Education

It Started With A Question …

Our first speaking engagement, shortly after Neiman Marcus launched our book, was to a group of women professionals. We told the story of how Red wasn’t prepared for life when her husband got fired, and Black had to yank her ostrich head out of the sand. First, explaining money, then other basic life topics.

During Q&A, someone asked, "Why isn't this taught in school?" Black’s reply? “How would I know? Do I look like a teacher?” Maybe not, but KIPP Houston High School asked us to develop — and teach — a personal finance and Life 101 class for its high school seniors in their spring semester. (Can you imagine a tougher audience?!)

But we weren’t teachers. And it didn’t help that Red was a straight-A student and Black had been a discipline problem — questioning the relevance of all her classes. We needed expert advice … so Black requested a focus group from the senior class. And they were the ones who recommended we use our book as a textbook, calling it a "reality show in a book".

Neiman Marcus Launched A Textbook?

Based on the success of the program at KIPP, the (Texas) State Board of Education approved our book and program (formatted as a book study), meeting 100% of its personal financial literacy (“PFL”) requirements at the time.

We’re going to skip over the details of trying to work with the “education system” (Black will tell you that phrase is an oxymoron). And just because Personal Finance Literacy (“PFL”) is mandated to be taught in Texas schools doesn’t mean it is.

Regardless, our book was now an approved textbook. It was a detour we never could have imagined. But … life never goes as planned.

From High Schools To Prisons?

Black, always curious and adventuresome, was invited on a field trip to a Texas prison. The “tour guide” was the unit’s chaplain, and upon learning about our book and program, she told Black she had been looking for a way to teach the men about money. She was extremely interested in piloting a “Red & Black” program, and it ultimately led to thousands of men and women in Texas prisons learning about money and other life lessons. (Many of them questioned why these topics weren’t taught in school, stating it might have changed the trajectory of their lives.)

Adult Education Because … It's Never Too Late!

Although a straight-A student who graduated from a prestigious college, Red was 40+ years old and clueless about so many life topics. Her husband getting fired was the catalyst that forced her to learn things she had managed to avoid.

Black may have told her it was time to “grow up”, but the truth was academic achievement doesn’t automatically translate into real-world readiness. But it can! We were introduced to the world of adult education (thank you, Jackie!), and now our resources are being used by various community organizations.

For some people, it’s about learning what they might have missed in school, including topics that should have been taught but were not. For some, it’s about navigating an ever-changing world. While for millions of others, it’s not an academic pursuit at all — it’s survival. It’s the difference between getting by and getting ahead.

It Ends With A Question …

When Red was going through her crisis, Black told her it would be the best thing that had ever happened to her. At the time, she didn’t appreciate that Black could see it would change her life. And not only her life, but her daughters’ as she could teach them things she hadn’t learned until her 40s. Now, her story’s being used for students of all ages.

What began with “Why isn’t this taught in school?” has turned into a passion that makes us ask, “Why wouldn’t we share what we’ve learned to help others?”

WANT MORE?

The posts below highlight the students who helped shape the program, the book that started it all, and why it’s never too late to learn.