Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy

Dallas, Texas, is officially open for business. Gotta say, I have real mixed emotions about this new school. A school designed to help smart young men achieve their potential sounds like a great idea. Just not too crazy about the fact it's been named for a man who's been unable to achieve his potential as the great American president he was expected to be.

Enrollment is 55% black, 45% hispanic. Top achievers who are required to wear jackets & ties to class. More on the new school...

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DISD’s Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy says “Yes We Can”

With teacher layoffs looming across the state, the Dallas Independent School District is embarking upon a historic moment in the educational history of the city. The Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, an all boy’s school, will open its doors this August for the 2011-2012 school year. The Academy will be located in the heart of Oak Cliff under the leadership of Mr. Nakia Douglas.

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The Academy will be considered a magnet school, but according to Mr. Douglas, the focus will be on college preparation. “We will have very strong components of College Prep there at the campus.” said Douglas. “All of the young men will be exposed to an advanced college prep curriculum and will study Latin in middle school and Mandarin and Spanish in upper school. In their 7th grade year we will double block their math and science, so as 8th graders they will take Algebra 1 and Biology.”

Initially The Academy will serve boys 6th – 9th grades. A grade level will be added each year until students are served through the 12th grade. For Mr. Douglas initially offering Middle School grades makes perfect sense. “Having worked at a middle school myself, those are very influential grade levels. We realize that all young people, whether male or female, go through a lot of physical and emotional changes during the middle school years. This is a perfect time to catch those young men that may have lost their enjoyment of education. “

Being an all boy’s school The Academy will undoubtedly attract some of the city’s best athletes, but Mr. Douglas is confident that a healthy balance will be struck between academics and athletics. “The primary focus on our campus is academics. Yes, we have attracted students who have aspirations athletically, but we will try to help them understand that there is life after their athletic competitions. “ Mr. Douglas went on to say, “We will re-focus those young men on decisions they have to make as students, first and foremost, and help them to realize that they are student-athletes, with all of the emphasis placed on student.”

In order to be considered for acceptance to The Academy, candidates will need to meet specified GPA requirements in their core classes and score in the 40 percentile on their norm reference exams (TAKS, ITBS). After the initial screening potential students will then be given a math and writing assessment. Due to the statewide budget cuts, teacher student ratios may be slightly higher than the 15-1 initially projected. But according to Mr. Douglas the ratios will still be lower than those at traditional public schools.

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Developing young leaders has not been the focus of DISD, especially when speaking of male students. Mr. Douglas is committed to changing that. “With the focus on leadership development we are working very diligently on not only helping our young men become future leaders for our communities, but more importantly our families should experience better siblings, better sons and eventually we hope to have better fathers and husbands for our families. “

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What do you think, folks? How 'Progressive' is a return to segregation by gender & race?

 

Looks like Obama is showing his true colours(pun intended).

 

News video:

Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy

 

This is terrific..

My brothers all went to excellent schools and they too wore coats and ties.

 

Seems funny to hear that from a lefty. Thought you folks were the ones who put no stock in dressing for success?

 

Oh I am very conservative ... I just couldn't vote for McCain and Palin..

And I don't see anyone on the Republican field except Huntsman who has a brain.

 

Well that's kind of a dumb thing to say.

 

What makes you think Barack Obama, the president, has anything at all to do with this school?

 

The private high school I went to and paid for myself by working, starting in the 9th grade, also required us to wear coats and ties.

It was an excellent school academically.

 

Dressing kids in uniforms just doesn't seem very 'progressive' to me. Maybe because I think it's such a good idea, can't believe it's something we agree on!

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I can't think of a good boys school in the past 50 years that didn't wear ties and blazers.

 

Isn't it influenced in part by his 'vision for America'? I'd say it's got his pawprints all over it.

 

Barack Obama Academy, Oakland, CA:

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Too bad there is no such thing as separation of politics & education.

 

How many public boys schools can you think of?

 

Maybe he should join his own school so he can learn to Lead.
Whats next?The Barack Obama School Of Economics??
Maybe its a school where if you fail a class,you can blame it on Bush.

 

Has a Nation Of Islamy feel....

 

Several dozen.. Oilbrats go to private schools... Often boarding schools.

 

Obviously you're not the only one who thinks so... a search for the school brings up this pic:

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and also this one

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Too bad public schools are being used for political tools.

 

You should perhaps reconsider your support for it! It is something "communists" do!

 

I was under the impression gender-specific public schools are a relatively new concept. At least they are here.

 

I actually like dressing up. It's not something I do all the time.

 

It's also something religious schools have always done. Seems the 'communists' stole the idea from the Christians!

 

San Marcos in Texas is co-ed, isn't it?

No.. The all girl's boarding school I attended was 250 years old.

Marymount in Rome. Notre Dame in Rome..

Here's a short list'

Boarding School

Type

Grades*

Location
Army and Navy Academy
All-boys

7-12

Carlsbad, CA
Avon Old Farms School
All-boys

9-12, PG

Avon, CT
Blue Ridge School
All-boys

9-12

St. George, VA
Bridgton Academy
All-boys

12-12, PG

North Bridgton, ME
Camden Military Academy
All-boys

7-12, PG

Camden, SC
Cardigan Mountain School
All-boys

6-9

Canaan, NH
Carson Long Military Academy
All-boys

6-12

New Bloomfield, PA
CFS, The School at Church Farm
All-boys

7-12

Exton, PA
Christ School
All-boys

8-12

Asheville, NC
Eaglebrook School
All-boys

6-9

Deerfield, MA
Fishburne Military School
All-boys

7-12, PG

Waynesboro, VA
Fork Union Military Academy
All-boys

6-12, PG

Fork Union, VA
Georgetown Preparatory School
All-boys

9-12

Bethesda, MD
The Gow School
All-boys

7-12, PG

South Wales, NY
Grand River Academy
All-boys

9-12, PG

Austinburg, OH
The Greenwood School
All-boys

6-12

Putney, VT
Hampshire Country School
All-boys

3-12

Rindge, NH
Hargrave Military Academy
All-boys

7-12, PG

Chatham, VA
Hillside School
All-boys

5-9

Marlborough, MA
The Kiski School
All-boys

9-12, PG

Saltsburg, PA
Linden Hill School
All-boys

4-9

Northfield, MA
Marine Military Academy
All-boys

8-12, PG

Harlingen, TX
McCallie School
All-boys

9-12

Chattanooga, TN
Missouri Military Academy
All-boys

6-12, PG

Mexico, MO
Mount Michael Benedictine School
All-boys

9-12

Elkhorn, NE
The Phelps School
All-boys

7-12, PG

Malvern, PA
Riverside Military Academy
All-boys

7-12

Gainesville, GA
St. Albans School
All-boys

9-12

Washington, D.C., DC
St. Andrew's College
All-boys

6-12

Aurora, ON, Canada
St. Catherine's Academy
All-boys

4-8

Anaheim, CA
St. John's Military School
All-boys

5-12

Salina, KS
St. John's Northwestern Military Academy
All-boys

7-12, PG

Delafield, WI
St. Stanislaus College Preparatory
All-boys

7-12, PG

Bay St. Louis, MS
St. Thomas More School
All-boys

8-12, PG

Oakdale, CT
Salisbury School
All-boys

9-12, PG

Salisbury, CT
South Kent School
All-boys

9-12, PG

South Kent, CT
Subiaco Academy
All-boys

7-12

Subiaco, AR
Trinity Pawling School
All-boys

9-12, PG

Pawling, NY
Valley Forge Military Academy
All-boys

7-12, PG

Wayne, PA
Woodberry Forest School
All-boys

9-12

Woodberry Forest, VA
View only: Religiously-affiliated boys schools or Military boys schools

 

You've named all private schools! We're talking about taxpayer-funded, innercity PUBLIC school! Big difference... thus the controversy.

 

Its a magnet school, right?