Dominique Lee, CEO of BRICK Academy, launched his education reform in the state's largest city to address the real problems in the city's schools.
By Paul Brubaker | The Backgrounder
Before Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg gave $100 million to Newark schools, Dominique Lee's education reform had begun.
Dominique Lee Lee, the 30-year-old CEO of BRICK Academy, talks about how his teaching experience at Newark's Malcolm X Shabazz High School drove him to establish a school aimed at meeting the needs of children growing up in poverty.
"The children that were in my classroom, 90 percent of them wanted to learn and were willing to do what it took to get to the next level. But unfortunately those basic fundamental skills they did not receive," said Lee on the latest edition of The Backgrounder Podcast. "What do you do with children who have the energy and the passion and want to try if you tap into their soul and tap into their mind, what do you do when they're reading at a first and second grade reading level?"
Lee also discusses Dale Russakoff's book, The Prize: Who's In Charge of America's Schools, which includes several references to Lee as it examines the politics surrounding Zuckerberg's gift, and he shares his thoughts on Mayor Ras Baraka's "Occupy The Schools" initiative.
Paul Brubaker, former journalist and congressional spokesman, keeps it real with the people who make New Jersey the most fascinating place on Earth. Check back every week for a new episode of 'The Backgrounder.'