Meet Our Founder

In 2012, when writing The One World Schoolhouse, I outlined how modern education developed and how Khan Academy came to be. But, most importantly, the book outlines a vision for the future of both in-person and online education given the tools we have and the need for many more people to participate in the knowledge economy. Two years later, I founded Khan Lab School to test and refine these ideas in an actual school setting. Today, our school has grown to encompass a Lower School (K-6) and an Upper School (7th-12th) that collectively serve over 260 students.

From our founding, the core ideas of the school have been

  • student-centered mastery-based learning
  • the personalization of pace with high expectations
  • opportunities for students to learn from one another
  • learning that is not bound by time or space, and
  • blurring the boundary between middle school and high school and between high school and college

We believe that while content knowledge matters, that less is more and that focusing on essential content and skills prepares students for their future. While academic mastery is important, we also place an explicit emphasis on student mindfulness and social-emotional learning. At Khan Lab School, all of our decisions are made through the lens of what is best for our students. We tackle tough questions without ego, are results oriented, and have high expectations for our school and our students. 

Thanks for your interest in Khan Lab School.  We look forward to getting to know you through our application process. 

Onward,

Sal Khan
Founder, Khan Academy & Khan Lab School

Whoever you are, wherever you are, you only need to know one thing.  You can learn anything.
--Sal Khan