WEBVTT - Education: She created a charter school designed to integrate entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and project-based learning. 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:02.680 Welcome to my show. I'm Rashon McDonald, a host of 0:00:02.759 --> 0:00:06.120 Money Making Conversations Masterclass, where we encourage people to stop 0:00:06.120 --> 0:00:10.000 reading other people's success stories and start planning your own. Now, 0:00:10.000 --> 0:00:12.200 you don't want to miss an episode, so please take 0:00:12.200 --> 0:00:14.800 a moment right now to follow or subscribe to Money 0:00:14.800 --> 0:00:20.080 Making Conversations Masterclass. It's free. You can follow me on iHeartRadio, app, Spotify, 0:00:20.320 --> 0:00:23.880 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcast. New 0:00:23.920 --> 0:00:27.800 Money Making Conversations Masterclass episodes drop daily. I want to 0:00:27.880 --> 0:00:30.440 keep you on alert because my guests provide tips on 0:00:30.480 --> 0:00:34.360 how you can uplift your community, improve your financial planning, motivation, 0:00:34.760 --> 0:00:38.159 or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Now, 0:00:38.240 --> 0:00:39.680 let's get this podcast started. 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:43.720 My guests journey towards educational innovation and community impact took 0:00:43.720 --> 0:00:47.720 shape with the founder of The Simple View Academy SVA. 0:00:48.159 --> 0:00:51.080 The Simple View Academy is committed to building a school 0:00:51.120 --> 0:00:55.800 culture where students thrive academically and emotionally, just bridging the 0:00:55.800 --> 0:01:01.080 gap between education and entrepreneurship and shaping future leaders of tomorrow. 0:01:01.720 --> 0:01:06.000 Welcome to the Money Making Conversation master Class and why how. 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:08.800 You doing ND I'm Okay, thank you for you know. Edward, 0:01:08.920 --> 0:01:11.360 that's fancy, fancy dancy last name there. 0:01:11.600 --> 0:01:17.480 Yes, my dad is Haitian songradulations. 0:01:15.600 --> 0:01:17.679 You had that foreign flavor working over here. 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:18.360 Now. 0:01:18.680 --> 0:01:24.559 Charter schools, Yes, I have another friend. He has a Utopia. 0:01:25.040 --> 0:01:28.880 Yeah, he's somebody I mentored when we were with Steve Harvey. 0:01:29.080 --> 0:01:31.479 I'm very proud of his charter school and they're growing. 0:01:31.920 --> 0:01:34.279 But I never asked this question. I've interviewed him several 0:01:34.280 --> 0:01:39.160 times on my show A Tezius And how do you 0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:40.680 start a charter school? 0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:44.880 Yes, starting a charter stu school is pretty complicated. There 0:01:44.920 --> 0:01:47.160 are two pathways in the state of Georgia. So I'll 0:01:47.200 --> 0:01:50.080 start by saying every state is different the way they 0:01:50.080 --> 0:01:54.000 do charter schools. In Georgia, you're either locally approved by 0:01:54.120 --> 0:01:57.120 your local school district or state approved by the State 0:01:57.120 --> 0:02:00.000 of Georgia. So you have to petition for your chart, 0:02:00.320 --> 0:02:05.880 which is basically a big kind of dissertation of your data, 0:02:06.040 --> 0:02:10.240 the research, the community interest for your charter school, and 0:02:10.320 --> 0:02:13.000 you go before a group of people, usually the Board 0:02:13.040 --> 0:02:16.840 of Education, and you petition for it. You bring your board, 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:20.400 which is the people who govern and hold you responsible 0:02:20.520 --> 0:02:24.280 for what happens within the school, and then you guys 0:02:24.400 --> 0:02:26.760 kind of try to convince them to allow you to 0:02:26.800 --> 0:02:31.040 come into their system, either the traditional public school or 0:02:31.080 --> 0:02:35.080 the state side. We are a state approved school. We 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:38.720 petitioned our local school districts, but they denied us. And 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:41.600 then we went before the State of Georgia and the 0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:45.080 State Charter School Commission and they said, yeah, let's bring 0:02:45.120 --> 0:02:49.280 an entrepreneurship focused school into our fold. And we got 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:52.320 approved in July twenty twenty four, and then we opened 0:02:52.320 --> 0:02:53.880 our doors August twenty twenty five. 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:56.960 Okay, that's great, Thank you for explaining that to me. 0:02:57.880 --> 0:03:01.880 My thought process is there's local in their state, YEP, 0:03:02.400 --> 0:03:07.320 a local person, a local school district. If they approved you, 0:03:07.480 --> 0:03:10.160 it would almost seem like you're their acknowledging. 0:03:10.240 --> 0:03:13.520 They are not providing a skill set that you expect 0:03:13.560 --> 0:03:17.079 them to provide for their school. Correct. I wouldn't assume 0:03:17.080 --> 0:03:17.799 the students. 0:03:18.320 --> 0:03:20.480 What I would assume is that they want some type 0:03:20.480 --> 0:03:24.680 of innovation, maybe a smaller setting for a subpopulation of students. 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:28.200 And yes, there might be some interest in the design 0:03:28.280 --> 0:03:31.959 of the school. Every charter school has some sort of niche, 0:03:32.000 --> 0:03:34.720 which is why it is an innovative school. So, for 0:03:34.760 --> 0:03:37.800 the simple view, our niche is entrepreneurship and financial literacy 0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:39.400 through a project based learning model. 0:03:39.960 --> 0:03:43.080 Now, entrepreneurship, let's talk about that. You know, everybody wants 0:03:43.080 --> 0:03:45.840 to be a business owner, people of color, having a 0:03:45.880 --> 0:03:49.240 clear understanding that there's life beyond the forty hour week 0:03:49.360 --> 0:03:52.400 job correct or manual label jobs, which you know we 0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:55.720 see at the forefront. That's what we see. We see. 0:03:56.200 --> 0:04:00.240 We don't see education beyond high school most of the 0:04:00.240 --> 0:04:02.600 There's a certain core students who do see it, but 0:04:02.640 --> 0:04:05.040 the majority of students just want to jump out. Yep. 0:04:05.400 --> 0:04:08.480 You have eighty students currently at your Let's walk on 0:04:08.560 --> 0:04:10.040 the sixth through the twelfth grade. 0:04:10.040 --> 0:04:13.360 Correct, Currently we just have six and seventh graders, seven, 0:04:13.600 --> 0:04:16.520 and we grow every grade, every grade level we add. 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:17.200 Every year after that. 0:04:17.279 --> 0:04:20.320 Okay, So you started in twenty four, we started in 0:04:20.400 --> 0:04:24.359 two twenty five. Okay, cool, you were chartered in twenty 0:04:24.400 --> 0:04:27.799 twenty four, correct, And then you started in twenty twenty five, correct, 0:04:28.080 --> 0:04:28.640 And then. 0:04:28.520 --> 0:04:31.880 So every year you're adding another grade level. So you 0:04:32.120 --> 0:04:34.120 sixth through the seventh grade, correct right now? 0:04:34.160 --> 0:04:36.159 Okay, next year will be six through eight. 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:39.360 The ultimate goal is six through twelve, correct, Okay? Cool. 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:41.520 Just want to make sure we get the story the 0:04:41.600 --> 0:04:45.400 simple view correct as view with the you eat correct 0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:47.400 and why is that good question? 0:04:47.600 --> 0:04:50.719 View means to be seen and that is really big 0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:53.800 to me and the families that we service. Our core 0:04:53.920 --> 0:04:57.520 values also are spelled out with view voice A Buntu 0:04:57.600 --> 0:05:00.440 and empowerment are our core values. Voice because we really 0:05:00.560 --> 0:05:02.360 value our student in our community. 0:05:02.440 --> 0:05:02.760 Voice. 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:05.200 A boom too means I am because we are. So 0:05:05.200 --> 0:05:07.679 we have a community feel we have to work together 0:05:08.040 --> 0:05:10.919 and then ease empowerment because we really truly believe that 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:13.120 our young people know where they want to go, have 0:05:13.240 --> 0:05:15.160 passion driven work that they want to do, and we 0:05:15.240 --> 0:05:16.840 just need to be the guidance to get them. 0:05:16.839 --> 0:05:19.560 Boom to A boom too sounds like one of them dances. 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:23.560 It comes from African culture. 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:26.320 But when I hear that boot, I just say that, 0:05:26.360 --> 0:05:28.240 you know those dances those little kids get out there 0:05:28.320 --> 0:05:30.600 go They always make those kids dance those little dances. 0:05:30.960 --> 0:05:33.160 They just be with these carves. Let's be two of 0:05:33.240 --> 0:05:34.560 them out there, maybe three at the. 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:37.000 Moment, just running from side of the state, this side 0:05:37.000 --> 0:05:38.839 of the state, that side of state. So it's a 0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:42.799 very emotional addition to the to to your pillows. 0:05:43.440 --> 0:05:43.680 Yeah. 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:46.599 So, because we serve as middle schoolers and as soon 0:05:46.600 --> 0:05:48.800 to be high schoolers, they need a lot of support 0:05:48.880 --> 0:05:51.760 socially and emotionally, and so our design has to be 0:05:51.839 --> 0:05:56.680 driven around keeping them safe emotionally as they journey through entrepreneurship. 0:05:56.760 --> 0:05:57.279 It's hard. 0:05:57.400 --> 0:06:01.600 Entrepreneurship is not a truly state career choice. You have 0:06:01.760 --> 0:06:05.239 to be pretty mentally stable and mostly stable to actually 0:06:05.240 --> 0:06:05.960 be successful. 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:10.600 Well, I agree, I you know I was. You know, 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:14.960 I left IBM, which is a classic forty hour week 0:06:15.080 --> 0:06:20.719 job for one k retirement type package and vacation days 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:27.520 and you know, a consistent check right help benefits. Correct, 0:06:28.279 --> 0:06:31.760 that's very safe. But what we learned is those type 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:34.839 of jobs don't carry you to the finish line like 0:06:34.880 --> 0:06:38.919 they used to. Yes, but entrepreneurship and people need to 0:06:39.000 --> 0:06:43.320 understand this. Now, you don't get paid overtime be an entrepreneur. 0:06:44.279 --> 0:06:48.800 It's a lot of work you don't And so eighty 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:52.279 hour week is a norm for an entrepreneur. Yes, now 0:06:52.560 --> 0:06:56.000 you made this big decision. You're spelled mcgred. They born 0:06:56.040 --> 0:07:01.320 and raised in Atlanta, Join went to Jersey Village in Houston, Texas. Correct, 0:07:01.480 --> 0:07:04.000 got academic training and then went up to Brooklyn. Yep, 0:07:04.160 --> 0:07:07.920 So you've had some nice, big markets outside of Atlanta. Yes, sir, 0:07:08.200 --> 0:07:12.360 what made you by Frandy to be so bold? Because 0:07:12.360 --> 0:07:14.960 it so bold, boy, because you're telling people that the 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:19.240 educational system that they're providing in this particular city can 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:21.720 be better through your vision. Yes, sir, talk to us 0:07:21.760 --> 0:07:22.160 about that. 0:07:22.360 --> 0:07:22.680 Yeah. 0:07:22.720 --> 0:07:27.760 So, going through all the different realms of education, teaching, leading, 0:07:28.200 --> 0:07:31.880 seeing other people's vision out, I just said, there's got 0:07:31.880 --> 0:07:34.640 to be a way to do this that is different 0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:39.160 because I've seen brilliant, beautiful black and brown children not 0:07:39.280 --> 0:07:43.520 get fulfill through their educational experience from K through twelve, 0:07:43.760 --> 0:07:44.720 And so I said, how do. 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:46.000 I flip this on his head? 0:07:46.680 --> 0:07:48.400 And one of the biggest things I needed to do 0:07:48.520 --> 0:07:50.720 was come back home. I was in Brooklyn at the time. 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:53.160 I was a part of somebody else's mission, and I 0:07:53.200 --> 0:07:56.360 was just like, I can do this better. So my 0:07:56.440 --> 0:07:59.400 support system, my village is here in Georgia. So I 0:07:59.440 --> 0:08:02.520 came back home. I started in a fellowship program which 0:08:02.600 --> 0:08:07.200 supported me in understanding the nuances of education as a business. 0:08:07.280 --> 0:08:09.760 Because I think people think that I'm just a school 0:08:09.760 --> 0:08:12.320 teacher or a school leader opening a school, but there 0:08:12.400 --> 0:08:16.480 is a serious business side to opening a school that 0:08:16.520 --> 0:08:21.200 people don't understand until they're in it. After talking to 0:08:21.280 --> 0:08:24.800 a few people and understanding what they wanted from a school, 0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:27.960 I said, cool, let's see what this is all about. 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:30.400 And I started a summer program. So we really started 0:08:30.400 --> 0:08:33.160 as a summer camp that then turned into a charter school. 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:35.880 Our families in our summer camp program were like, how 0:08:35.920 --> 0:08:36.319 do we do. 0:08:36.320 --> 0:08:36.920 This every day? 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:39.480 This has been an amazing experience, but I want my 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:41.320 student to be able to do this every day. 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:44.520 And so I said, okay, let's start a charter school. 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:49.800 Now again, I'm digging deep into this hole because our 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:54.400 teachers at Autopia Academy, you know, he was already up 0:08:54.400 --> 0:08:57.320 and running. Yes, I'm getting you like year two correct, 0:08:57.520 --> 0:09:02.640 this is year one literally and you want so because 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:04.920 I really got to delve into your mind because I'm 0:09:05.000 --> 0:09:12.760 very impressed, because because it's very courageous. So how do 0:09:12.840 --> 0:09:14.560 you recruit students? Yeah? 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:19.520 Outside, we are outside tabling at an event or something 0:09:19.520 --> 0:09:25.160 community focused. Every weekend we posted up Thanksgiving time, Christmas time, 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:28.960 Easter in front of public SAMs at the mall places. 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:32.360 Those people usually just walk by, they bother me. 0:09:32.640 --> 0:09:34.319 Yeah, and it's a lot of that. 0:09:35.720 --> 0:09:39.280 But I think when you sell tell people do you 0:09:39.280 --> 0:09:42.400 want something different? For your student, When you tell them 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:45.079 that they can create wealth for themselves and their families, 0:09:45.400 --> 0:09:47.440 I think it tunes to the ear a bit differently, 0:09:47.720 --> 0:09:52.320 especially for our people who are looking for outlets and access. 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:57.520 As such, entrepreneurship is the way to economic mobility. It 0:09:57.559 --> 0:09:59.520 is the way to create for yourself. It is the 0:09:59.520 --> 0:10:02.640 way to bridge community. And so when I have those 0:10:02.679 --> 0:10:05.800 type of conversations with families, they're like, Yeah, I wish 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:08.400 that I had this type of education, So I want 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:11.040 my child to be able to experience this as well. 0:10:11.400 --> 0:10:14.640 What has been the most profound statement a parent has 0:10:14.679 --> 0:10:16.840 made to you about the simple view? 0:10:17.240 --> 0:10:17.959 A simple view? 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:23.000 I think what has been really amazing is the things 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:24.200 that students are learning. 0:10:24.000 --> 0:10:24.840 In the classroom. 0:10:25.280 --> 0:10:27.600 They're telling their families, and then their families are coming 0:10:27.640 --> 0:10:30.480 to ask about how to do that thing. So, for example, 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:32.760 we talked about how to fund your business or how 0:10:32.800 --> 0:10:35.680 to fund your nonprofit, and we talked about grants and 0:10:35.720 --> 0:10:36.800 getting grants. 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:42.200 To help your writers, right, and so we talked about 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:44.280 this and what you need in order to have a 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:44.920 good grant. 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:47.280 Somebody went home and told their family about it, and 0:10:47.320 --> 0:10:49.400 then their mom reached out to me and was like, Okay, 0:10:49.640 --> 0:10:51.840 my daughter came home and told me about grant writing 0:10:51.920 --> 0:10:53.800 and I need I want to start a business and 0:10:53.880 --> 0:10:55.560 so I need some help. 0:10:55.720 --> 0:10:59.080 Now you get me excited. I'm not saying I wasn't excited, 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:02.439 but that grant writing, Yeah, that is like the most 0:11:02.440 --> 0:11:06.760 in demand skill set. Yes, in this country. 0:11:06.800 --> 0:11:09.120 Yes it is because everybody wants a grant, but nobody 0:11:09.240 --> 0:11:13.040 knows how to facilitate the process correctly. 0:11:13.480 --> 0:11:16.160 Do you have a course over that you're teaching for 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:16.640 grant rights. 0:11:16.840 --> 0:11:20.200 So it's embedded into our entrepreneurship program. And so one 0:11:20.360 --> 0:11:22.640 really cool thing about our school is that all of 0:11:22.640 --> 0:11:26.480 our courses intersect in some way. We have an interdisciplinary model. 0:11:26.679 --> 0:11:28.839 So you're not just learning math and math class, you're 0:11:28.840 --> 0:11:32.199 also learning financial literacy and math class. You're learning business 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:36.079 and social studies. And so we hit them in different 0:11:36.160 --> 0:11:40.160 functions through all of their classes. And so in entrepreneurship, 0:11:40.760 --> 0:11:43.480 we were talking about how they're going to build their 0:11:43.520 --> 0:11:46.520 businesses and what they might need, and so that was 0:11:46.559 --> 0:11:49.560 a portion of the curriculum to tell them here are 0:11:49.600 --> 0:11:52.760 the different outlets. We talked about credit as well, and 0:11:52.800 --> 0:11:54.520 how you get a loan from the bank, and how 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:56.400 you have to have a good credit score, and how 0:11:56.440 --> 0:11:58.440 you get a good credit score, because all of those 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:01.600 things matter, and so telling them now because they have 0:12:01.679 --> 0:12:04.600 to start making the choices now. Some of their families 0:12:04.600 --> 0:12:07.480 have already given them cash app cards and things like that, 0:12:07.720 --> 0:12:10.000 and I'm like, okay, but what are you doing with 0:12:10.000 --> 0:12:12.480 that cash ap card? Are you saving your money? Are 0:12:12.520 --> 0:12:15.040 you investing your money? How are you getting more money? 0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:18.120 And so we have those type of conversations with our 0:12:18.240 --> 0:12:21.199 kids because we have to prepare them for what comes 0:12:21.200 --> 0:12:25.360 after twelfth grade, which we hope is that they create 0:12:25.720 --> 0:12:28.800 something for the community in which they're serving that only 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:29.800 betters us. 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:34.600 Right, It's important that you say that very clearly when 0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:36.960 I think about let everybody know what I'm talking to. 0:12:37.559 --> 0:12:43.320 Non diad whah. She's founded the Simple View Academy SPA. 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:48.640 She's a native of Atlanta, Georgia. You know, she wanted 0:12:48.679 --> 0:12:52.640 to change the perspective of education for black and brown kids. 0:12:52.720 --> 0:12:58.120 Yes, sir, And if you see outside publics see you outside, 0:12:58.360 --> 0:13:02.000 you know Sam's or whatever. She's recruiting to. 0:13:03.600 --> 0:13:10.720 Promote an academic training session for entrepreneurship and emotionally charge 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:14.520 your child to be a leader in difficult circumstances. Yep, 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:18.280 that's important. Yes, I think about my life. Everything is 0:13:18.400 --> 0:13:21.760 learned on the job. On the job of learning good 0:13:21.800 --> 0:13:22.160 and bad. 0:13:22.280 --> 0:13:22.679 Correct. 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:24.480 You know what I'm saying. If you can avoid a mistake, 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:25.199 whye experience? 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:25.840 Correct? 0:13:26.440 --> 0:13:27.280 How do you do that? 0:13:28.160 --> 0:13:31.320 A lot of sharing of our lives and the different 0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:35.520 circumstances that we've been through. Majority of my teachers are 0:13:35.679 --> 0:13:39.520 entrepreneurs so that they can talk from experience. So I 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.840 looked for a certain caliber person to lead this type 0:13:42.880 --> 0:13:45.800 of learning for our students. Because while you might be 0:13:45.840 --> 0:13:48.480 a great math teacher, do you know how to help 0:13:48.520 --> 0:13:53.280 a student navigate a budget gap and what to do 0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:56.400 to bridge that. So, for instance, we had our marketplace 0:13:56.440 --> 0:13:57.080 for our students. 0:13:57.120 --> 0:13:59.520 This was the first ever. So some of our students were. 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:03.320 Super prepared because they come from entrepreneurship families, and some 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:07.280 of them don't come from families who practice entrepreneurship, and 0:14:07.280 --> 0:14:09.720 so we had to bridge that gap for them, which 0:14:09.760 --> 0:14:12.320 is like, okay, so if you're going to spend thirty 0:14:12.360 --> 0:14:16.440 dollars to get whatever supplies and you're only selling five 0:14:16.480 --> 0:14:19.080 of these things for five dollars, are you going to 0:14:19.120 --> 0:14:19.960 make back your money? 0:14:20.680 --> 0:14:22.120 No, you're going to be five dollars short. 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:24.360 So are you really going to sell for five dollars 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:25.640 or do you need to sell for ten so you 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:28.240 actually make a profit to actually put back in your business. 0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:30.520 So these are the type of conversations that we're having 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:33.360 the students so that they can see their learning in 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:36.200 real time and really be prepared to take the next 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:37.240 step with their business. 0:14:37.800 --> 0:14:40.200 Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more 0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:43.720 Money Making Conversations Masterclass. I need for you to do 0:14:43.760 --> 0:14:47.160 me a favor right now to follow or subscribe to 0:14:47.280 --> 0:14:50.560 Money Making Conversation. It's free and you can find it 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:55.320 on the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 0:14:55.360 --> 0:14:58.920 get your podcasts. Please do me that favor, follow or 0:14:58.920 --> 0:15:06.120 subscribe money Making Conversations. Welcome back to Money Making Conversation 0:15:06.280 --> 0:15:10.040 master Class, hosted by me Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversation 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:14.160 master Class continues online at Moneymaking Conversations dot com and 0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:18.880 follow money Making Conversations master Class on Facebook, X and Instagram. 0:15:19.000 --> 0:15:21.240 You know, I really appreciate you coming on my show 0:15:21.360 --> 0:15:25.480 because I like to be educated too, and the process 0:15:25.560 --> 0:15:30.440 of doing that you know, like I said, you started idea, 0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:34.760 what inspired you or what mentors had you had on 0:15:34.800 --> 0:15:38.160 the sidelines, Because this is a great idea, but there 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:40.400 has to be a support system. Yes, what was your 0:15:40.440 --> 0:15:41.120 support system? 0:15:41.240 --> 0:15:41.440 Yeah? 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:46.160 So I come from a family of entrepreneurs, I'm truly correct. 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:50.360 And my mom's from New York but Barbados, So. 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:54.120 That's a Rihanna's country, correct. 0:15:55.160 --> 0:15:58.480 And so I was the only true traditional. 0:16:00.200 --> 0:16:02.680 Child in my family, you know, going through primary school, 0:16:02.720 --> 0:16:07.760 secondary college, master's degree, getting the job. My brother engaged 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:11.360 in entrepreneurship very early too as well. So I come 0:16:11.440 --> 0:16:13.520 from a family of entrepreneurs. So I've been able to 0:16:13.560 --> 0:16:17.000 see them go through the ups and downs of their 0:16:17.040 --> 0:16:19.120 business journey along the way. 0:16:19.160 --> 0:16:20.360 Of course, I have. 0:16:21.760 --> 0:16:25.720 Developed relationships with amazing educators who helped me put the 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:28.920 instructional design together because while I have this great idea, 0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:31.920 I do need people to be like, you're not going 0:16:32.000 --> 0:16:34.360 to reach that standard if you do that activity, or 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:37.760 you're gonna have to push students here to bridge their learning. 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:41.880 So the Georgia Charter School Association has been an amazing 0:16:43.040 --> 0:16:46.400 support system. The State Charter School Commission, my authorizers have 0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:52.600 been amazing support systems to helping us understand the legality 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:56.440 of charter school, how to make sure that our money 0:16:56.480 --> 0:16:58.840 goes in the ways that it needs to for our students. 0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:03.360 Family that has been involved along this journey. I tell 0:17:03.400 --> 0:17:05.719 people as soon as they enter our doors or as 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:07.960 soon as they interact with something with the simple view, 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:11.119 they're my cousin because they're a part of our family. 0:17:11.119 --> 0:17:12.280 They're part of our village. 0:17:12.840 --> 0:17:15.840 So we've had many people come along the journey and 0:17:15.880 --> 0:17:18.399 help us out. Some of our key partners right now 0:17:18.440 --> 0:17:21.480 are the one hundred Black Men of North Metro Atlanta 0:17:21.560 --> 0:17:24.800 and Douglasville because our students come from Cobb and Fulton 0:17:24.880 --> 0:17:31.919 County along with Douglasville and Paulding County. Some state institutions 0:17:32.000 --> 0:17:36.160 like Spelling College, Moorhouse Clark, Atlanta, the whole auc Center 0:17:36.200 --> 0:17:37.280 has been really helpful. 0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:38.800 There are so many partners. 0:17:38.840 --> 0:17:42.480 AUBUNTU wouldn't be a part of our core values if 0:17:42.520 --> 0:17:44.119 community wasn't at the center. 0:17:44.960 --> 0:17:48.280 Okay, it's all balls down the money, some of it. 0:17:48.960 --> 0:17:50.840 How do you fund your charter school? 0:17:50.920 --> 0:17:51.480 Good question. 0:17:51.640 --> 0:17:55.320 So every because we are a public school, every student 0:17:55.440 --> 0:17:56.720 we get in allotment for. 0:17:57.280 --> 0:17:58.920 Who enrolls in our school. 0:17:58.960 --> 0:17:59.399 So every. 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:06.680 Nottment, So charter school gets funded thirty three percent less 0:18:06.680 --> 0:18:09.720 than the traditional public school, and so oftentimes you'll see 0:18:09.760 --> 0:18:13.439 charter schools fundraising or going for grants because we have 0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:15.639 to make up the difference in some way, shape or form, 0:18:15.880 --> 0:18:18.680 because we're still held to the same exact standards as 0:18:18.680 --> 0:18:22.240 a traditional public school system. So every student who comes 0:18:22.280 --> 0:18:24.760 in and if they have a need an IEP five 0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:28.840 or four specialized service, we have to meet them because 0:18:28.880 --> 0:18:30.760 it is our duty and is the law to be 0:18:30.840 --> 0:18:34.960 a public school. So every student comes in with an 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:37.040 allotment and we put that in our budget, and then 0:18:37.080 --> 0:18:39.360 we figure out how we make up the difference. 0:18:39.600 --> 0:18:43.560 Through donations, fundraisers and stuff like that. If one wants 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:45.320 to make a donation, where would they go? 0:18:45.480 --> 0:18:48.440 They should visit our website, the simple view academy dot 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:51.679 org and hit our donation button link and put the 0:18:51.680 --> 0:18:52.600 money in our pocket. 0:18:53.760 --> 0:18:59.240 And how is that distributed for food for the kids? 0:18:59.359 --> 0:19:02.399 Close with great questions, academics. 0:19:02.520 --> 0:19:11.080 Yes, so transportation and nutrition are our biggest expenses. Of 0:19:11.080 --> 0:19:15.080 of course teachers are top expense, and so oftentimes the 0:19:15.119 --> 0:19:19.080 money that is donated to us, we make sure that 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:21.679 we have enough to cover our teachers and our educators, 0:19:21.880 --> 0:19:24.159 and then the rest goes for like enrichment. We just 0:19:24.240 --> 0:19:27.360 had a fashion show where we had kids dress up 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:31.240 and go down the hallway and we had them kind 0:19:31.280 --> 0:19:32.280 of strut their stuff. 0:19:32.560 --> 0:19:34.120 We had a field trip. 0:19:34.160 --> 0:19:36.800 But on social media, I'm sure. 0:19:36.560 --> 0:19:41.720 There's videos that the children gotta gotta promote what. 0:19:41.680 --> 0:19:44.879 You doing that you know, that's thank you for pushing 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:45.280 me there. 0:19:45.400 --> 0:19:48.200 Oftentimes I'm so in it with them that I don't 0:19:48.200 --> 0:19:50.440 even look at my phone or take pictures. 0:19:51.240 --> 0:19:54.640 Unique story. Yeah, and I think that social media will 0:19:54.680 --> 0:19:58.959 be very friendly and passionate about your story. Yeah, because 0:19:59.119 --> 0:20:04.080 you know you're rep sending a educational format that's non traditional. Yes, 0:20:04.640 --> 0:20:07.879 but needed, you know, we know, you know, with the 0:20:08.480 --> 0:20:11.840 just with the purpose of AI and social media. Being 0:20:11.880 --> 0:20:13.719 a person like when I grew up, I didn't have that, 0:20:14.240 --> 0:20:16.439 you know, so being able to go out there and 0:20:16.480 --> 0:20:18.680 say I want to be successful by myself. 0:20:19.400 --> 0:20:21.920 I used to pay for that. Pay for a radio commercial, 0:20:21.920 --> 0:20:24.760 pay for a TV commercial. If you're smart, you pay 0:20:24.800 --> 0:20:27.639 for none of that. You can start your YouTube channel, 0:20:27.680 --> 0:20:30.159 you can start your social media. People will pay you 0:20:30.200 --> 0:20:33.600 for your creative being an influencer. So I know one 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:36.800 of my employees. He has over three hundred thousand TikTok followers. 0:20:36.840 --> 0:20:37.119 Wow. 0:20:37.160 --> 0:20:40.639 Okay, And so that's that's a person I've hired that 0:20:40.760 --> 0:20:44.920 has developed that skill set outside of a traditional job 0:20:45.119 --> 0:20:48.040 format that he also works, so he has his own 0:20:49.000 --> 0:20:53.400 outside revenue opportunity or career opportunity he has as an entrepreneur. 0:20:53.800 --> 0:20:56.879 But also he falls under that traditional for they are 0:20:56.960 --> 0:21:00.000 weekend for So that's the that's the that's the people 0:21:00.119 --> 0:21:00.320 we have. 0:21:00.440 --> 0:21:01.080