Editorial Staff

Rafe Esquith on Teaching Shakespeare to Inner-City LA Students

/in , , , /by Editorial Staff
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

This week on “The Learning Curve,” Gerard and Cara talk with Rafe Esquith, an award-winning teacher at Hobart Elementary School in Los Angeles, and the founder of The Hobart Shakespeareans, who annually stage performances of unabridged plays by William Shakespeare. He shares why he founded the award-winning program to teach disadvantaged Los Angeles elementary school students a classical humanities curriculum, the most inspiring experiences and the biggest challenges of teaching highly demanding literary works to young schoolchildren from diverse backgrounds. They explore techniques he uses to help students connect with Shakespeare as well as great authors across the ages.

Stories of the Week: The University of California system agreed Friday to extend its test-free admissions policy through 2025, addressing claims that the use of SAT and ACT results discriminates against applicants based on race, income, and disability. Responding to inequities with regard to internet access that were revealed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education will subsidize broadband service for millions of underprivileged K-12 students and college students.

Guest:

Rafe Esquith has been teaching in the public school system in Los Angeles for thirty-two years. For the last six years, The Hobart Shakespeareans troupe that he founded has been run privately, but only works with economically disadvantaged students. One-hundred percent of the students in the program are accepted into top universities. Esquith is the only classroom teacher to have been awarded the President’s National Medal of the Arts, and has also been made a Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. His many other honors include the Compassion in Action Award from the Dalai Lama, the Walt Disney National American Teacher of the Year Award, Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award, Parents Magazine’s As You Grow Award, the Kennedy Center’s Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award, and People magazine’s Heroes Among Us Award. Esquith has published four books on education, including the international bestseller Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire. He presented at the prestigious TED conference in 2012. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Barbara Tong.

The next episode will air on Wednesday, May 19th, 2021 at 12 pm ET with guest, Dr. Farouk El-Baz, is retired research professor and director of the Center for Remote Sensing at Boston University. He was supervisor of Lunar Science Planning for NASA’s Apollo program.

Tweet of the Week:

News Links:

Bloomberg – UCs Won’t Require SAT, ACT Scores Through 2025

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-14/university-of-california-set-to-drop-sat-act-through-2025

Department of Education Launches Outreach Campaign to Millions of K-12 Students and Federal Pell Grant Recipients Now Eligible for Monthly Discounts on Broadband Internet Service

https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-education-launches-outreach-campaign-millions-k-12-students-and-federal-pell-grant-recipients-now-eligible-monthly-discounts-broadband-internet-service

Get new episodes of The Learning Curve in your inbox!

Browse Pioneer’s Recent Podcast Episodes:

CUNY’s Carl Rollyson on William Faulkner & Southern Literature

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Carl Rollyson, CUNY professor, and acclaimed biographer of William Faulkner. Prof. Rollyson offers an in-depth exploration of Faulkner’s life, work, and enduring legacy.

NH Gov. Chris Sununu on School Choice

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview New Hampshire Governor Christopher Sununu. Gov. Sununu discusses his upbringing in a well-known political family and how the influence of his father, a former governor and White House chief of staff, and his brother, a former U.S. senator, has shaped his public service.

Dr. Helen Baxendale on Great Hearts Classical Liberal Arts Charter Schools

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Dr. Helen Baxendale, the chief of staff and vice president of strategy at Great Hearts Academies. Dr. Baxendale discusses how her global educational experiences inform her perspective on K-12 policy and Great Hearts’ mission to integrate the humanities, math, and science for intellectual and character development.

Jeffrey Meyers on Edgar Allan Poe, Gothic Horror, & Halloween

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick interview Jeffrey Meyers, acclaimed literary biographer, about his comprehensive exploration of Edgar Allan Poe’s life and work.

U-TX at SA’s Catherine Clinton on Harriet Tubman & the Underground Railroad

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick interview Catherine Clinton, Denman Professor of American History at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and author of Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom. Prof. Clinton discusses her definitive biography of Harriet Tubman, the renowned abolitionist and Underground Railroad conductor.

Award-Winner Tom Segev on Israel’s Founding Father, David Ben-Gurion

Dr. Segev delves into the life and legacy of David Ben-Gurion, Israel's founding father. He shares insights into Ben-Gurion’s early years in Poland, his involvement in Zionist politics, and immigration to Palestine in 1906, which set the stage for his leadership during pivotal moments in history. Segev covers Ben-Gurion's rise to prominence, his role in forming the Zionist Labor Federation, and the strategies he employed during the 1936-39 Arab revolt. Additionally, Segev examines Ben-Gurion's historic leadership in declaring Israel's independence in 1948, the unification of Jewish militias into the Israeli Defense Forces, and the implications of the Arab-Israeli War.

Lynch Foundation’s Katie Everett on School Finance Model for Catholic Schools & School Choice

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Mike Goldstein interview Katie Everett, the Executive Director of the Lynch Foundation. Ms. Everett shares her journey into K-12 education reform and discusses the influential vision of Carolyn and Peter Lynch, and their foundation's role in shaping education policy in Massachusetts and beyond.

MA Teacher James Conway & High School Grad Ela Gardiner on MCAS Testing

The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Meredith Coolidge of DFER - MA interview James Conway, a World History and Psychology teacher at Revere High School, and Ela Gardiner, a freshman at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Wellesley High School alumna.

Edward Achorn on Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, & Slavery

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Ret. MN Justice Barry Anderson interview Edward Achorn, a noted writer, historian, and author of "Every Drop of Blood: The Momentous Second Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln" and "The Lincoln Miracle: Inside the Republican Convention That Changed History". Achorn shares insights into Lincoln's improbable political rise and the critical events leading to his 1860 Republican presidential nomination, including his strategic maneuvering following his defeat in the 1858 Illinois Senate race.

PRI’s Lance Izumi on The Great Classroom Collapse

Lance Izumi delves into his latest book, "The Great Classroom Collapse: Teachers, Students, and Parents Expose the Collapse of Learning in America's Schools". He discusses why, despite decades of education reforms and vast spending, many American students remain underprepared in critical subjects like reading and math.

Learning From California: Policy Lessons From Golden State Exodus

Joe Selvaggi speaks with Tim Anaya of the Pacific Research Institute about his new book, The California Left Coast Survivor’s Guide, exploring insights and lessons on how Massachusetts can stay competitive.

AFC’s Denisha Allen on School Choice & Black Minds Matter

Denisha shares her journey and the motivations behind founding Black Minds Matter, a national movement dedicated to celebrating Black excellence and promoting high-quality educational options for Black students. She delves into the politics of urban school reform, highlighting the challenges posed by race and class-based achievement gaps and the political influence of teachers' unions.