A Message from Edmentum CEO, Jamie Candee

Dear Education Community,

Thank you for your partnership and the trust that you place in Edmentum. It goes without saying that the world has changed significantly in 2020. COVID-19 has forced us to change our way of life, our day-to-day interactions, and how our education system functions – but it has not changed our humanity, decency, and the right of all people to live free from fear of racism and hate. 

Edmentum unequivocally stands with the Black community.

I am devastated by the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others who have suffered unnecessarily. I am deeply saddened by the pain and grief that so many are experiencing during this difficult time, myself included. Edmentum’s core values are centered on love, diversity, and inclusion. Everything we do comes from a place of mutual respect for one another and for those that we serve. Sadly, injustice, hate, and long-standing racial inequalities in our country have brought about unrest and challenged the safety of our colleagues, friends, family members, and communities.

We have a responsibility to the educators that we partner with, to the students that we educate, to the communities that we help, and to each other to be a force of positive change. But it takes more than words to make a difference. It takes action. It requires each of us to hold up a mirror, bring awareness to the issue, educate one another, and use our voices to discover how we can all be a part of the solution. You have my commitment that Edmentum will do our part by supporting our community, those that we serve, and our team members, bringing an open mind, open ears, and open heart to bring about real change.

Our foundation, We Can Learn, will be supporting the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund through dedicated fundraising efforts over the next several months. Additionally, this fall, Edmentum will be launching an annual scholarship program for middle and high school students of color through our private virtual school, EdOptions Academy. We will announce more details on this program in the coming months.

It is essential that we live our values every day in a way that fosters a culture of inclusivity within our organization and supports an open dialogue. In an effort to better support our team, we will be taking time to carefully form a Diversity and Inclusion Council and employee resource groups. 

Finally, we recognize that some Edmentum team members will need to process their emotions before being ready to engage in learning and growth. Since each person will have their own path, we are offering our team members several learning opportunities over the coming months. We will be providing a safe space for our employees to talk about how they are feeling and educate ourselves on how things like implicit biases impact the world around us.

As we continue into summer months, meet together safely, and plan for the fall, join us in a pledge to support one another, to educate ourselves, to speak up, and to stand up for what is right. It takes every one of us working together to create positive and sustainable change for future generations.

Stay safe,

Jamie Candee | Edmentum
President and Chief Executive Officer