Genius Consultants
Dr. Freya Anderson Rivers
“Mama Freya” or the benevolent dictator, is the director of Genius Academy and founder and former superintendent of Sankofa Shule, an Afrocentric Charter School. Under her direction Sankofa was called an "Educational Powerhouse" by U.S. News and World Report. She received the B.S. from Louisiana State University, M.Ed. from Southern University and the Ed.D. from Vanderbilt University. She has over thirty years of teaching experience from pre-school through college and adult education and over 10 years in educational administration. She has the phenomenal ability to turn around failing programs. Other career experiences include being a writer, entrepreneur, a civil rights activist, a community leader and a politician. Dr. Rivers is a woman of many diverse and creative talents and an excellent change agent in education.
Mr. Julian Brooks
"Baba Juju," received his B.S. from Louisiana State University, Masters in Educational Administration University of Birmingham and currently pursuing an Educational Leadership Doctorate at University of Louisiana Lafayette. He has five years of administrative experience along with over 25 years in elementary and high school teaching. He has taught math, French, and language arts at the elementary level and French at the high school level. He creates the culture and climate at a school to challenge the genius within.
Ms. Angela Hawkins-Rivers
"Mama Angie," has a B.S. in Psychology from Michigan State University. She has taught pre-school for over 10 years and watched babies grow into students ready for Kindergarten. Babies that entered her program at three and four year of age, left recognizing letters, numerals, sounds of letters, words and reading at and above first grade levels. They also learned how to write, not only letters but sentences and many could write stories and simple book reports. In math the children learned to count, add, subtract and most were learning multiplication tables. Academic subjects were taught with developmentally appropriate activities while children were engaged in play. One four year old graduated from pre-school reading at a fifth grade level. Mama Angie creates "Baby Geniuses."
Ms. LaMailede "Assata" Moore
"Mama Assata," has a B.S. in mathematics from Michigan State University. She is the creator of the mathematics curriculum, African Mathematical Genius Giri So, Benne So, Bolo So, and Mathaphysics. She has taught math, physics, computer science, and finance for over twenty years and changed the attitudes of her students from hating math to loving it. While under her tutelage, Sankofa Shule's students on the 7th grade MEAP surpassed Lansing School District's scores and State average. Her students are ready for trigonometry by fifth grade and calculus by ninth. Her students were the only elementary children invited to Physics Day at Cedar Point and a bridge competition in Battle Creek They won competitions in web design and creation as early as 1998. Mama Assata is a mathematical teaching genius and loves creating STEM geniuses for the future.
Ms. Shariba Rivers
"Mama Shari," received her B.S. and the Educational Specialist Degree from Louisiana State University. She has five years of university teaching and administrative experience. She has also taught elementary, middle and high school. With over twenty years teaching experience in the areas of Language Arts, she has excelled in bridging the educational gap. Mama Shari taught AP English Composition to middle school students at Sankofa Shule. Many students passed and one sixth grader scored a B. Ms. Rivers is a genius creating others like her.
