In 2007,rapper turned actor Will Smith made an announcement on morning talk show Regis and Kelly about wanting to start a school for his kids.Will mentioned that the idea for wanting to start a private school was borne out of homeschooling his kids:

“We started home-schooling our children probably six years ago,” he said. “We found about eight or nine other parents that home-school, so we put them together. … There’s just very powerful educational concepts that we believe in, and we feel like ‘I want to design the system that revolutionizes public education.’ “ (People.com)

Fast forward to 2008 and ACESHOWBIZ is reporting that Will Smith has established a privately run Academy for kindergartners to sixth-graders:

Having a prominent name in Hollywood entertainment industry, both as an actor and rapper, Will Smith is invading the world of education. The movie star is the latest to start his own private school, leasing a campus near his California home for about $1 million to set up the New Village Academy of Calabasas.It reportedly will cost people $12,000 a year to attend Will’s New Village Academy. The academy, which will be run privately for kindergarten kids up through sixth grade, will provide a laptop for every child, and an all-organic, low-fat sugar-free menu.

Will and his actress wife Jada Pinkett Smith have been home schooling their children; son Jaden Smith and daughter Willow Camille Reign. Speaking about the reason behind the unveiling of his new private school, Will said he wants to revolutionize the public school system..

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