By Turn your kids into ‘geniuses’ at Kanye’s ‘Donda Academy’
In the latest venture for Kanye West, to follow suit in his latest series of outbursts, West is now offering unaccredited education.
The rapper previously announced his purchase of Parler, which he suggested would be heavily weighted toward his views.
Now, in Los Angeles is a small, Christian school offering an unaccredited education the owner claims could “actually turn your kids into, like, geniuses.”
In September, Kanye West claimed he had ‘never read a book’, likening it to ‘eating Brussels sprouts. Following this, Mr. West said the school could turn kids into ‘geniuses’. Kanye West opened Donda Academy in November 2021.
Last month on Good Morning America, West said the school could turn kids into “geniuses”, despite the certain lack of requirements and qualifications for the teaching, and he acknowledged even his children don’t attend.
Mr. West told GMA the academy gives “kids practical tools that they need in a world post the iPhone being created.” West added that there are currently 82 enrolled students.
Representatives for West did not respond to comments from other agencies.
The school was initially registered with the state of California as a Kindergarten through 8th– grade academy. According to the website, Donda academy offers classes for students in pre-k through 12th grade.
“Using an ethic of integrity and care, Donda Academy prepares students to become the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and innovators by providing them with a world-class education that includes a rigorous core curriculum, and an emphasis on sustainability, creativity, critical thinking and problem solving,” the Donda Academy website reads.
Students are led in daily, full-school worship sessions before core classes of language arts, math, and science, according to Insider.
Slam Magazine reported that occasionally lunch is served by Ye’s private chef.
Students at Donda Academy have their pick of “enrichment” courses, including film, choir, and parkour.
Donda Academy charges $15,000 per student, Rolling Stone reported, with about half of students receiving some sort of financial aid.
The admission price for Donda includes a choir program overseen by West, and a basketball team in the private high school league called the Donda Doves, with Balenciaga uniforms and Yeezys.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Antonio Brown rented out a $2 million suite for students to watch this year’s Superbowl, Boston Celtics player Jaylen Brown recently posted on social media during visiting the school, and R&B singer Keyshia Cole’s son Daniel attends as a student.
Donda Academy has not fulfilled the requirements set by the state to ensure it meets educational standards and staff competencies, meaning the academy is not recognised by many colleges and universities for diplomas.
The school has applied for accreditation through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Rolling Stone reported.
Donda Academy, its principal, Brianne Campbell; assistant principal, Allison Tidwell; and sports director Shayla Scott did not respond to Insider’s requests for comment.
Rolling Stone also reported there is no publicly available roster of the 16 teachers, and their qualifications are unknown.
Beulah McLoyd, former principal and executive director of Donda Academy said to Rolling Stone:
“We had philosophical differences about the level of stability that is required to educate students in an effective way”As an educator with over 22 years of experience in the field, I always put children at the forefront of any decision I make. Consequently, I moved on.”
Two sources close to current Donda students told Rolling Stone those associated with the school must sign confidentiality agreements to attend, and parents are asked to sign an “informal agreement” to enroll.
Malik Yusef, who helped Ye form the school, said to Rolling Stone
“I don’t think Kanye needs to tell the world what he’s doing so that he can be under more scrutiny. People choose to bring their kids to Donda Academy for a sense of privacy. A sense of care, a sense of concern, a sense of love, an environment of health, and an environment of wealth, an environment of learning, and putting God as a focus.”
(Image: Social Media/Kanye West)
