Experts Argue that the Nation’s “Biggest Problem” is “Challenging, But Not Insurmountable”

A panel of economists and education leaders sounded the alarm on the pandemic’s potential lifelong impacts on schoolchildren at the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC, last week.

Huge slowdowns in learning persist across the U.S. Students have fallen several grades behind. Absenteeism continues to rise to record levels.

There is still time to fix these issues.

The University of Chicago Education Lab’s Jens Ludwig, a panelist at the event and co-author of a paper titled “Overcoming Pandemic-Induced Learning Loss,” called the Covid learning interruption the “biggest problem facing America.”

Schools Need More Resources, Time, and Accountability for Recovery

Panelists issued a clarion call to policymakers to dedicate more resources and extend the time allowed to expend federal recovery funding to school districts to address learning needs. In addition, they called for greater accountability in ensuring that school districts use the money for evidence-based interventions “that are most effective in helping students learn.”

In a chapter in the Aspen Economic Strategy Group’s book Building a More Resilient Economy, University of Chicago Education Lab co-directors Jonathan Guryan and Jens Ludwig argue that greater investment in learning recovery efforts will be necessary to “avoid lifelong negative consequences for a generation of 50-million school-age children.”

Economists estimate that students who fall behind in school because of pandemic-induced learning interruptions face a “collective $900 billion loss in future earnings.”

Panel Discussion on Covid Learning Interruptions

Ludwig was joined by Nat Malkus, a senior fellow and deputy director of education policy at the American Enterprise Institute; Nakia Towns, chief operating officer at Accelerate Learning; and moderator Melissa Kearney, director of The Aspen Economic Strategy Group.

Robert Gordon, Deputy Director for Economic Mobility, White House Domestic Policy Council, offered the keynote remarks for the event. He laid out four key points:

1. The Biden-Harris administration firmly agrees about the urgency to address the pandemic’s serious harm to student learning.
2. The billions that the nation spent responding to the pandemic in schools,  particularly in high poverty schools, have likely made an important difference.
3. There’s more we need to do to help schools help students to recover academically, and high-impact tutoring is an effective strategy.
4. Looking forward, we are eager to sustain those investments in every way we can.

Federal pandemic relief funding for public schools – known as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund – will expire in September 2024. The government is offering school districts opportunities to seek extensions to spend funds into 2025 to continue to help students.

Education Helps Economic Growth, Mobility and Equality

Kearney argued that, “We owe it to this generation of students to make up for the educational setbacks that they were saddled with. And it is in our nation’s economic interest to do so.”

Ludwig contended that the federal funding provided to schools was probably not enough given the scale of the problem. While $190 billion is a big number, it represents funds spread over many years and only represents a 6 percent increase of what the U.S. already spends to educate public school children, he says.

“The federal assistance is basically running out,” he said. “It’s like we’re quitting at the finish line. Human capital is what drives economic growth. If you care about economic growth, you should really care about this.”

He added: “If the thing you care about instead is economic mobility and equality, you should really care about this. The kids most adversely affected by the pandemic … are the most economically and socially vulnerable kids in the country.”

High-impact Tutoring Helps Accelerate Learning

Panelists highlighted high-dosage tutoring as a key strategy for helping closing academic achievement gaps. While tutoring’s power to accelerate learning is well documented, only about 1 in 10 students receive high-dosage tutoring in their schools. Panelists acknowledged that implementing high-dosage tutoring during the school day, with well-trained tutors, several days a week can be difficult for school districts. Ludwig pointed to studies of Saga Education’s high-dosage tutoring approach in partnership with Chicago Public Schools as evidence of the power of tutoring to accelerate learning.  In those studies, students gained as much as 2 ½ years of extra learning in one tutoring period embedded into their regular school day for one school year.

“It’s challenging, but not insurmountable. The best evidence that we have around tutoring says that if you are able to do this for a school year, you can recover. The average four months of learning in K-12 that children are behind, you can recover in one year,” said Dr. T. Nakia Towns, Chief Operating Officer at Accelerate. Towns cited Baltimore City, Maryland and Guilford County, North Carolina as examples of school districts that have effectively implemented tutoring on a larger scale to help students.

“Baltimore City Public Schools were able to offer tutoring to 15,000 kids in the 2022-23 school year on an enrollment of about 70,000 students. This year, they expect to approach 20,000 kids,” she said. “Guilford County, North Carolina, similarly 12,000 students were tutored last year.  There are districts penetrating 25-35% of kids that are able to receive tutoring. They are prioritizing the kids who were most vulnerable in terms of the pandemic.”

Ludwig also highlighted ways to reduce the cost of tutoring by incorporating technology. He cited another study with Saga Education and Chicago Public Schools where instead of working every school day with a tutor, students alternated days between working with a tutor one day and and the next day using a computer-assisted learning platform. Taking this approach reduced the cost of tutoring by one-third without affecting learning outcomes.

Student Absenteeism Rises

But getting students to school to take advantage of tutoring has become a second major challenge. Malkus said that student absenteeism doubled during the pandemic.

“The last time we had good data on that was 2022, when 29 percent of kids missed 10 percent of the year,” he said. “It’s gone down in 33 states but only by a few percentage points. That’s going to get in the way of pandemic recovery. Unfortunately, the kids who are most likely to be chronically absent are the kids who are in otherwise disadvantaged environments.”

Malkus said that “if we’re having kids not showing up for school at high rates, we’re looking at the same problem with high-dosage tutoring programs.”

High-Dosage Tutoring Can Help Address Absenteeism

Towns noted that one elementary school in Baton Rouge she visited had issues with students being chronically late to school, missing the first 20 to 40 minutes. The principal at the school offered tutoring at the beginning of school.

“When they rolled out the virtual tutoring program and communicated to parents that your child has an opportunity to engage with this literacy program and every day it will start promptly at 8:30,” Towns said, “[the principal] noted to me attendance has improved because parents thought, ‘Well, we [don’t want our kids] to miss something that is different.’”

Tutors, Teachers, Tech Needed

Gordon said that the US Department of Education has been encouraging colleges and universities to use Federal Work Study to pay some or all of the wages of college students for tutoring in K-12 while providing a “great clinical opportunity for future teachers in America.” Through the National Partnership for Student Success, school districts, nonprofits and higher education institutions are working to support more Americans serving as tutors.

“We need teachers and we need tutors, and if we can get technology to help them both succeed so much better for the students,” Gordon said. “We want to do everything in our power to close learning gaps. Tutoring is an enormously powerful tool for achieving that goal.”

Watch the full presentation.

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Select members of Saga Education’s staff had the honor and privilege of joining legislators and staffers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 21, to advocate for expanding access to tutoring. Hill Day is an annual event Saga leverages to spread awareness about high-impact tutoring and our work among legislators in both the House and the Senate. This year, Saga’s message came ahead of two new bills to expand access to tutoring.

Expanding Access to High-Impact Tutoring Act

The first bill, The Expanding Access to High-Impact Tutoring Act, championed by Representatives Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ 11th District) and Nancy Mace (R-SC 1st District), is a bipartisan initiative that aims to create a new grant program with the Department of Education to fund the creation and administration of high-dosage tutoring programs. The bill embodies evidence-based standards and will help the United States Department of Education and states to develop a nationwide tutoring workforce to help school districts interested in creating their own tutoring programs.

“By directing the Secretary of Education to award grants for tutoring programs, we are ensuring every child, regardless of their background or circumstances, has access to the additional support they need to thrive,” said Representative Nancy Mace.

The second tutoring bill, The Partnering Aspiring Teachers with High-Need Schools (PATHS) to Tutors Act, has been introduced to the Senate before and is to be reintroduced by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Cornyn (R-TX), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Susan Collins (R-ME), is a bipartisan bill that will expand access to one-on-one and small-group tutoring in underserved communities significantly affected by the pandemic. The legislation will also strengthen the pipeline of future teachers by placing teacher candidates into tutoring roles.

Taking on Capitol Hill

A dynamic team of twelve Saga staff teamed up with Fulcrum Public Affairs, an expert firm in federal relations, to highlight Saga’s impact and evidence of effectiveness, with legislative staff members from 26 offices across political parties.

“The purpose of connecting with policymakers at the state and federal level is to shift mindsets, policies, and resources to create conditions that will support high-impact tutoring long term,” Co-Founder and Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer A.J. Gutierrez said. 

Cathryn Cook, Senior Director of Data Systems and Analytics, was thrilled that she had the opportunity to speak directly with members.

“We were lucky to be able to connect directly with Congresswoman Schakowsky from Illinois, who attended Sullivan High School in Chicago, which is one of our direct service school partners…[she] was interested in hearing about our partnership with Sullivan High School and how we’ve worked to support its diverse, multilingual student population. She was proud to share that her name is now spread across the floor of Sullivan’s newly-renovated gymnasium, which was dedicated to her this past fall.”

Monivett Acevedo, Chief Financial Officer, passionately shared, “This moment presents an unprecedented opportunity to make a shift — to invest in evidence-based programs and to refuse a return to business as usual. We’re seizing this chance not just to advance but to truly transform the education landscape.”

Celebrating Success

Following the meetings at the Capitol, Saga held its annual Congressional Reception and Awards Ceremony at the International Spy Museum. During the reception, Representatives Sherill and Mace were joined by Senator Cornyn, and they shared remarks about the importance of Saga’s work in the high-impact tutoring space.

“This event was more than just an opportunity to influence policy,” AJ Gutierrez shared. “It’s a chance for Saga staff to be directly involved in catalyzing systemic change in the education sector.”

To offer your support for The Expanding Access to High-Impact Tutoring Act or the PATHS to tutors act, contact your local Representative or Senators.

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Saga’s High-Impact Tutoring model is a great example–bringing effective technology into the classroom while increasing students’ consistent connections with people who are invested in their success. 

Highlights from ASU GSV

Co-Founder Alan Safran’s Background 

Alan started the panel by presenting his vision for the classroom of the future, where students are given the tools, connections, and opportunities they need to learn, thrive, and move forward in their education. A future where high-impact tutoring is woven into the fabric of the school day, and schools are overcoming learning loss and closing opportunity gaps.

In 2004, Alan was the Director of a small charter high school in Boston. Recognizing a need for personalized instruction and caring connections for students, he implemented a high-dosage tutoring program for every student in the school.

AJ Gutierrez came to that school as a 9th grader. Every teacher dreams of having students come back to say thank you, but AJ came back and co-founded Saga Education with Alan to provide high-impact tutoring to students on a larger scale.

Speaking to the audience on the need for caring teachers and consistent connections, Alan stated that many kids in the US are experiencing poverty and may not have the privilege of a caring teacher who can provide them with a consistent relationship.

Alan’s parents taught public school. He’d had roles in education at the state and local levels. He wanted to make an impact. He saw that tutoring provided an opportunity to bring caring adults into kids’ lives.

Changing Education

He described how other organizations had entered the education space to improve learning outcomes for kids. Teach for America was an early organization that opened doors to careers in education that weren’t previously considered. Alan mentioned fellow panel members who were involved with Teach for America who made a huge difference in the future of education by thinking outside the box.

Alan differentiated Saga from Teach for America by the support it gives teachers, tutors, and students. Saga offers school districts benefits that some other organizations or educational models could not. Other organizations and models struggled with operations and efficacy as the reality of managing full classrooms of kids, developing curriculum, and teaching lessons without tutoring support was overwhelming and inefficient.

Saga’s tutors are fully supported, work closely with teachers and districts, tutor in small groups, and support the work of the classroom teachers.

He explained to the audience that Saga’s high-impact tutoring is not only proven effective in addressing learning loss and closing opportunity gaps, but it also offers professionals a different pathway to education and provides the education sector with a different pipeline of talent.

Alan’s Vision for the Classroom of the Future

Alan referenced his vision for the future, saying that the central idea is that having a caring, qualified adult to connect with during the school day makes all the difference. That someone who knows a kid’s name has chatted with their mom and smiles at them at the start of a lesson is crucial to success.

The next idea that Alan presented was that embedding tutoring into the school day supports teachers who are stretched beyond capacity. As an example of his vision, he proposed changes. Traditionally, one teacher leads instruction in front of a room of around 28 9th-grade Algebra One students. We expect students to focus, participate, and learn in this setup. We expect the teacher to help all students master the lessons.

Alan proposed an alternative learning model–instead of 28 students focused on one lesson, smaller PODS of four students with devices listen to their Algebra 1 teacher, wearing a headset, give instruction for 10 minutes.

Now, the classroom teacher stops instruction, and a remote tutor helps each POD of students. They personalize the lesson for the small group and help with practice and individual needs. Classroom teachers are freed to assist students, coach tutors as needed, plan lessons, and use their teaching skills without being overwhelmed and underresourced during instruction.

Alan proposed his vision could be a reality within the next five years and concluded that Saga’s model has the power to make the greatest difference in student outcomes because it supports and connects with teachers, tutors learn in real-time from the classroom teachers, and students get access to caring adults and personalized tutoring they don’t have to seek out.

Panel Discussion on High-Impact Tutoring

After Alan spoke, the panelists had a Fireside Chat about high-impact tutoring. The additional panelists included:

• Bob Runcie, Interim CEO at Chiefs for Change and former school superintendent
• Brooke Stafford-Brizard, VP for Research-to-Practice at Chan Zuckerberg
• Jeff Riley, Commissioner of Education for Massachusetts
• Jennie Magiera, Global Head of Education Impact at Google
• Thomas Arnett, Sr Research Fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute

Social Emotional Learning & Technology

Jennie started by stating her interest in the work at Saga and wondered if AI models and tutors could achieve the same purpose while providing kids with more comprehensive education, social-emotional learning, career prep, etc. She asked Brooke for her thoughts.

Brooke said that the powerful outcomes with tutoring are due to learning in deep relationships. She wondered aloud how tutors could be used to communicate with families and teachers. She said teachers and tutors could work together to meet students where they’re at. She asked how Bob and Jeff felt high-impact tutoring fit into the classroom.

Differentiated Instruction

Jeff, Massachusetts Commissioner of Education, spoke next, referencing plummeting engagement rates from when students start in elementary school to the time they reach high school. They lose personal connections with teachers.

He stated that the two biggest lies people tell in education are that all teachers are equal and that instruction is differentiated. He says there are ineffective teachers, and we should be learning from the advanced teachers and raising the standards. He proposed that implementing high-impact tutoring provides differentiated instruction and help for classroom teachers.

Inequity & Systemic Change

Bob added his thoughts, saying that equity is the biggest issue. As an example, he spoke about how many students receive outside tutoring or help, potentially skewing perceptions of outcomes. He said equitable access to tutoring should be a national priority and that more caring contact is necessary for kids.

Finally, Bob added that systemic change is needed in public education, and that making parents, organizations, and communities aware of these opportunities and resources so they can demand change and access is important to disrupting the current educational system.

Classroom Implementation & Teacher Support

Next, Tom started his commentary by relating that he was one of the teachers who struggled to teach content, manage his classroom, and get to know each of his students personally. He said that while he struggled, he had a teacher in the classroom next door who was hitting it out of the park.

He realized that the limited class time, prep time, and resources made his aspirations more difficult. He stated that while tutoring positively impacts education, many innovators need help to implement and run into roadblocks, process issues, and bureaucratic red tape. He asked how to implement programs like Saga to overcome competing priority tensions in districts.

Brooke suggested that technology is there to make tutoring easier to implement in the classroom. She added that power and trust come into play with these kinds of tense dynamics and similar dynamics in tutoring relationships, like trust, risk, and vulnerability. The opportunity also exists for feedback, coaching, and students to voice their opinions. She sees value in these discussions as opportunities for dynamic relationships between adults and potential for coaching relationships between teachers and tutors.

Alan agreed and said that in Saga’s vision for the future, he sees teachers’ work changing to include coaching other instructors rather than just students.

Bob affirmed that change is necessary, as education is in crisis and experiencing a massive human capital crisis. He believes that in-class tutoring using technology can help.

Jen said teachers might feel threatened by adding tutors and hanging instruction, but explaining the profound benefits to students often helps get them on board. Showing how this frees up teachers to get excited about teaching and learning again.

Jeff added that freeing up time for teachers can bring less restrictive dynamics to the classroom and allow for play and relationships.

Final Thoughts From Panelists

Each panelist wrapped up the Fireside Chat with a final thought.

Brooke said caring is a path toward accountability by developing deep enough relationships to hold someone accountable and take risks. She believes that high-impact tutoring could be a pathway toward that.

Bob said there isn’t a secret about the solutions to inequity in education, but people must have the will and fortitude to do it.

Tom stated that the opt-in from teachers is powerful. This could provide them with a path toward making a difference. He suggested helping teachers discover high-impact tutoring so they can share it with other teachers.

Jen proposed that it will be successful as long as innovation starts with the need, prioritizes what’s being built, and is followed with technology and then structural change.

The discussion panel discussed important topics, issues, and ideas about high-impact tutoring, learning in deep relationships, and closing opportunity gaps with technology and systemic change. Visit our site to learn more about high-impact tutoring and how Saga works to close the opportunity gap and help all kids succeed.

Learn More About Saga Education

View the Full Discussion Panel

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When 9th grader Valentino Santana talks about Saga Math Lab, the first word he uses is “comfortable.” Why comfortable?” “Miss Weiss greets me in the morning, she asks me how I’m doing, I trust her,” he said.

Santana said that working with his tutor is a different experience than being in a classroom. As teachers become more and more overextended, it becomes more difficult for them to provide customized support for each student. That’s where the AmeriCorps members serving with Saga come in. “My old teachers would sometimes scold me if I got something wrong but Miss Weiss helps me,” he said.

Anthony Onica, Site Director at Roberto Clemente Academy in Chicago, IL, noticed something special about the relationship between Santana and Weiss. “Ms. Weiss saw a kindred spirit in Valentino, and her patience has coaxed a lot of academic and emotional growth out of him. He’s a remarkable young man, and his relationship with his tutor has only accentuated that quality,” said Onica,

Their relationship began with …pastries?

“I remember on one of the first days we worked with him, he bonded with Ms. Weiss over their shared love of The Great British Bake-off. He did an impersonation of one of the people on the show, and the rest, as they say, was history,” said Onica.

Weiss said that she “loves math,” but she remembered when she didn’t like it as much in high school. “I try to express that to my students, and make it less intimidating,” she said.

A Math Mind
But as Santana improved in his understanding of the subject, the math became more challenging. At that point, Weiss said that she treated it as a partnership. “Let’s take this more seriously,” she told him. As time went on, Santana was able to work more independently. “Santana has a math mind,” said Weiss.

How to Study for Algebra
Of course, Weiss tutors her students on the foundational skills of Algebra 1, but she also focuses on the grade-level content that teachers are covering and shows them how to study. It turned out to pay off for Santana, because he ended up raising his grade from a D to an A. “He takes beautiful notes, he’s shown that he can do it. He’s challenging his fear of math,” she said.

In fact, Santana has come so far that now he helps other students in his class, and he even catches Weiss when she makes a mistake. “I gave him an example that had a mistake, and he found the mistake right away,” she said.

Onica said he’s also seen Santana make strides in his grades, confidence and overall maturity. “We’ve seen growth in Valentino’s math grades, and he’s been a lot more consistent with holding a strong score. Even so, I think the most impressive growth we’ve seen from Valentino is emotional. He’s more willing to engage in conversations when he’s struggling with content or personal challenges. He’s a student that I feel like I can always talk things through with, which is an impressive sign of maturity, in my opinion,” said Onica.

Although high school graduation is a few years away, Santana knows what he wants to do next. “I want to go to college. I want to become an engineer,” he said.

This goal comes as no surprise to Weiss. “I have so much faith that he can do math at such a high level,” she said.

“We’re very proud of him for being chosen for college preparation/planning programs here at Clemente,” said Onica.

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Saga Education is proud to welcome Melanie Dukes, Associate Program Director, K-9 Education at Overdeck Family Foundation, to its Board of Directors. Melanie manages the Foundation’s in-school investment portfolios, Exceptional Educators and Innovative Schools, which are focused on programs for kindergarten through 9th grade that increase the retention of expert educators and support student-centered learning environments.

She brings over 15 years of experience leading education initiatives, building innovative programs, and using technology, data, and analytics to generate new solutions to complex problems. Previously, Melanie worked at 2U, Inc. as a Director in the technology department to support online learning for universities. Earlier, Melanie worked at Relay GSE, KIPP NYC, MLT (Management Leadership for Tomorrow), Morgan Stanley, and General Mills. She is also a board member for two Brooklyn Charter Schools. Melanie earned an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering, and is pursuing an M.A. in Education Technology at NYU Steinhardt.

When asked why she wanted to join the board, Melanie said, “The journey of Saga Education continues to impress and inspire me, illuminating what is possible for the impact, scale, and innovation of high-dosage tutoring in K-12. I am excited to join the Saga board to become a part of this organization’s ongoing story, working alongside esteemed board members and passionate staff to share my unique perspective and help advance the Saga mission.”

“I’m happy to welcome Melanie Dukes to our Board of Directors,” said AJ Guiterrez, Co-Founder and Chief of Marketing and Communications for Saga Education. “Melanie is a fierce champion of educational equity and her creativity and strategic mindset are strengthening our plans for the future. The energy and enthusiasm she brings to every conversation is contagious and a source of inspiration,” he added.

“Diversity is what makes our organization stronger. That’s why it is paramount that Saga’s board, staff and Fellows represent the communities we serve. We are deeply proud that we now have a diverse board that includes six women and seven men, 50% of which are Black and Latinx,” said Guiterrez.

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As a new Saga Fellow, I wondered about how much support I would receive inside and outside the classroom–especially since I work remotely. To my surprise, Saga offers more support than I could have ever expected. From continual communication within the classroom, to the after-hour professional developmental series, Saga provides support whenever you need it.

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The data does not lie. Black and Latinx people are underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields and academic pursuits. Only 16% of Black and Latinx people are employed in STEM professions. For Black females entering college, only 3.2% expressed interest in majoring in engineering.

The reasons have nothing to do with ability and everything to do with accessibility and exposure.

Systemic and Structural Barriers
According to a report from Jobs for the Future, the primary reasons for STEM underrepresentation are “systemic and structural barriers that Black learners confront from an early age into adulthood.” Not only do these Black and Latinx students have educational inequities, but they do not always have access to a high-quality curriculum.

Dr. Karl Reid, Chief Inclusion Officer of Northeastern University in Boston, MA, and Saga Education Board member said, “There are structural, cultural, and individual aspects to educational inequities. Education is allocated based on wealth in the U.S., which is closely aligned with race. Historically, this has been perpetuated by structures that sanction access to high-quality educational experiences.”

Dr. Reid noted that less than half of the Black and Latinx students in high-minority districts have access to a full range of math and science classes. “Even if they took all the classes that are available, they’d be unqualified to enroll in their flagship university,” he said.

Funding, Failures and STEM Fields
While most white students will attend a high school that offers calculus, two-thirds of Blacks will not. Majority-white schools receive, on average, $2,000 more in funding per pupil than do majority-Black schools.

These factors affect graduation rates. Eighty percent of students who drop out of high school cite course failures as their top reason for not earning a high school diploma, and Algebra 1 as the course most failed. Only 20% of students who fail Algebra 1 in ninth grade will go on to receive a high school diploma, compared to 85% of those who pass the course.

This is important when it comes to economic growth and mobility. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM fields are one of the fastest-growing careers, and one of the top-paying fields. In addition, those who major in STEM disciplines in college, tend to recoup their initial educational investment, meaning they experienced a higher ROI (return on investment) according to recent research from Third Way.

However, there are some things that schools are doing now to help address educational inequities and close the opportunity gap.

Introduce Project-Based STEM Learning Early
When it comes to K-12 aged students, some experts say that schools can encourage STEM concepts with project-based learning that combines real-world projects that bring STEM ideas to life.

Implement Evidenced-Based High-Impact Tutoring
In-school, high-impact tutoring (sometimes called high-dosage tutoring) in small groups with a tutor who works with them throughout the school year has been proven successful in increasing learning.

The evidence for in-school tutoring is hard to ignore. In multiple large-scale randomized control trials, Saga Education:

• Increased student math learning by 2.5 years in one academic year
• Reduced math course failures by as much as 63%
• Reduced non-tutored course failures by as much as 26%

Provide Professional Development and Networking Opportunities
In STEM, representation is important. Black and Latinx children and teens may not see how relevant STEM fields or academic pursuits are to them. “There’s also a set of cultural norms, values, expectations, and behaviors that are reinforced. In other words, these children don’t see a lot of engineers and scientists that look like them,” said Dr. Reid.

Whether a young person connects with a mentor, finds a role model or joins a young professionals’ STEM association, for example, networking is essential. When young people see role models that look like them in STEM fields, they see possibilities for themselves.

Benefits of Diversity
Creating more diversity in STEM fields may help create “new generations of wealth and opportunity. It challenges perspectives, problems, people, and processes. It adds innovation. It broadens the perspective and the solutions available. That’s why Saga is building a pipeline of people who are STEM competent,” said Dr. Reid.

High-impact tutoring presents an opportunity to tap into a new and diverse talent pool. Saga’s tutors are 30-50% Black or Latinx. At the lowest end of this range, it is still double the national average for teachers. Again, the importance of representation cannot be underestimated

Dr. Reid said he sees some positive changes in STEM representation and educational inequities. “I am seeing the country have an honest conversation about its racial history and address the root of the problem and not just the symptoms. This gives me hope,” he said.

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