Op-Ed Article: Steph and Ayesha Curry’s Plea to Philanthropy: Don’t Let Pandemic-Era Tutoring Programs End

Individualized support helped our own children. We’re committing $25 million to Oakland schools so all students have the same opportunity.

By  Stephen and Ayesha Curry — The Chronicle of Philanthropy

September 5, 2024

Raising children is filled with many remarkable moments. As parents, we’ve learned to cherish the small victories and seemingly insignificant conversations that, in hindsight, shape who our kids are becoming. For each of our children, one of those standout moments was reading their first books cover to cover. The joy in their eyes and sense of accomplishment gave us a glimpse into the potential every child has when given the right tools, guidance, and opportunities.

Not all children, of course, have those opportunities — a reality that became all too clear during the pandemic.

Covid-19 disrupted education in ways none of us could have anticipated. Our home, like so many others, became a school, and we both found ourselves stepping into the home-school teacher role. We were fortunate to be able to hire one-on-one tutors for our kids during that difficult time. However, many children — especially those from low-income families — fell behind.

Stephen and Ayesha Curry read to students at Lockwood STEAM Academy in Oakland, Calif.

In response, billions of dollars in federal pandemic relief funds poured into schools across the country. In our adopted hometown of Oakland, Calif., schools got $54 million from the pandemic assistance package known as the CARES Act, including for intensive math and reading tutoring programs. Such aid was a lifeline, helping students regain lost ground and catch up on critical skills.

But now, that lifeline is fraying as the relief funds run out and schools scramble to find other sources of money. Some districts may manage to cobble together enough resources to continue these programs, but many others will be left without the support their students desperately need.

Our Promise

In response, last week we announced a significant commitment of $25 million for Oakland schools over the next five years, through our foundation, to fund tutoring and literacy programs. We hope other philanthropists and foundations join us in funding similar efforts in their communities.

This should be an easy call. Without continued support, far too many students won’t have the basic literacy skills they need to get decent jobs and lead productive and meaningful lives. Many won’t experience the joy of reading books with their own kids. These concerns led us to start the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, with a mission to ensure that every child has the resources they need to thrive.

I (Stephen) was raised by a fiercely principled mom with a bold vision and the courage to open her own Montessori school in North Carolina, which I attended. She instilled in me a deep appreciation for the power of education. Ayesha and I have similarly sought to be role models for our children, through our philanthropy and our commitment to community and education.

For us, this issue is personal. We’ve seen how tutoring changed the lives of our children — helping them build confidence in their abilities, develop a love for learning, and overcome academic challenges. The personalized attention and tailored support were critical, turning moments of frustration into milestones of achievement. This experience reinforced our belief in the value of one-on-one tutoring and inspired us to make it available to as many students as possible.

Through our foundation, we’ve worked closely with the Oakland Unified School District to provide literacy tutoring that helps students develop not just the skills they need, but the confidence to use them. We’ve seen the sense of pride when children finally master a difficult concept, and, as with our own children, watched how that newfound confidence spills over into every other aspect of their lives.

But as we look at the education landscape today, we’re concerned about what lies ahead.

As parents, we can’t imagine what it would be like to watch our children struggle and not be able to help them. But that’s the reality facing too many families across the country right now. The pandemic may have been an unprecedented challenge, but it also presented an unprecedented opportunity to rethink how we support our children’s education. We can’t afford to let that opportunity slip away.

The Oakland Unified School District, like many across the country, is facing major budget shortfalls as Covid-19 emergency funds come to an end. A $56 million deficit for 2025 is projected to grow to $145 million the following year. Nationwide, school districts in low-income areas will be the hardest hit. Without the right support, too many students will never recover from pandemic learning loss.

We launched our foundation to be part of the solution and are committed to building a supportive, nurturing community for every child. That’s why we’ve directed so much of our foundation’s resources to giving students individual support when they’re struggling. And it’s why we’re asking others to do the same.

Call to Action

We call on funders, community leaders, and policymakers to come together and find solutions. Whether through philanthropic and government support or grassroots efforts, we must make sure that every child has access to the help they need.

That starts with investing in what works. The tutoring programs that have been funded by federal relief dollars have shown results. We can’t let them disappear. Keeping them going will require more public and private partnerships, more innovative thinking, and more investment from all levels of government, business, and philanthropy to ensure that every child has access to critical resources.

Greater focus is also needed to address the root causes of challenges facing schools. Drops in enrollment, chronic absenteeism, and budget deficits are symptoms of deeper issues that can’t be solved overnight. But as a new school year begins, let’s double down on efforts to solve them. It’s going to take time, effort, and a willingness to make tough decisions, but we owe it to our kids to do whatever it takes.

Lastly, we need to keep pushing for equity in education. This isn’t just about making sure every child can read at grade level, although that’s a crucial goal. It’s about ensuring that every child, no matter where they live or what their background, has the same opportunities to succeed. It’s about recognizing that literacy is more than just a skill — it’s a fundamental right.

We know what’s possible when a community comes together to support its children. We’ve seen the power of dedicated teachers, of parents who refuse to give up, of kids who are determined to learn and grow no matter the obstacles. And we’ve seen the difference that focused, intentional support can make.

But we can’t do this alone. There are so many ways to get involved, whether through donations, advocacy, volunteering, or simply spreading the word. This is a critical moment for education. The choices we make today will determine the kind of future our kids inherit. Let’s make sure it’s a future where every child has the chance to succeed.