Dive Summary:
- Rapper Pitbull wants to make charter schools "cool" and "sexy" as the face of Miami's newest addition, SLAM, or Sports Leadership and Management.
- SLAM's owner, the for-profit Academica, was the subject of scrutiny in several stories in the Miami Herald's 2011 "Cashing in on Kids" series, but the school will be operated by the non-profit Mater Academy.
- The school is located near Marlins Park and set to open Saturday, with students able to pursue front office internships with the MLB team.
From the article:
... When discussing the demise of America's schools, the Miami rapper said recently, "what happens is education is no longer sexy, it’s no longer cool. I want to help put together a curriculum … where it does entertain them and engage them.” Pitbull's role in the school though is fairly vague. The school's management company says the rapper will not be involved in a day to day role but with "coming up with different ways to get people involved.” ...