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Discover "The Truth About Role Models in Hip-Hop 🎤" on Sway In The Morning, where Principal Akbar Cook shares powerful insights on the influence of artists like J. Cole, the role of hip-hop in shaping youth, and the importance of accountability in music and society. This exclusive interview dives into Cook's groundbreaking initiatives at Westside High School, including financial literacy programs, cosmetology training, and innovative uses of AI in education. Learn how hip-hop and education can drive social change, inspire community growth, and impact the next generation. Don’t miss this thought-provoking conversation—subscribe now for more exclusive content from Sway’s Universe!
#impactoflyrics #jaycoleinfluence #jaycoleanalysis #hiphoprolemodels #educationinhip-hop
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Principal Akbar Cook on J. Cole’s Influence on Students
02:28 - Artists and Role Models: The Responsibility Debate
06:15 - Coach T from Newark High School Shares Experience with Principal Cook
13:39 - Mike Muse Discusses AI Innovations
14:57 - Implementing AI in Education: Classroom Strategies
16:53 - Final Thoughts on Education and Influence
17:37 - How AI Can Support Teachers and Parents
19:10 - Last Call: Insights and Reflections
21:37 - Final Thoughts: Wrapping Up the Discussion
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Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Man, that voice right there. This man
0:01
cares. [applause]
0:03
>> This man cares.
0:04
>> He's an educator. He's a principal. He's
0:07
a guidance counselor. The
0:09
>> best.
0:09
>> Come on, man. This man is a pillar in
0:11
the community. Uh when you talk about
0:13
Westside High School in NEW YORK PUBLIC
0:16
SCHOOL SYSTEM, [screaming]
0:18
>> you know, this dude has graduated a
0:20
bachelor's in education, a master's in
0:22
administration and supervision. But I
0:25
think where he gets his most credentials
0:27
is hands-on. Yeah. He's there in person.
0:29
He's there with his students. He care
0:31
about his students like they're his
0:33
kids. I've witnessed this myself. I've
0:36
been to his high school, Westside High.
0:38
>> We're honorary Rough Riders.
0:40
>> I'm an honorary Ruff Rider. I got a
0:42
varsity jacket. Come on, man. I'm a
0:45
Westside [screaming]
0:46
HIGH ALUMNI.
0:48
>> COME ON, MAN. Please welcome him back to
0:50
the show. The one and only principal
0:53
Akbar Cook IS HERE.
0:56
GOOD TO BE BACK.
0:58
>> Good to be back.
0:59
>> First time this year, man. What's the
1:01
word,
1:02
>> man? I'm just happy to be out here. The
1:03
weather is beautiful. Shout out to HB.
1:06
She always checking in on me. Make sure
1:07
I'm good. I see you, Mike Muse. I see
1:09
you, Tracy G. [laughter]
1:10
>> What's up?
1:11
>> So good to see you.
1:13
>> I want to talk about why you here, but
1:14
before I do, we were listening to the
1:16
brand new Jay Cole song. This two,
1:19
>> track two. Yep. This two. Track two.
1:21
>> Two.
1:23
as an educator who utilizes as much as
1:27
the environment as you can to educate
1:30
your students. JCole as an artist, what
1:34
kind of asset is he for you as an
1:37
educator uh when it comes to his body of
1:40
work, his lyrics, his messaging, so on
1:43
and so forth.
1:45
>> So JCole speaks to my soul because he
1:47
came to us and he wasn't talking about
1:49
the drug deal and the this that and the
1:50
third. He actually went to St. John's.
1:52
He did it the right way out of Fyville,
1:54
North Carolina. Stayed outside, tried to
1:56
get the demo to Jay. So, it was like
1:58
that's what we thought you had to be in
1:59
hip-hop if you wasn't a gangster
2:01
outside. So, now the way he raps and
2:04
how, you know, he took us back to like
2:06
Nasa's song Rewind and he did that whole
2:08
song backwards. I mean, just think of
2:10
like how eloquently he had to sit there
2:12
and write that and orchestrate all of
2:14
this ELA, which I, you know, we teach at
2:16
the schools, but to I'm talking about to
2:18
count the bars. It was just like a
2:20
master class on doing stuff across the
2:22
curriculum. So, shout out to JCole, man.
2:24
We so happy, man. 2626, man. We can't
2:26
wait.
2:27
>> Are we still in that era in your
2:29
opinion, someone who works around youth
2:32
every single day and you see what
2:34
influences them? Uh, you see what drives
2:36
them, you see where they get their takes
2:38
from. Are we in an era still where
2:41
artists can afford to say, "I'm not a
2:44
role model. Um, my lyrics don't matter."
2:47
Mhm.
2:48
>> Um what I say and do is no influence on
2:52
on my audience. You know, that's that's
2:55
been a narrative throughout the years
2:56
when folks don't necessarily, in my
2:58
opinion, want to take accountability for
3:00
what they put out in the world. Are we
3:03
still in a place where we can afford to
3:05
hear that from an artist?
3:07
>> No. Sway. I'm I'm uh
3:09
>> I'm glad you brought it up because we
3:11
started a program, shout out to my son,
3:14
>> um called From Drill to Hill cuz all the
3:16
kids just hears this drill music. So,
3:17
they want to go out there and spin the
3:18
block and create all this may the mayhem
3:20
and havoc in their area and we got to
3:23
find a better way for them to be
3:24
articulate. I mean, to be articulate and
3:26
to express their, you know, emotions on
3:28
music. So, shout out to all of the
3:30
folks, you know, that come through
3:31
Westside and help us with that. persuade
3:33
them. The folks that's out there, you
3:34
know, putting that negativity in the
3:36
air, our kids are still listening. I'm
3:38
talking about it's bad. Like literally,
3:40
they wearing the poo shies every day, no
3:42
matter if it's hot. So, they're still
3:44
directly influenced by what the music
3:45
is. So, that that's bull that say you're
3:47
not a role model.
3:48
>> But if I'm an artist who's
3:51
um emotionally inept, I haven't done any
3:54
personal work on myself,
3:57
>> I might say that's not my responsibility
3:59
to raise your kid. What do you say to
4:02
that?
4:03
>> I mean, Sway, they they sort of right
4:05
and we all know like, you know, when my
4:06
sons were growing up, you know, they're
4:08
18, you know, and 16 right now, you
4:10
know, we watching Dora Explore. Now,
4:12
they just giving parents are just giving
4:13
kids the phone or giving them a tablet
4:15
and it's letting YouTube and them raise
4:17
them. So, I'm with the artists on on to
4:20
be, you know, to be the devil's
4:21
advocate. Parents are letting YouTube
4:23
and, you know, internet raise their
4:25
kids. So, I can go with them. I'm young.
4:26
I'm trying to raise some money. So, it's
4:28
it's both sides of the coin sway. But
4:30
you have to still be responsible. Like
4:32
we was talking off air about the power
4:34
that some of us have. If you know you
4:36
have this much power to lead a
4:37
generation, why are you using it for
4:39
that? You know, so I I I get both sides
4:41
of the coin,
4:42
>> but the kids are still listening this
4:44
way. And parents do. We do got to be
4:45
better. Like stop letting social media
4:47
raise our kids.
4:48
>> Principal Akbar Cook is here. Man, I'mma
4:50
ask you one more question and uh I'll
4:52
let the team jump in because I'm
4:54
thinking about Newark and Heather
4:56
brought this up before. Uh, Newark has a
4:58
huge population of immigrants, right?
5:01
And right now, what's going on with ICE,
5:04
I'm sure, you know, it's affected a lot
5:06
of people's attendance to school and
5:08
some of these younger, some of the youth
5:10
probably don't even know how to handle
5:12
what's going on. I would probably go to
5:14
campus in fear um based on what I'm
5:17
seeing on TV and you seeing ICE showing
5:19
up in a lot of different places. How do
5:21
you address the fears with students? Are
5:23
you hearing anything? So when it when it
5:25
first happened, Sway, you know, we
5:27
initially were scared and then we spoke
5:28
to legal, we spoke to, you know,
5:30
superintendent uh my superintendent
5:32
Roger Leon and he assured us if you look
5:34
around, I don't think a high school kid
5:35
or elementary school kid has been pulled
5:37
into ICE. That's one thing. And Trump is
5:39
ready for a lot of stuff. He has not
5:40
messed with the kids yet. So we've been
5:42
safeway. But I will say I'll be at the
5:44
door not letting anybody in because I am
5:46
the parent when the other parents are
5:47
not there. So I won't let anybody into
5:48
my house. But we have been, you know,
5:51
blessed that no, they haven't tapped
5:52
ICE. So what we heard of so far, they
5:54
haven't touched any of our youth right
5:56
now. So I I don't think that's that's a
5:58
headache that nobody wants. You know,
6:00
you taking the kid from home, we won't
6:01
know where they at, this that and the
6:02
third. So it's we haven't been there. So
6:04
way we're good on that on that front. So
6:06
we're good on that front. Yes. Yes. And
6:07
we have a lot of immigrants. Shout out
6:08
to West Africa. I got a lot of kids from
6:10
West Africa at the school and uh you
6:12
know my Latinx community, but we're
6:13
good. We good in New York right now.
6:15
>> Okay. Principal Akbar Cook is here.
6:16
Coach T from Newark is on the line right
6:18
now. Coach T, what up? Coach T.
6:21
>> Coach T, what up? Coach T.
6:23
>> Yo yo yo my family. Y'all can hear me.
6:25
How's everybody man?
6:27
>> Feeling good. We
6:28
>> Yo, Coach T.
6:30
>> Sing a song, coach. Sing a song, coach.
6:33
>> Focus on the love. That's what we do.
6:38
>> Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
6:40
>> Hey. Hey. We're here. First of all,
6:42
shout out to all of y'all. I'm here at
6:44
the class. Everybody say, "What up,
6:45
Coco?"
6:47
>> Hey, listen. Hey, your babies are here.
6:51
Hey, I had so much. But first of all,
6:53
I'm not gonna take up too much time. We
6:54
here these real life experiences. And
6:57
then, you know, I just happen to be on.
6:58
I listen y'all every day. And I said,
7:00
"Listen, man. Hold on. I got to call my
7:01
brother. I knew he was out there. Sway,
7:04
Heather, Tracy, everybody. Choice. Thank
7:06
you." From that day when we were there.
7:08
Uh, you you you called it Sway. You
7:10
said, "Yo, you coming back?" And we got
7:12
together with my brother. And I just got
7:13
to say, everything you hear from this
7:15
guy, it's not an act. You know, United
7:17
States, it's not an act. This is what
7:18
this brother does. He's outside every
7:20
day. He's humble. He don't want to hear
7:22
it. He's there when the fight is going
7:23
on. He's there when the food needs to be
7:25
handed out. He's there when the tears is
7:27
here. So, why else would I not be here?
7:29
But we have the music is jumping.
7:31
Swayed, Heather, the class is going just
7:34
lovely. We have my son coming in, Rod
7:37
Digger helping Jerry Wonder. So, I bless
7:39
I just thank you all. And we going to be
7:41
back up there to show you some of this
7:43
great work that these kids are doing,
7:44
man. We love y'all.
7:45
>> Beautiful.
7:46
>> Oh, wow man.
7:47
>> Beautiful.
7:47
>> Thank you, Coach T. What up to the
7:49
class? What's up students? How y'all
7:50
doing? [screaming]
7:56
[laughter]
7:59
>> Cuz cuz cuz if if you if you guys just
8:01
remember, you know, three years ago, I
8:03
mean, this is God's plan. I mean, Cook
8:06
and I always used to talk and we always
8:07
I mean, this is real. This isn't a
8:09
worker co-orker relationship. That's my
8:11
brother. So, he said, "Yo, T, you need
8:12
to be where I'm at." and and and without
8:14
doubt when I came up here from day one,
8:16
I would not trade it for the world.
8:18
Because I said it before, I said it
8:20
before, Heather, it's about exposure.
8:21
Our babies need to see it. And even
8:23
though we not there in the physical, why
8:25
else? When I heard you say, I said,
8:26
"Listen, y'all change the game plan.
8:28
It's not about what's written on paper.
8:30
It's about these life experiences." So,
8:31
where else would you hear your coach
8:33
sitting with one of the most iconic
8:35
people in the in in the world as far as
8:37
what they've done, and it's not about
8:39
the fame and and the music. It's about
8:41
they really care. So, I ain't going to
8:42
get too emotional, man. This is And I'm
8:44
ready. So, I would sing all day, but I
8:46
don't want [laughter]
8:48
>> All right.
8:50
Yo, I just
8:52
>> Yeah. I'm sorry, Sway. What's up?
8:53
>> No, no, no, no. See, we love your
8:55
passion, man. And and to the students,
8:58
uh, we wishing you guys the best. You
9:00
are truly the future. Anything that you
9:02
set your mind to, you can accomplish.
9:05
And if you look at, you know, Principal
9:07
Akbar Cook, he's been on platforms from
9:09
everybody from Oprah to Ellen and now
9:12
Sway in the morning. So he he's an
9:14
example of putting your mind to it, man.
9:16
Hey, we love y'all. Westside High, we
9:18
got to get back there.
9:20
>> Can we come back?
9:21
>> Please, the door is open. We love you.
9:24
And before I go, man, please. I don't
9:26
want to take away from the shine of my
9:27
brother, but Heather and and and Sway,
9:30
y'all were talking. I was listening. Y
9:31
talking about caretakers and and the
9:33
feeling like uh I could tell you later I
9:35
lost mom a little while ago and it's all
9:36
right but but just the yo yo I'm trying
9:40
to say this about crime but Heather
9:42
thank you man like I know what it is we
9:45
had to take care of people and then
9:46
anybody that lost loved ones man not
9:48
just me but this is what God put us here
9:50
to do and and mom is smiling down
9:52
praying and and that guy cook me every
9:55
day that guy Cook called me every day
9:58
sway just to say my my dude you all man
10:01
like like hand your business. So I love
10:03
y'all. We love y'all and we going to be
10:06
>> Thank you, man. That focus on the love
10:08
coming up.
10:09
>> Oh, you a citizen, brother. You citizen,
10:11
man. You a citizen in the morning.
10:13
>> Hey, everybody in the class. Everybody
10:16
in the classroom. Y'ALL CITIZENS IN THE
10:18
MORNING.
10:22
>> Love you, too.
10:23
>> Wow.
10:24
>> Wow. You got
10:25
>> That was unexpected.
10:26
>> Yeah, man. And that's they right back
10:28
and they listening to you live on the
10:29
radio.
10:30
>> But that just lends to the conversation
10:32
we were having prior to going live on
10:34
air. We were talking about like power
10:36
and and what is that? You know, really
10:38
no one has power. You don't you don't
10:40
have power. You have gifts and you have
10:42
talents and you have to be responsible
10:44
with what you have. And I said to Cook,
10:47
you know, you can't make the sunrise
10:48
tomorrow. You you can't make grass grow.
10:51
You can't do any of that. But the gifts
10:53
and the talents that you've been blessed
10:54
with from the man above and who lives in
10:57
you, you have done so much to so for so
11:00
many cook like it's really hard to wrap
11:04
even my head around it. I remember
11:06
seeing you talking about some lights on
11:08
program and I was like this person is in
11:10
my backyard. How come I don't know him?
11:13
He's in New York. I'm I'm from Jersey
11:15
City. I need to reach out to him. And
11:18
who you are with your gifts, your I'
11:20
I've watched you around those students.
11:22
Like Sway said, it's a real thing. And
11:25
every year, Westside High School is
11:27
adding more onto the curriculum. Um,
11:29
from the last time we spoke, I know you
11:31
had the washer and dryers in there. I
11:32
know you had a p food full pantry. Any
11:35
other things happened since we last
11:37
visited?
11:37
>> Yes. So, we uh we opened up our uh our
11:40
own salon. So, we have cosmetology at
11:42
our school. My goodness. So, if I'm the
11:44
school Yes. And you Tracy, I'm telling
11:46
you, you can come get your feet done. It
11:47
look like Rodeo Drive. I know we out
11:48
here [laughter] in sway part of town,
11:50
>> but you can come to North Brick City.
11:52
>> I know that area. [laughter]
11:53
>> So, but we but we have it.
11:55
>> Yes. But they do the nails, they do the
11:58
uh the feet, you know, the hair, we got
12:00
the barbers. So, what I'm most excited
12:02
about is we graduating kids with
12:04
associates degree. So, I'm graduating
12:05
19, but eight of them are going to have
12:08
their cosmetology license. So, just
12:10
think about how extraordinary that baby
12:11
is. They got associates degree and they
12:13
cosmetology license. So we opened up.
12:16
Yes. And we we about to get into
12:17
products, man. We I mean we not going to
12:18
be on 50 stage, but we going to get into
12:20
some products and start figuring out how
12:22
to monetize that. We did Westside
12:23
vending, so we got our own vending
12:25
machine sway. Cuz think about it like
12:26
our kids. We asking kids to pay for prom
12:28
dues and things of that nature. How
12:29
about we give them a vending machine,
12:31
show them how to work it, and they get
12:32
all of the proceeds from that. So shout
12:34
out to my babies with Westside Vending.
12:36
Genius.
12:36
>> Yes, we still got that.
12:38
>> Wow. And then uh talk about the music.
12:41
Hip-hop loves me. You guys, ever since I
12:43
met Heather, hip-hop has just embraced
12:45
us. Like I I was walking down the hall
12:47
on a Saturday morning and I walk by and
12:49
Melly Mel's in my studio and I'm just
12:52
like and Rod Digger brung him. Then I'm
12:54
there the other day and Tre is with his
12:55
wife and they're doing interviews for
12:57
the kids. You know, Reggie Redman is
12:59
alumni. He call me Pete Cook. So, so
13:01
Reggie is there. So, it's just like
13:03
Roxan Shante came to my school to have
13:06
my seamstress do two dresses for her to
13:08
be on the hip-hop royalty on red carpet.
13:10
It's like what did have I done to let
13:13
hiphop and love me and Westside like
13:15
this? It's just amazing, man.
13:16
>> You used your gifts and your talents the
13:18
right way. That's what you didn't abuse
13:20
it. And and that's what I mean. Look how
13:23
much you can do. So many people like
13:25
anytime I ever picked up the phone and
13:27
mentioned your name, do it all. Reggie,
13:30
any everybody's like, "Cook is my guy.
13:32
What do you need? Cook is what do you
13:34
need?" So, kudos to you, Cook, um, for
13:36
everything that you're doing and using
13:37
your gifts and talents the right way.
13:39
>> Yes, ma'am. Mike Muse, we did a lot of
13:41
Ask Mike today and one of the prominent
13:44
conversations and topics was AI and the
13:47
use of AI in the classroom. And I'm
13:49
curious with principal Akbar Cook here,
13:53
what kind of dialogue you two could have
13:55
about AI being used as an asset in
13:58
education. You want to jump in?
14:01
>> Yeah, Cook, I'm such a fan of yours. I I
14:03
just love how you think. I love how you
14:05
prepare your students and I in
14:06
particular love how you love on your
14:08
students and I just think that is so
14:09
important that when your students walk
14:11
in the door, they feel loved and I think
14:13
a lot of our students don't feel that
14:14
when they walk in the door. So salute to
14:16
you and all the work that you do with
14:18
that.
14:19
>> I just have a question about, you know,
14:21
what are your initial thoughts on AI? I
14:23
know that's a broad question, but I
14:25
guess you can respond to I'm of the
14:26
belief that AI is a tool for good. Um,
14:30
and I'm I'm a big believer that AI is a
14:32
tool for good in the classroom. And I
14:34
think that AI is a tool for good when
14:36
it's used as a productivity tool and not
14:38
as a replacement for thinking. Um, and
14:40
I'm also too a believer that AI is a
14:42
good tool for equitability in order to
14:44
help students learn when they don't have
14:46
the resources for private tutoring. And
14:47
so I'm just curious to know your
14:48
thoughts on that line of thinking um and
14:51
how you guys are thinking about
14:53
implementing um AI within your school.
14:56
>> So in my school district, thank you for
14:58
the mic. Mike is like the smartest human
15:00
being. I had an interview with Mike and
15:01
he was I'm like I'm not even smart
15:03
enough to answer [laughter] some of Mike
15:04
questions, man. So shout out to Mike
15:06
Muse.
15:07
>> That's true. That's true. [laughter]
15:09
hilarious and so but uh my district say
15:12
that we are leading the AI charge right
15:15
so that's one thing but Mike I am pro AI
15:18
and you know it's long time ago folks
15:20
wasn't with calculators but AI we have
15:22
to let the kids use it ethically and
15:24
what I mean by that is is right now I
15:27
can say I need uh I need a short bio on
15:30
Sway Callaway Heather Beer do the same
15:32
thing and chat GPT and you got to do you
15:34
got to pay a little bit of money to get
15:35
the better version of chat GPT but we
15:38
are teaching kids how to be prompt
15:39
engineers. It's all about how you prompt
15:41
it and to get the specific things on and
15:43
to make it yours and then do all the
15:44
citing. So make sure you're not
15:46
plagiarizing. So when you do that, my
15:49
essay or short bio on sway is going to
15:51
be different than Heather Bees. Right
15:52
now kids are just using hey chat GBT
15:54
write a story on this that and the third
15:56
and that's when the plagiarism comes in.
15:58
So we have to show the students how to
16:00
be prompt engineers and go with the
16:01
specific questions and then ask it. to
16:03
make chat GBT do the research, but you
16:05
also still going in and putting your
16:07
your words in there and and just
16:09
changing the sophistication of it. We
16:11
have to teach them how to do that. AI is
16:13
here is not going anywhere. As a
16:15
principle, now HB when I go into a
16:18
class, gone of the days where I'm just
16:19
like a stenographer. I'm just writing
16:21
down every word. I go in there with my
16:23
voice memo. I put it down. It's taping
16:24
the whole conversation. I put it in to
16:26
AI. AI going to transcribe it. Then I I
16:29
put in my rubric for what should be
16:31
going in the classroom. I tell them what
16:33
specific feedback I want to give the
16:34
teacher and what is going to be the
16:36
corrected action plan. It will spit that
16:37
thing out. Bam, I'm done. Stuff that
16:39
took me two hours, three hours to do.
16:42
The fact that I'm using it the right
16:43
way, I can do this and I can give the
16:45
teachers their necessary feedback. So,
16:47
think about if we use that tool to show
16:49
babies how to navigate education, the
16:51
sky's the limit. We just got to stop
16:53
being scared of it. Mike Cook, we talked
16:54
about that this morning and and in
16:56
particular, I talked about helping with
16:57
the lesson plans to free you up to do
17:00
things that you are tasked to do, you
17:02
know, as principles. Can you lean in and
17:05
final questions way can you lean a
17:06
little bit to how I guess a two-part
17:08
question, how AI could advantage
17:10
teachers and particular teachers who
17:12
have possibly overcrowded classrooms to
17:15
help individualize instructions. And
17:17
then how would you like parents? I
17:19
believe we always leave parents out of
17:21
this conversations and I believe that
17:22
we're not holding parents responsible
17:24
and I think parents have got to step up
17:26
and be accountable in parenting in this
17:28
digital age that we're in. And so first
17:30
part, how can teachers use it to be
17:32
equitable? Second part, how can parents
17:34
use it to engage to support their
17:35
children?
17:37
>> So, wow. I told you I'm Mike the
17:39
smartest man on the planet, right? But
17:41
so, so, so, so Mike, first and foremost,
17:43
so first and foremost, what you said
17:45
with the teachers, like we we want
17:46
teachers do intellectual prep. I can be
17:48
the best teacher but if I'm not planning
17:50
so we talking about higher level
17:51
thinking questions you can almost say
17:53
all right this is what I'm trying to get
17:55
to you can put that in say chat GPT and
17:57
they'll already give you the higher
17:58
thinking questions and then what we want
18:00
to do in classes want to differentate
18:01
instruction the way Sway learns and the
18:03
way the B learns are two different
18:04
things so now I'm asking them for for
18:07
differentiated instruction and then
18:09
teachers are supposed to address
18:10
misconceptions meaning I got to know
18:12
that Sway may put a times table when he
18:14
should be doing two plus signs so you
18:17
get I figure out what from from you know
18:19
from uh studies and you know what other
18:20
people done messed up now I'm addressing
18:22
misconceptions all of this right there
18:24
Mike is now making it individual
18:26
learning plans for each student and you
18:29
have okay if they go this route I have
18:31
it for them so so yes I I'm all with AI
18:34
and your lesson plans and your
18:35
intellectual prep and addressing
18:37
misconceptions as far as parents it's
18:39
it's some stuff my sons and I'm a
18:41
principal come home and I don't know
18:42
what they doing so now we can show
18:44
parents how to say use AI to check their
18:48
students work, maybe even to look and
18:49
see if they cited the right thing. Like
18:51
it's it's things that you can just put
18:52
like uh I can I can I can copy and paste
18:55
my son's whole essay and I can put it
18:57
into this thing and they say, "No, he
18:58
plagiarized this. He might need to do
18:59
this." So we can show parents how to how
19:01
to follow their students. So now they
19:03
got another eye on it. So again, man,
19:06
this is here and we it's not going
19:07
anywhere.
19:08
>> Principal Abar Cook, man, get this man a
19:10
round of applause. Akquila out of
19:12
Alabama, I'm going to let you uh take
19:13
the last question. Go ahead, Akila.
19:15
What's up, Akila?
19:16
>> Yes. Yes. Yes. Hey, how are y'all
19:19
>> feeling?
19:19
>> Excellent. Welcome to the show.
19:21
>> Good. So, thank you so much. And this is
19:24
Aiden's mom, by the way, too. But I
19:26
wanted to I want to speak to uh
19:28
Principal Aquar and just say a couple
19:31
one thing. It won't be long. It won't be
19:32
long. Um I got the opportunity to meet
19:35
you at uh a conference we went to in
19:38
Maryland a couple years ago. And the
19:41
thing is, I had been listening to Sway
19:43
in the morning since about 2020. And so
19:46
when I saw you in the program, I'm like,
19:48
"That's the dude. That's the dude from
19:49
the show." So I made sure that I went to
19:52
that conference, that session. You got
19:54
up there and you did your presentation.
19:57
And I was like, "Well, maybe it's not
19:58
him." But when I saw the presentation
20:00
with the washers and dryers, I was like,
20:02
"That's him. That's him." So of course,
20:04
I was laser focused. And you did so
20:08
great. But you were you said at one time
20:09
that you were nervous and I'm thinking
20:10
how is he nervous? This is excellent. Um
20:14
so let me just say this. I feel like I
20:16
was supposed to get through today
20:18
because since then I purposefully
20:22
decided to teach at an alternative
20:23
school because I love kids like me. I
20:26
love kids who came up like me. Um and so
20:28
I've done that. But today I will go and
20:31
sit for my certification exam to for the
20:33
instructional leadership. I just
20:35
finished my degree um for that part. Uh
20:38
and I'll take the the certification test
20:40
today at noon. So I feel like I was
20:42
interviewing you today.
20:44
>> What can what kind of advice can you
20:46
give her u Mr. uh Akbar Cook
20:49
>> I would say in the in the piece shout
20:51
out to torch in the piece that they
20:52
played at the beginning. I said you got
20:53
to be vulnerable. Kids are tired of
20:55
people letting them down and lying to
20:57
them.
20:57
>> Just tell them what's going on with you.
20:58
They feel that more than you just
21:00
talking about everyday you know teacher
21:02
stuff. So be vulnerable, love on them,
21:05
ex and don't don't expect the worst.
21:07
They got a, you know, a growl on their
21:10
face or they frown or things like that.
21:12
Just find out. Just just ask questions.
21:14
I believe the best teachers are have the
21:16
best relationship with students. So have
21:17
those relationships and and go see them.
21:19
If they doing a debate contest, they
21:21
doing basketball, they doing football,
21:23
go see them. That that goes a lot. And
21:24
they don't get that support from home.
21:26
So I'm just say just be that person and
21:27
I think you're going to get to that
21:29
baby.
21:29
>> Akila, congratulations. Let us know the
21:31
results. We appreciate your call. You're
21:33
a super citizen.
21:34
>> Uh Sway, in the morning, baby. Good
21:36
luck.
21:37
>> Um um Principal Cook, I want to thank
21:39
you for coming by. Anything you want to
21:40
say in closing?
21:41
>> I just financial literacy sway like we
21:44
got to get these kids into the stocks.
21:45
You know, that was one of the big things
21:46
I was coming up here to talk about. I'm
21:48
going just be short. Uh we trying to we
21:50
working with Bishop Bryson and Simple
21:52
Trader Pro and we work with my guy
21:53
Santino Wise Money. And instead of
21:55
having a PD for my teacher at the
21:56
beginning of year talking about this,
21:57
that third, I gave him a financial
21:59
lesson on how to uh do stocks and
22:01
invest.
22:01
>> Okay. So now we going to do something
22:03
like when before the bell rings at 9:30
22:05
every day, I'm going to have my kids
22:07
waiting as almost as like a period and
22:09
then we're going to show them guys how
22:10
to start trading and we're going to do
22:11
that. So that's the next big thing that
22:12
we're going to be doing. So shout out to
22:14
all of the schools that are embracing,
22:16
you know, stocks. Let's show these kids
22:18
how they can get in there and make some
22:19
money.
22:20
>> You you push a financial literacy and
22:22
entrepreneurship alongside education,
22:24
higher education.
22:25
>> Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
22:26
>> Not just one or the other.
22:27
>> No, sir.
22:27
>> You pick you're choosing them all.
22:29
>> I'm choosing all. How how are the
22:30
students responding to that?
22:31
>> The truth. I got a student that's making
22:33
more money to me every day. Like he
22:34
really out there. So no, the babies are
22:36
embracing it. So definitely they, you
22:38
know, it's like showing them their entry
22:40
point sway and then and then sticking
22:42
with them the whole time cuz they're
22:43
going to make some bad investments, but
22:45
you know, we got to be with them, man.
22:46
This is the new way.
22:47
>> That's an alternative to doing stuff in
22:49
the streets. You know what I mean? That
22:50
might land you in a place you don't want
22:52
to be, right? So you learning how to
22:54
make money. I mean, our excuse for doing
22:55
what we do is I got to make money. So
22:57
now here's a legitimate way to make
22:59
money.
22:59
>> Yes, sir.
23:00
>> Right.
23:00
>> Yes.
23:01
>> Okay, man. Give it up, man. Principal
23:03
Akbar Cook, man. He's one of us, man.
23:05
How can people reach you, brother? How
23:06
can they reach you?
23:07
>> I'm still at cooked
23:08
educationalsolutions.com. You can get me
23:10
at principal_bar akb on Instagram. Uh
23:14
Twitter shut me down, but I'm Obar Cook
23:16
or uh Facebook.
23:17
>> Twitter? Did you like that, man?
23:18
>> I don't even know why. I think I got
23:20
hacked way.
23:20
>> Oh, man. It's cuz you pushing that good
23:22
information, brother. That positive
23:24
vibration.
23:24
>> Em ain't trying to hear that. Now that
23:26
algorithm is your antithesis now. All
23:28
right. Okay. Hey, hang out, Mr.
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