Oprah just donated $365,000 to a small private school Atlanta. Ron Clark Academy, founded in 2007, is innovative in its design and in the website’s own words, uses “out of the box” teaching methods.  Built in a very poor neighborhood of Atlanta, there are only 80 students, who rely mainly on donations to fund their $14,000 a year tuition.  Oprah’s donation could fund the tuition for up to 26 students.

The large donation is not out of the blue. Clark has been a guest on Oprah’s show twice, once in 2000 when he won the “Disney American Teacher of the Year” award, and then again last year when his book, The Essential 55, became a New York Times best-seller.

The school has also recently been in the news for its music-led teaching methods, including a cute rap by students “You can vote however you like,” based on the song “Whatever you like” by T.I., that became an Internet sensation:

Clark and his students became overnight stars during the presidential election when a video of the students performing a political rap they wrote grabbed the public’s attention on YouTube. The children ended up performing the rap, called “Vote However U Like,” on national TV shows including CNN and BET.

Teachers at the school frequently use rapping, dancing and drumming to help students learn.

Clark, who taught in one of New York City’s toughest schools and wrote the best-selling teaching book “The Essential 55,” opened the school last year with proceeds from his book and private donations.

Nearly all of its 80 students are from middle- and low-income households. Parents pay a small part of the tuition and the rest is paid by donors.

[from The Daily Mail]

Oprah is still stinging from the girl’s school in Africa debacle, during which critics complained that she wasn’t doing enough for American schools.  The donation to Ron Clark Academy was made through Oprah’s foundation, which in 2008 gave a total of $4 million to schools in need.

We haven’t heard much about the other schools Oprah donated to, but there are several possible reasons for that.  Ron Clark is skilled at getting publicity.  He’s been on Oprah twice and his school has received plenty of attention – the fact that the school has survived on donations alone is proof of his media-savvy. 

Additionally, this school is highly unusual and innovative in its teaching style, which demands some attention in and of itself.  It’s easier to write a story about an exceptional school where kids are inspired than a donation to a school where the students are struggling.

Oprah Winfrey is shown on 12/5/08. Credit: WENN