Ben Chavis (educator) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Doctor Ben Chavis
Born	Benford Ben Chavis Robeson County, North Carolina
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Oklahoma City University University of Arizona Northern Arizona University
Occupation	Educator
Years active	1988- present
Organization	San Francisco State University American Indian Public Charter School
Known for	American Indian Model Schools

Benford Chavis is an American educator. He is well-known for leading the American Indian Public Charter School (AIPCS) in Oakland, California. He also helped expand it into the American Indian Model Schools system from 2001 to 2012. Dr. Chavis is a national leader in improving education. He believes in strong discipline and making students responsible for their learning.

He grew up in Robeson County, North Carolina. He earned a special degree called a doctorate in education from the University of Arizona. Before working in Oakland, he was a professor at San Francisco State University in 1988. He also served as the superintendent of schools at the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona.

In 2000, Dr. Chavis became the principal of AIPCS. At that time, it was one of the toughest middle schools in Oakland. It had very low attendance and graduation rates. Under Dr. Chavis's leadership, the school improved a lot. In 2006, it was named one of the top 250 schools in the United States. By 2010, it was ranked number one among all middle schools in California for academic performance. While the school saw amazing progress, some people had questions about his strict methods. Later, some concerns were raised about school funds. However, after a long review that lasted seven years, all questions about how the money was handled were cleared in 2019.

Dr. Chavis was featured in a movie called Flunked (2008). He also helped write a book, Crazy Like a Fox: One Principal's Triumph in the Inner City (2009).

Early Life and Education

Benford Chavis was born in a Lumbee Indian family in Robeson County, North Carolina. He was the oldest of six children. Everyone called him "Ben," a nickname he has used his whole life. His father passed away when Ben was young. His mother later remarried.

Even though his parents did not have much school education, Ben learned important lessons. He said his stepfather taught him to be disciplined, to work hard, and to be responsible. These ideas later became very important in his work as an educator.

Ben went to local public schools that were separated by race at the time. He was very interested in sports. He received a scholarship to play track at Oklahoma City University. After two years, he got an academic scholarship from the University of Arizona. He transferred there and decided to study education. He thought it would be an easy field.

Ben graduated with a bachelor's degree in education. He worked part-time as a school janitor to help pay for his studies. He continued his education by taking night classes at Northern Arizona University for his master's degree. Later, he earned a doctorate in education from the University of Arizona. He focused on philosophy and anthropology during his studies.

Career in Education

In 1988, Dr. Chavis became a professor at San Francisco State University. He worked in the ethnic studies department. By 2000, he was working as a superintendent of schools. This was at the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona.

That same year, people from Oakland's Native American community asked him to become the principal. They wanted him to lead the struggling American Indian Public Charter School in Oakland. He started this new role in 2001. By 2005, he had greatly improved the test scores of the middle school students. More students also started enrolling at the school.

Dr. Chavis's methods were very direct. Some parents and teachers found his approach strict. However, many people, including famous writers like George Will, praised him. They saw his work as a great example of how to improve schools.

In 2007, Dr. Chavis worked with the school's board to meet the demand for more classes. They added another middle school, AIPCS II, and a high school, AIPHS. These new schools became part of a system called the American Indian Model Schools (AIMS).

Dr. Chavis stepped down as the main head of the schools in 2007. However, the board asked him to stay on as an advisor. He remained active in the schools' plans. In 2012, a K-4 elementary school was added to AIPCS II. Over these years, the AIMS system saw more and more students from African American, Asian, and Latino backgrounds. American Indian students became a smaller percentage of the student body. Dr. Chavis officially left all his roles in January 2012. By the 2012 school year, about 90 percent of the AIMS students were of Asian descent. Some people believed the high scores of the schools were partly due to the students' strong focus on performance.

Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called Dr. Chavis's results an “education miracle.”

Featured in Media

Dr. Chavis was one of the educators shown in the documentary film Flunked (2008). This movie, directed by Corey Burres, looked at problems in public schools in the United States. It also showed efforts to make education better. Dr. Chavis has also appeared several times on television programs hosted by John Stossel. He was often discussed in Stossel's newspaper columns as well.

Books Authored

• Blakely, Carey., Chavis, Ben. Crazy Like a Fox: One Principal's Triumph in the Inner City. United States: Penguin Publishing Group, 2010. ISBN: 9781101532492