Are Charter Schools Saving Kids… or Destroying Public Education? What Parents Need to Know 🎓

Are Charter Schools Saving Kids… or Destroying Public Education? What Parents Need to Know 🎓

April 30, 2026 · 1h 3m

About this episode

Shomari James discusses his journey in building a $30 million charter school and the implications for public education.

TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Job Loss Wake Up 01:09 Welcome To The Show 02:36 From Buffalo To DC 04:55 Chocolate City Inspiration 07:09 Bet On Yourself 08:53 Engineering To Education 11:07 Launching A Charter School 11:32 Building Equity Now 12:44 Money And Marriage 14:19 Sponsor Break 15:07 Literacy Vs Wellness 17:47 Teaching Kids Investing 20:57 Training Teachers Too 24:58 Starting A School Process 26:14 Raising 30 Million 29:23 Deal Structure Lessons 29:52 Charter Enrollment Reality 31:12 Lottery Not Cherry Picking 32:44 Award And Financial Curriculum 33:54 Community Stewardship Model 35:15 Autonomy And Charter Debate 39:13 DEI Backlash Funding Fight 41:41 School Day Phones And AI 46:24 Charter Vs Private School 50:56 Scaling Plans And Early Learning 55:49 Invest Fest And Workshop 59:35 Legacy Family And Closing     In this episode of Earn Your Leisure, we sit down with Shomari James to break down his journey from leaving his hometown to building a $30 million charter school and redefining what education can look like. From witnessing Black excellence in DC to making bold moves without fear, Shomari shares the mindset, strategy, and vision it takes to create real impact. He…

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Host: Earn Your Leisure

Guest: Shomari James

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Organizations: Earn Your Leisure, iHeartPodcasts

Places: Buffalo, DC, Chocolate City

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