Ask Dr. B Good

The charter school landscape can be very confusing. Dr. Rebecca Good, superintendent of Legacy Preparatory Charter Academy, is bringing her years of experience to the table and helping you sort out the myths, misconceptions, and truth of charter schools

Closer Look into Ask Dr. B Good

Dr. Byron Ricks, Episode 36: Growing Up Without a Father

Dr. Ricks began by talking about his upbringing without a father:

“I grew up in Chicago — mainly the west side of Chicago — and I was a latchkey kid, single-parent welfare recipient and gang-infested neighborhoods, and it was just not an easy life,” said Dr. Ricks. “I was always driven by what I didn’t want to do: I didn’t want to be in a gang, I didn’t want to be on drugs, I didn’t want to be stealing cars, I didn’t want to do the activities that a lot of people in the environment that I grew up in were doing. So I did other things … I used to love to read; my mother was an avid reader. And I went to Catholic school, [which] sheltered me from that environment. The nuns within [Catholic school] kept us really busy.”

In his book, Searching for Dad, Dr. Ricks elaborates on the nine side effects of growing up fatherless:

  • Identity Crisis
  • Silent Anger
  • A Need to Belong
  • Understanding Your Value
  • Misunderstanding Character
  • Lack of Respect
  • The Void
  • A Lopsided View of Sex
  • Not Enough Love

In the interview, he described his personal experience with identity crisis.

“I remember when I was growing up, I would look in the mirror and wasn’t looking for the characteristics of my mother,” said Dr. Ricks. “I was looking for the characteristics of my father but didn’t have a father. I didn’t have a picture of a father at that time, and I just didn’t know who I was. When I talk to young men and even grown man, they share that sentiment about that identity crisis. Who am I really? I don’t know the entire essence of who I am. I know my mother’s people, but I don’t know my father’s people.”

He also elaborated on the difference between being male and being a man.

“You’re born male, but you’re a man based on the decisions you make, how you treat women, how you treat other people, the responsibilities that you take upon yourself, and how you conduct yourself in our society.”

Dr. B Good asked him the tough question of how boys whose trust was broken by their fathers as children learn to regain trust again. Dr. Ricks admitted he didn’t have an answer to the question but offered insightful remedies based on his personal experience rebuilding trust:

“I had some men in my life that I mimicked myself after. One was my Uncle Rufus. So is there uncle? Is there an older brother? Is there another male? Is there a mentor from school?

Is there a school coach? Is there some program in which you can put him that allows him to interact with a man that makes manly decisions?”

Dr. Ricks is just one of the dozens of guest Dr. B Good has hosted on her podcast. Check out more of Dr. B Good’s featured episodes below and stay tuned for new episodes from the RNCN studios!

Growing Up Without a Father

Dr.  Byron Ricks

Featured Episodes

Truancy

Judge John Payton, a long time truancy judge for Collin County, shares how the truancy laws have changed over the last few years and how that impacts schools and families. He also advises families on how they can avoid getting into truancy trouble and what happens when they do.

STEM

In the first episode of her podcast, Dr. B Good explores the charter world in Texas, the myths many still hold about charter schools, and the combination of instructional programs that makes Legacy nationally unique. Dr. B Good specifically highlights STEM education in this episode, with special guests Scott Townsend and James Pacheco, director of STEM education and science facilitator at Legacy Charter School respectively.

Dual Credit

In the third episode of the podcast, Dr. B Good explores the world of dual credit at Legacy. We will talk about our MOUs with the local colleges, the prep tests the scholars must take to be able to meet the college readiness requirements, and the opportunities available to these families who are willing to become college and career ready starting in high school. Scholars from both locations who are currently taking dual credit classes join Dr. B Good as well as Ms. Natasha Forge, Legacy’s College and Career Readiness (C&CR) counselor.

Dr. Rebecca Good

Dr. Rebecca Good is an educator with over 30 years of experience. Dr. Good's resume includes being a teacher, campus principal, central office executive director, school superintendent and CEO. In her career, Dr. Good worked in an independent school district as well as a charter school setting. Dr. Good obtained two degrees from Southern Methodist University and two from Texas A&M University-Commerce. Also, Dr. Good teaches at the college level in lecture-based and online courses. She taught teachers who wanted to get their Masters in curriculum design, educational administration, literacy, and those who wanted a Masters in Bilingual & ESL education. She is an educational consultant, a keynote speaker on educational issues, and a presenter of hundreds of educational workshops and training on various educational topics. She has two published books and wrote and co-wrote several articles for educational journals. Her current work is to bring relevant, engaging project-based learning opportunities to children through her highly trained teaching professionals.

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