Not a single 8th grade student at left-wing activist and basketball legend LeBron James’ I Promise School in Ohio has passed the state’s math proficiency exam since 2019, according to a review by the local Akron Beacon Journal.
“Seeing himself in the faces of Akron’s youth, he’s dedicated his time and resources to eliminating many of the barriers most inner-city students and families face. He’s rolled all of his philanthropic efforts into the I Promise School, which he considers one of the greatest achievements of his lifetime,” says the school’s website.
The I Promise School was founded by James as a part of the Akron, Ohio public school system.
The elementary school was intended to help students who had preformed poorly in other schools.
In an attempt to help improve the students’ performance, it has smaller classes and more teachers than typical public schools in the area, and employs the “I Promise Method,” which consists of longer school days, emphasis on STEM curriculum, and a “we are family philosophy.”
Funding from James, whose net worth is estimated by some sources as north of $1 billion, has not been enough to make the school succeed, as test results have shown that students continue to display disastrously poor performances.
In addition to all 8th graders failing math tests for years, only 11 percent of 8th grade students were able to pass Ohio’s English exams.
As a result of the poor performances, the school was designated an Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) School, which requires intervention from the state.
James responded to the poor performance of his students by committing to continue with the project, although he did not indicate that any changes would be made to the method.
“We’re here for the ups and downs, and will continue to wraparound our students and their entire families so they can be successful in school and in life, no matter the challenges and obstacles that come their way,” said James.
