Jalen Rose: An Education Entrepreneur

By eliminating the cap on the number of charter public schools that can operate in Michigan, Senate Bill 618, introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair, would greatly expand the ability of education entrepreneurs to form new schools. Jalen Rose, former professional basketball player and Detroit native, is one such education entrepreneur. He recently opened the doors to a brand new charter school: Jalen Rose Leadership Academy.

This new school, located in northwest Detroit, wasted no time in distinguishing itself from other schools in the city. On its first day, 117 of the 120 enrolled students came to school. Compare that to Detroit Public Schools where only 55 percent of students showed up on the first day of classes.

The video below was shot during Jalen Rose Leadership Academy's first day, and tells the story of how this school came to be: