No one can doubt that Kanye West is a determined and innovative artist. However, many believe that his recent leap into education seems extremely sketchy and they’re trying to figure out what’s really good with Donda Academy.

According to the school’s official website, Kanye West and Donda Academy’s mission is to “provide the youth with the passion, purpose, and spiritual foundations they need to thrive in tomorrow’s world.” However, details surrounding what the kids are learning and who they’re learning from remains unclear due to the vagueness of the school’s website and the fact that West reportedly makes his students’ parents sign nondisclosure agreements (NDAs).

Donda Academy, named after West’s late mother, Professor Donda West, is a private Christian prep institute headquartered in Simi Valley, California. The school officially opened its doors for the 2022-2023 school year on Aug. 31 and houses grades pre-K through 12th grade — although the California Department of Education lists Donda as a K-8 school. The last update was made to the school’s CDE directory page on Sept. 13.

According to Donda Academy’s website, there is a 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio and less than 12 students per class. An estimated 100 students are enrolled in the school, and 16 full-time teachers are on staff. Concerns over the teachers’ qualifications have come into play since West’s school is not accredited.

According to Rolling Stone, there’s no absolute clarity regarding who works or attends the academy. The listed administrators and sports program’s leadership disregarded several inquiries sent by the publication about the school. A delegate for West also ignored various requests for comments, along with parents of children attending the $15,000 per year institution.

As for the school’s accreditation, California requires private schools to register with the Accrediting Commission of Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) annually for record-keeping. However, WASC is not required to approve a private school’s accreditation application, and private schools are not required to be accredited to operate.

Similar standards apply to private schoolteachers. According to the state of California, teachers’ certification is optional, and children can be instructed in private full-time day schools by  any “persons capable of teaching.”

The school’s official LinkedIn page only publicly provides information on three employees and one contractor (consultant Tamar Andrews) working for Donda Academy. Of the employees, one is cafeteria staff, and none of the others seem to have formally worked in education before joining West.

Although there’s limited information regarding Donda Academy’s teaching staff, sporadic details can be found about a few of their administrators. According to the California Department of Education, Brianne Campbell is the principal, executive director and Head of the School. According to Campbell’s LinkedIn page, she serves as Donda Academy’s choice and choir director for West’s Sunday Service.

Per Campbell’s resume, it does not appear that she has a formal background in teaching outside of a company she founded to teach piano, guitar, and singing lessons from her home.

According to Rolling Stone, “The 28-year-old only enrolled in a master’s degree program in education at Pepperdine University in January and should complete it by next August.”

Allison Tidwell, the school’s assistant principal, previously worked as a 2nd and 3rd-grade teacher and instructional coach for Chicago Public Schools before joining Donda Academy. So, there’s someone with an educational background on staff somewhere.

Donda Academy has shared minimal information about what they offer in terms of academics beyond what’s shown on the website, which appears quite unorthodox in comparison to the top private schools in the area that share in detail everything from their classes, programs, staff, and admission process.

According to Kanye West affiliate and longtime friend Malik Yusef, fashion courses, Japanese, restorative-justice instruction, and STEM classes are all offered at Donda.  The only details available on the school’s website are the daily schedule for students, which includes: “full school worship, core classes of language arts, math, and science; lunch and recess; and enrichment courses including World Language, Visual Art, Film, Choir and Parkour.”

What exactly is Parkour?

Also known as freerunning, it is a physical activity where participants attempt to get from point A to point B in the most fluid way possible, without equipment. It’s similar to an obstacle course, probably similar to something out of an action movie, and often involves running, jumping, swinging, climbing and sometimes flipping.

Outside Parkour, West launched the Donda Doves basketball team during the 2021 school year. Eleven high school basketball’s most talented players came together as the inaugural class at Donda and were subsequently featured in Slam Magazine’s March 2022 issue.

As we recently reported earlier this month, West shared photos flamed on social media by people questioning his integrity and why parents would choose to send their kids to this peculiar school.

Many people questioned why the children appeared to be having lunch on folding tables in a warehouse while wearing full Yeezy x GAP uniforms.

“People choose to bring their kids to Donda Academy for a sense of privacy,” Yusef said. “A sense of care, a sense of concern, a sense of love, an environment of health, an environment of wealth, an environment of learning, and putting God as a focus.”

Although sources tell Rolling Stone that families must sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) before their student can attend Donda Academy.

“The process of Donda school is for the parishioners, for the attendees,” Yusef said. “I don’t think Kanye needs to tell the world what he’s doing so that he can be under more scrutiny.

Tamar Andrews, Donda Academy consultant, maintains that the agreement is informal and that more information about the school will come out in due time.

“Honestly, we don’t care if people know about the school,” she told the publication. “The people that want to come to the school are looking for a good Christian school in that area, and they know that we’re there … there is also a certain notoriety that comes with being affiliated with Donda. So, I don’t know that we have to advertise, which is a blessing and a curse.”

Currently, it appears that those enrolled are primarily children of celebrities, collaborators, and creatives that have relationships with West, such as Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown and R&B vocalist Keyshia Cole.

On Aug. 31, Cole even posted a photo of her eldest son, DJ, headed to his first day of school at Donda Academy.

 

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A post shared by KC Cole (@keyshiacole)

West’s children do not attend the secret academy — yet — though he is open to the idea of them following the school at least part-time.

Despite all the questions, Yusef and Andrews believe in Donda Academy and feel it will successfully create the next generation of leaders and well-rounded students.

But how far can a diploma from a non-accredited, hush-hush school get you? Only time will tell.