Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith decided that since California schools are unsuitable for their two young children they would just lease their own school.
The Smiths announced Monday, May 19, that they paid $889,000 to leases Indian Hills High School in Calabasas, California for three years. Will Smith has stated that,
We started home-schooling our children probably six years ago. We found about eight or nine other parents that home-school, so we put them together… There’s just very powerful educational concepts that we believe in, and we feel like ‘I want to design the system that revolutionizes public education.’
The school will be known as the New Village Academy of Calabasas. A spokesperson for the family issued a statement saying,
Will is leasing the campus for three years, plus he’ll cover all costs such as utilities. The academy will be run privately, and will include prekindergarten through grade six.
With the current budget crisis in California I bet most parents wish they had close to a million dollars to spend on their children’s education. Can you imagine the special treatment his kids are going to get. What teacher would fail the school owner’s child? Is this school even going to have teachers or is it just a place for a bunch of parents to come and home-school their children together?
May 21st, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Wow… must be nice to be their kid!
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I think that it is ridiculous that parents think that they can educate their child better than a teacher. Teachers go through years of schooling and now they are being discredited. Home-school children should only be taught by certified teachers.
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:57 pm
That’s insane I wish I could do that for my kids.
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
His kids are lucky.
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Maybe he can revolutionize the school system for all of us.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:33 pm
So Scientology has their own school system now?
May 23rd, 2008 at 3:43 pm
I want to go to that school, that’s so cool.
May 23rd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Who is going to be the principal? What kind of structure will the school have? This is a crazy idea.
May 25th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I wish I had that kind of money. I would not buy a school I would buy alot of food or some clothes. Would you buy a school for $889,000 ? My answer is NO! I feel so poor because I do not have that kind of money. I wish I had that money. Why are we the ones that have to suffor because we do not have that kind of money. I hope you understand my piont we do not have that kind of money!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 25th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
NO FAIR I WANT THAT KIND OF MONEY.
May 26th, 2008 at 10:46 am
wow!!!! thats great. i wish my parents could do that for me, but unfoutunately they dont even have 1% of thet money. well i dont think its a good idea to lease a school for three years for that kind of money at this time, but if he thinks it is best for his kids, hey man goe for it. i hope he achieve his objectives.
May 26th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
@ talk_a_lot17
How much do you know about the schooling system, and home schooling in particular?
Teachers have a degree…big deal? Teaching, like any other profession, involves someone doing something in order to get their pay check at the end of the week. They have 20, 30, sometimes 40 children in one class and even the most caring teacher is unable to teach all their students to the same extent that homeschooling can provide.
Plus, teachers have to abide by the curriculum that the state or federal government has laid down, which may be false, inaccurate, incomplete or useless information.
I commend the Smiths for choosing to do what they feel is best for their children.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:14 am
The school cirriculum sucks so bad right now, I feel like all the kids do is test after test after test. I feel as if all the enjoyable parts of school have been taken away in order to meet gov. standards. And further more with all the budget cuts the schools have no funding for anything this next school year is going to be interesting.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
@ Smudge
I know a lot about the public school system, given that I am a high school teacher. I do not work only for a paycheck. I teach because I love working with kids and hope to make a difference in someone’s life. I do agree that I cannot reach all 40 students; however, I reach a vast majority of them every year. I also believe that teachers need to be commended for serving the public sector and attempting to reach and teach the 30-40 students that occupy their classroom.
May 27th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
The teachers are not the issue when it comes to homeschooling vs. schooling in the public sector. 90% of the teachers working today are highly qualified. They have to be in order to become a public school teacher. There are tests they have to take, and then extra schooling where they have to prove their abilities in a classroom.
The teachers are not the issue. It’s not their fault they have 40+ students in a classroom. That is the fault of the system and the politicians voters put in power. The problem is lack of resources for the teachers, not lack of ability.
May 28th, 2008 at 8:57 am
hahahaha Nice one john, =o i still can’t believe will smith joined scientology of all things a master race cult. =\ L. Ron Hubbard wrote so much racist stuff, and not only that but there was an interview on TV few years ago the only african american to get high up level in scientology and he talked about how Miscavige their leader of their cult actually referred to him and talked to him using racial slurs.
**ONTOPIC**
Meh hopefully all works out for them, and they don’t turn it into a SeaOrg school or an RPF
May 28th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
This is a shout out to all the teachers out there YOU ROCK!!!! It takes guts and determination to do what you do.
May 28th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I home school and love it, it has been extremely rewarding for me and my family. To each his own.
May 28th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Hey if I had the money I would do the same and have tutors teach my kids.
May 28th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
As long as the kids are getting an education I don’t care how or where they are taught.
May 28th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Home-schooling parents should have to take a refresher course each year on their child’s grade level. Honestly, how many people can remember what they learned in grade school. That is the only way I would ever home-school my child. How smart can a child be if the parent doesn’t even know what they are teaching.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
What an idiot.I think take_me_out was right I would not buy a school eather.
July 1st, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I feel sorry for Wills first son. Jaden got to star with him now gets the kid a school.When will Will make #1 son feel #1 and not like #2?
July 1st, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Love you Will but you and wife need to keep your #1 kids from first marriage feel as important as the others in all pitures Ive seen they dont seem like they do.Ihope your paying close attention to thier education like the little ones.