Employing his trademark “black blackboard” style, Salman Khan tackles Illinois’ pension squeeze in a seven-minute video in which he clearly explains how spending on pensions will surpass spending for education by 2016. In his more general 10-minute video, he explains the concept of pensions, particularly the distinctions between “defined benefit” and “defined contribution” plans.

Khan’s video on Illinois’ pension problem can be viewed at ThisIsMyIllinois.com and the “Thanks in Advance” .

Founder of the trailblazing Khan Academy, Salman Khan’s 3,600 teaching videos have been viewed 204 million times. Named by Time Magazine as one of the World’s 100 Most Influential People, Khan has appeared on “60 Minutes,” “Colbert Report” and NPR to share his vision of offering a “world class education for everyone everywhere.”

“Khan Academy is about life-long learning and we strive to help clarify topics that are important for understanding our society,” Khan said. “When I learned about the underfunded pension situation in many states, especially in Illinois, I felt it was important that voters understand the issue themselves.”

Born and raised in New Orleans, Khan is a former hedge fund manager who founded the nonprofit Khan Academy after discovering a knack for tutoring. What began as a favor to his niece and nephews in 2006 – sharing his math explainer videos – has grown into one of the world’s fastest-growing, widely-used education tools. Last month, www.khanacademy.org had 6,000,000 unique visitors from nearly every nation on earth. Available in 16 languages, Khan’s explainer videos cover topics ranging from calculus and biology to world history and finance. He is author of “The One World School House: Education Reimagined”.