Give it up for charter schools! Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images.

Pitbull, the rapper who was once sent to a Walmart in Alaska by Internet pranksters, will give the opening remarks at a charter school conference in D.C. next week. Unlike his trip to Kodiak, this is not a joke.

The performer, born Armando Christian Pérez, will speak at the 2013 National Charter Schools Conference on July 1 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The conference, held by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, is the largest gathering of charter school advocates in the country.

No one would fault you, dear reader, for finding this a bit odd. But it’s really not, as Pitbull opened a charter school in his hometown of Miami earlier this year. The SLAM (Sports Leadership and Management) charter school prepares middle- and high-school students for a career in a sports-related field. It will begin serving students later this year.

“I feel education is the real revolution,” Pitbull said in a prepared statement, which described him as an “International Superstar.” “I stand with the millions of families today who simply want a good school for their kids.”

Previous speakers at the event include former President Bill Clinton and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. And now Pitbull.