Khan Academy’s Sal Khan & ASU Prep Digital’s Amy McGrath on the Khan World School @ ASU Prep

This week on “The Learning Curve," Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy, and Amy McGrath, the Chief Operating Officer of ASU Prep and Deputy Vice President of ASU Educational Outreach. Mr. Khan shares the origin story of his wildly successful online K-12 education platform, which reaches 137 million users across 190 countries. Mr. Khan describes how he and his team develop academically rigorous lessons and translate them into videos to ensure kids have access to the highest-quality academic content. Ms. McGrath explains how innovations like Florida Virtual School (founded by current ASU Prep Digital CEO Julie Young) more effectively meet 21st-century families’ needs than the current K-12 American public education system, which is still based on the factory model and agricultural calendar. They discuss how the new partnership between Khan Academy and ASU Prep will enhance online education and address learning loss in the post-COVID era.

Stories of the Week: Many welcomed President Biden’s recent announcement of a loan forgiveness plan for up to $20,000 in student debt – but it excludes holders of private loans. Is physical education undervalued in schools?

The next episode will air on Weds., October 5th, with Karega Rausch, the President and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.

Guests:

Sal Khan is the founder of Khan Academy, a nonprofit organization with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone anywhere. Khan Academy's content and mastery learning platform has more than 135 million registered users from around the world and has been localized into more than 51 languages. The organization partners with school districts across the country that serve students who are historically under-resourced. Sal holds three degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard. He has been profiled by 60 Minutes and was recognized as one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Amy McGrath is the Deputy Vice President of Educational Outreach and Student Services for Arizona State University and Chief Operating Officer of ASU Prep and ASU Prep Digital, ASU’s K12 network of schools. With over 15 years of experience exploring innovation and personalized learning in the field, she has a rich background which ranges from school design to marketing strategy and educational policy. A nationally recognized educational technologist, Amy prioritizes learner-centered models, and works to increase access to high quality learning for every student, regardless of zip code. Amy has her Bachelor of Science and MEd from the University of South Florida, and she is happily married with 3 children who keep her weekends eventful on the side-line of a soccer field.

Tweet of the Week:

News Links:

Student Loan App Sparrow Raises $7 Million For Bid To Simplify Private Borrowing

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2022/09/20/student-loan-app-sparrow-raises-7-million-for-bid-to-simplify-private-borrowing/

History of physical education and youth sports: why there’s no chill option for kids

https://slate.com/human-interest/2022/09/history-physical-education-kids-sports-inclusive-exercise.html