30 SECONDS: Dennis Blunt

The group 100 Black Men is set to take over Capitol Pre-College Academy for Boys and Girls, one of the chronically poor local schools that state education officials have taken over from East Baton Rouge Parish school officials.

The group will operate the Academy as two charter schools, free from the usual red tape of local public schools. President Dennis Blunt talks about 100 Black Men’s plans when the school opens this month.

What experience does 100 Black Men have in public education?

We have the knowledge of several chapters around the nation that have done very well with charter schools. For example, the Mobile chapter operates an alternative school. There’s an Atlanta chapter, a Memphis chapter. The New York chapter has the Eagle Academy, which has won in a national robotics competition. These are the same types of students we’re dealing with.

Edison Schools, the for-profit school giant, is working closely with you?

Yes, the beauty of what Edison will bring to this is data collection and the ability to give us real-time information. If we see something not being successful in the school, it can be changed right then and there. We also have a program based on the Edison model that will target our ninth-grade population. Fortunately for them, they are going to be in an intense program geared toward making sure that they are at or above grade level by the time they leave the ninth grade.

What is 100’s strategy to improve students’ development?

The entire school will have a business-based economic development model that will inject the notion of entrepreneurship. We’ll take the 100 model and put it on a school campus, which is what we already do through some of our economic development programs.

Any feedback from parents yet?

If we don’t do something significant with their kids, they’re going to tear us a new one. And I’m happy because if folks are that engaged, they’re going to make sure their kids go to school. This seems to be the most significant hurdle at Capitol: Kids are just not showing up.

Why will you succeed where others have failed?

We intend to put into the school the types of human resources and financial resources that have not been present before. We have an engaged group of 60 men ready every morning if need be to go shake folks out of bed in their houses and say, “Get your butt to school.” As someone in the 100 coined it: the relentless pursuit of academic excellence.