actually. Through, an initiative that we call the Eagle Institute, we are training, schools, and cities, and how. To do this for themselves, so. They don't have to open up an Eagle Academy they can open up whatever school, they want they, can call it whatever they want to call it but, kind of powered. By Eagle if you will so. As, an example the, city of Los Angeles reached, out to us and we. Helped, them to open the first all-boys. Public, school in the, history of LA it's. Called the boys academic, Leadership Academy, so. It's not an Eagle Academy but. They are completely connected it's built on the Eagle model and so in that way, where, we, have an opportunity to have greater impact we're now going to do this across, the country and helping, to work with districts that, reach out and our would, like this level of support places. Like Baltimore where. There is in fact great, need there, and. How, we can in fact be helpful. Not. Just calling. Names but. How can we actually help, to address some, of the issues that are there and and. So that's some of the work that we're doing we've been asked, by. Districts. All, over the place when how many of you remember when Oprah Winfrey opened the all-girls. School. Remember in South Africa, remember that the. Government, of South Africa, reached out to us years ago to ask us if we would help to, open the, brothers. School to. Oprah's all-girls, school. We. Were not in a position to do that at that time we were like in our first or second year we were just getting started still figuring it out, but. I'm just saying that to say an example of like the interests. From, all four everywhere I go people, ask the. The government, of the MU de. Jong. Army tells the government of MU Therese now because, they asked they, said we need help with our boys, now a small idyllic. Island, Caribbean. Island like Bermuda and the saint, we are struggling, with, our boys. So. Forever I had to tell him at least I've got to go down there and kind of these check the issue out for. A month for at least a month right. Just, so they we can give a proper diagnosis, to what the issues really are, but. My point is that wherever. You turn the issues are there and so, we decide we're gonna teach a man how to fish as, opposed.
To Just, a continued. Like one year at a time and brick-and-mortar approach will build another Eagle here and then another one there we want to teach we want to help to develop schools. And districts, and cities capacities. To do this for themselves because the reality is that the, broader challenge is. Not. Just a single gender school it's. How do you help the existing, schools where. They are struggling, co-ed. Schools with, the students that they have right in front of them how. Do we help these young men that's, what we we, are training, teachers now all across the country in best. Practices. For, how you properly. Engage, the young men and in that way we think we're going to be able to have significant. Scale of our work, beyond. That in terms of what Google can do right. We. Would love to meet with people. In Google to talk about real partnership, real investment, in this, work it's, part of reason why President, Obama launched my brother's keeper to, say this is a population, that is screaming, out for help. We. Are trying to meet that need right, we would love to start a Google pipeline, how. Do you get how do you get employees, from Google to be mentors and not. To come out every week or every month but two or three times a year come out and meet, with some of these young men develop. An e platform, where, a young man can can communicate, with, you how do you open up their eyes right, that's that's one. You. Know what's, that's just one activity that we could be engaged in that, if Google, put the right supports, around that, it's. Fairly easy to do we're, doing that with other groups as well but. I'll tell you something else that I think has. Assist. In a sustained way even more impact, how. Do you get the employees, from Google to be engaged, in a training program in. The summer for a week or two to train, the, adults, who work in our schools to train our teachers you, see our teachers are the ones who are being held responsible each and every day for getting our young men ready for, the quote-unquote real world, most. Of our teachers have never stepped foot in a place like this they've. Never been in a Citibank they've. Been teachers, all. Their lives so they kind of they've lived within the four walls of, the school they. Don't even fully appreciate, deeply enough, what. It is what this world looks like that we're supposed to be preparing our young men for what, are the lessons that they could in fact learn, by. Coming, here visiting, and and. And having, some lecturers from Google talk about what. Are the kinds, of things that young, people need to be doing, to get prepared to, even come and work in a place like this. Problem-solving. Cooperative, learning how, are you working on issues that, that, are very different than the way traditionally. Teachers are teaching in school because, teachers are not getting that level of exposure it's, those kinds, of things and many others that we have ideas about that, we would love to sit and brainstorm, and, come, up with a real Google pipeline, with, Eagle Academy that, I think could really be. A could. Be a beacon for lots of schools around us around the country and, just, to add to that I, know there's grow with Google I know, that there's. A. Internships. And there are apprenticeships. There's. A lot of things that really would be beneficial, to. Eagle. Academy because. And. You just touched on the summer programs. But I think that that's a great opportunity, because, it's you kind of also feel, as an adult that you're giving back to these kids as well but. They need some of that education, back. To the Baltimore, I mean Baltimore, has had a lot of challenges in a lot of ways. But I think part of it is it's. Very difficult, David certainly could speak. On this but in, the educational, system it cost money to do a lot of the things like, what Eagle has to do, with Los Angeles, and its time, and work and manpower. So, I think, that it's part, of you. Know the need and seeing where, the opportunities. Are and that's kind of a bit, more complicated, but. I think as an individual. You. Know there's an importance, it doesn't matter what your race if you see that there's a child that.
Might Need some help or if, there's something you can do that's, volunteering. At a school. Absolutely. Give them some of your time even if it's an hour a week if. It's gonna impact. Someone. Feeling that they that, child feeling like they have someone that they can speak to or, that they can get some advice from or as a mentor. Absolutely. And even if you're not sure where to go with that there are enough, organizations. Boys and Girls Clubs there's lots, of places that you can actually join. Or support. That's. Actually, gonna have an impact with, some of these and we're doing we have it we have a system, already in place, that. If we just had the buy-in from a place like Google we, could really build out on something really special I'll give you one another idea as well and this is not just unique, to Eagle, but it could be a place where Google, could really lean in and helping. To develop it, that. Would have impact really for, teachers across the city and really across the country one. Of the challenges, that we. Face. Is. Not. Always having. Students. Having the best teachers, that we can find so, what I mean by that we, may we may have a great, 7th, grade math teacher in Brooklyn, but. In Harlem. They. May be struggling because the math teacher is not quite, at that level so. Therefore the students are not going to get the benefit, of what. The students in Brooklyn are going to get because they just happen to have a you. Know better teacher. Creating. Like a. Platform. Where. The, teacher from Brooklyn, gets. To teach the boys and. In in, Harlem. As well and across, the entire network right. Creating. That kind of tech platform, where, the young man gets, his get an. Exposure to. The best teachers, across, the entire network, that's. A level of technology that we would need to develop and again it's just an idea of, something. That actually could. Be done and could be a model really for the city of how to do it but, again it would just take a level of investment from, from, a place like Google to say we could be interested in doing something like that yes so we should definitely continue, that dialogue yeah my commitment that we'll do that last question because we'll work. We're waning, here in terms of the, audience guy yeah gentleman, thank you so much for coming congratulations. Of course on the work first and foremost and and, on the film and and how you just Bob presented, this story my, first, question is for David as a former teacher and Dean of Students I'm very. Interested, and curious to know because, a lot, of what you said was on. Teacher. Expectations. So, high and as a public school how, are you able to work with the teachers and they have a very, strong, union, and I, remember, seeing my former. Principals, and assistant principals, try. To navigate, that battle, in that fight, and I'm curious to see how, you approached them yeah yeah and that's a great question thank you. The. Unions, are not. We're. Not in battle with our unions, right. Well in many ways the Union and the UFT at large. Is a tremendous. Supporter all of our teachers are unionized, and. And. And, I think so many of the teachers who come to work at our school they. Choose to come because they understand, what this mission is really all about like. We're about trying, to move the needle and get these guys young, men of color look just like you we're, trying to get them to, the finish line we're trying to graduate these guys and and, there's an energy that we have to bring in order, to do that, but. At the end of the day we need you to still be effective. Teachers, in the classroom, that teach the content. The. Union has been a partner, with us you. Know from time to time you have a teacher who. Is not a good fit who. Needs to move on even. If you've given them the proper support, and help and you realize not that they might not be a good teacher that just might not be a good teacher working in this, particular, venue and, we have a good relationship with the Union to kind. Of help make that happen so I've heard about a lot of the horror stories I was a principal in New York City for 11 years I experienced. Some of the horror stories as well. But. But Eagle is a pretty, unique place and, the. Culture, is so strong, see when the culture is strong it weeds. Out the. People that don't fit so it doesn't even have to be so much a battle, with the principal, and the Union, the, teachers, themselves, you, know help, other teachers to understand whether or not this is the best place for you right and, so we.
Spent A lot of time on building the culture, of the, place and and. Teachers are empowered, where, we are and I think that's a big part of what we do great, great and speaking. Of culture this is a question for you both what. Type of culture, shift do you think needs to happen, in. New York City and even in the country as a whole for, stories, like this to make the front page which. Does as you said write exposes. To exposes. People to, causes. And work that they can get involved with, as opposed. To just as you said earlier who's. Telling, the story better, of the issues right so, what. Culture. Shift needs to happen for stories, like this to, be front page. Very. Good question it's the mindset of in. My opinion people of color we, have to tell our own stories. You. Know stop waiting for someone to show you something, and show. People you, know exactly what you want to say and. You. Know I often, tell this story and that my mother used to say to me when I was a kid about the woman who had water in a pot and there, was she. She was hungry what she wanted was a meal, so what she did was she put the pot in the center of the town and everyone, was wondering what's she doing she says oh I need some potatoes someone, brought potatoes oh I need some tomatoes someone, brought to Martha's before you know it she had a meal right, but, no one understood, sometimes, you just have to start. With something and not, expect, everything, at the beginning just keep going with the intention, of telling, your story and the, more that we do that you will you will find I'm actually working, on another film that just came about three. Four weeks ago and and. The reason for it was because, the guy asked me for a little help he asked me just to read the script and I said I want to get involved in this film right. And so there's, things like that that we have to do to support each other and I, don't think we do well enough with that and we we, have a tendency sometimes to wait or, hope, that someone else does something you. Know and your blessing, is you starting, right when, you actually begin, you'll see how the universe, you'll see how opportunities. Start, coming your way yeah I can't, believe this happen. Just call me I don't know how yeah that's because you started, right so that's what we have to do and. Really help. Not. Pay attention to the negative stories but, pay attention to your story and then, start telling that and you'll be inspired. And amazed how we're starting to change the. Dynamics, of what's happening and I think also at a macro level at a very political, level, the. You, need leadership. That. Will, make sure that these stories get told so. Here in places like New York City I'm talking about from the mayor's level, from, the governor, right, from, the Chancellor, all. Too often they're playing defense, right. And so the, stories, get, crafted. For them and they're responding. An. Example. This. Is a man. De Blasio, for the time he's been in office has been in battle, with the charter school sector right, and so, that, that story, got framed. There. Are schools, like Eagle that are not even charter schools that are doing really, innovative, work he. Never talks about it so, it looks like the only people that are doing innovative stuff are charter schools and then you got these bad traditional. Public schools so. The story has already been, crafted. And he's, just playing defense if he. Understood, fully what, he. Even has within the system, he, would have been telling it he would have been touting the story of Eagle Academy he would have been touting the story of young women's leadership and new vision, and urban.
Assembly In college map these are all traditional public schools but people don't hear about them because, from, the top it's. Not being pushed and promoted, the only thing you see in the papers and you read and see on TV is the, battle, that's happening, and he, hasn't even brought, everything he was supposed to bring to the battle to tell the full story that's, what I mean I said the macro level the political, level that. Narrative, can, be crafted. But, you have to have the vision for what that's supposed to be I will certainly commit, to continuing the dialogue and how Google can help so, thank, you both thank you great, thank you all for coming back you. You.
2019-08-29