Brian Hooks and Sal Khan: How the COVID-19 pandemic has provided a roadmap to transform education

In a USA Today piece published Feb. 17, Stand Together CEO Brian Hooks and Khan Academy founder Sal Khan write about how the pandemic has exposed major flaws that have long existed in the education system and how the crisis is creating an opportunity to transform education for the better. Hooks and Khan write, “When education isn’t tailored to the student, we miss a critical opportunity to help children discover, develop and apply their gifts, which is, after all, the purpose of education.”

COVID has shown that education can happen anywhere, any time; a tailored education doesn’t have to be costly or burdensome to teachers or parents; and education is not just for kids. Members of the Stand Together community are partnering with organizations like Khan Academy to connect students with high-quality, free tutors, as well as the Walton Family Foundation to offer grants to low-income families looking for tailored learning opportunities. The Stand Together community also supports community-driven organizations like unCommon Construction, a nonprofit program out of New Orleans that teaches students math, teamwork and critical thinking skills on a construction site, Cadence Learning, which connects students to top educators from around the country, and SkillUp, an online platform that helps people build new skills and connect with employers.

Read the full article here to learn more.