The Learning Curve: Recent Episodes
The Pioneer Institute
“The Learning Curve” is where you’ll find straight talk about the nation’s hottest education stories - news and opinion from the schoolyard to the 2020 campaign trail. Co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal serve up provocative commentary on the issues that impact parents and kids, teachers and students, political leaders, policymakers and taxpayers all across the country. “The Learning Curve” features school leaders, innovators, bestselling authors, policymakers and more on how we’ll use education to prepare the next generation of Americans. Follow The Learning Curve on Send any suggestions, tips, and fan mail to micaela@pioneerinstitute.org.
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. He reflects on attending a competitive STEM-centric magnet high school and MIT, where studying engineering shaped his approach to policy, particularly K-12 reform. Gov. Sununu also highlights how his wife, a special education teacher, has deepened his knowledge of school choice, early literacy, and expanding opportunities for students with disabilities. He describes his efforts to support school choice within New Hampshire’s strong K-12 public education system; and the importance of empowering communities, parents, and state leaders to drive education reforms and create more equitable school options for students.
Stories of the Week: Alisha discussed an article from Commonwealth Beacon on how Massachusetts voted to end the MCAS graduation requirement, Albert shared a story from Forbes on understanding the results from three school choice referenda.
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. She explains how Great Hearts uses classical texts by Plato, Aristotle, and African-American thinkers like W.E.B. Du Bois and MLK to teach justice and democracy amid today’s social divisions. Dr. Baxendale also shares the school’s approach to teacher preparation, navigating regulations, and competing in choice-rich, historically lower-performing NAEP states. She concludes with insights into the importance of the classical liberal arts for preparing students for both higher education and the workforce, and her vision for improving U.S. K-12 outcomes.
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. Meyers delves into Poe’s troubled early years, his struggles with abandonment and poverty, and how these shaped his dark, Gothic style. The discussion covers the themes and influences behind Poe’s first poetry collection, Tamerlane and Other Poems, as well as his caustic literary criticism, which earned him the moniker “the man with the tomahawk.” Meyers explains Poe’s development of detective fiction through the character C. Auguste Dupin in The Murders in the Rue Morgue, as well as the lasting significance of The Tell-Tale Heart in Gothic horror. He also explores Poe’s most famous poem, The Raven, its crafting, and mythic resonance, along with The Cask of Amontillado, a revenge-driven tale that mirrors Poe’s personal struggles. Meyers discusses Poe’s essay The Philosophy of Composition and his belief in the “death of a beautiful woman” as a poetic ideal, analyzing Poe’s relationships and what young writers can learn from his methods. Meyers also reflects on what teachers and students can appreciate about Poe’s haunting genius and impact on literature. In closing, Meyers reads a passage from his book, Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy.
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. She reflects on Tubman's early life as Araminta Ross, born into slavery in antebellum Maryland, and the formative experiences that shaped her resistance to oppression. Clinton covers a traumatic head injury Tubman suffered, her deep religious faith, and the spiritual visions that guided her. She also explores Tubman's marriage to John Tubman, her escape to freedom in 1849, and her leadership in rescuing enslaved people. Prof. Clinton also delves into the dangers Tubman faced under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, her work with prominent abolitionists like John Brown, Frederick Douglass, and William Seward, and her service as a Union spy and military leader during the Civil War. Additionally, Clinton reflects on Tubman's later life in upstate New York, her advocacy for women's suffrage, and her enduring legacy in American history. In closing, Prof. Clinton reads a passage form her biography, Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom.
This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Andrea Silbert interview Israeli historian, journalist, and author of A State at Any Cost: The Life of David Ben-Gurion, Tom Segev. 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. He also highlights Ben-Gurion’s efforts to establish state institutions, absorb Jewish immigrants, and his vision for the nation, while acknowledging the complicated aspects of his political leadership. Dr. Segev positions Ben-Gurion among the most significant leaders of the twentieth century, with a legacy that continues to influence Israeli society and its international relations today.
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. She highlights the Lynch family's contributions to the Commonwealth’s educational, cultural, and civic landscape. Everett delves into the operational challenges facing Catholic schools, such as labor costs and enrollment issues, while also emphasizing the work of the School Choice and School Financial Sustainability Committee, which developed a finance model to assist tuition-based schools. She elaborates on how the model has been received and its potential to expand access to early childhood education, breaking cycles of illiteracy and poverty. Additionally, she explores how her school finance model could align with state policies, like ESAs, to bolster Catholic and private schools. Everett closes by calling for more robust involvement from governors, legislators, and parents in improving academic outcomes for American students.
This week on 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. Conway discusses the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act (MERA) and its role in establishing a progressive state funding formula, high-stakes testing like MCAS, and rigorous curriculum standards. He highlights the national and international successes of Massachusetts students, particularly through NAEP, TIMSS, and PISA assessments, and emphasizes MCAS as a key tool for improving educational equity. Mr. Conway also reflects on the importance of MCAS for instruction and accountability, and the negative implications of eliminating it as a high-stakes test. Ms. Gardiner discusses her personal experiences with the Massachusetts curriculum standards and MCAS testing. She shares how the rigorous academic expectations helped prepare her for college and how her experience compares to peers from other states and countries. Gardiner also addresses the critics’ questionable concerns about MCAS, explaining how her high school’s curriculum aligned with the standards and MCAS effectively prepared her for both state and national tests. Finally, she speaks on the potential academic consequences for future students if MCAS is removed as a graduation requirement, stressing its importance in maintaining high academic standards in the Bay State.
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. He discusses the significance of the 1860 Republican Convention in Chicago, where Lincoln bested more prominent candidates like William Seward. Mr. Achorn also examines the broader political landscape of the time and the importance of Lincoln's second inaugural address, delivered amidst the Civil War's devastation, and its profound impact on American political discourse. Additionally, Achorn highlights Lincoln's intellectual influences and how his mastery of language shaped pivotal moments in American history. He brings to life the key figures surrounding Lincoln during his second inauguration, painting a vivid picture of Washington at this crucial juncture in the nation's past. In closing, Achorn reads a passage from his book Every Drop of Blood.
This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Lance Izumi, Koret Senior Fellow and Senior Director of Education Studies at the Pacific Research Institute. Mr. 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. He explores how the focus on social justice and political agendas has shifted attention away from academic quality and meritocracy in K-12 education, leading to troubling outcomes in many districts. Mr. Izumi highlights widespread issues in reading instruction, including the long-standing evidence for phonics and why NAEP reading scores have stagnated over the years. He shares concern of "constructivist" math methods and reflects on the impact of Common Core on declining math scores nationwide. Izumi concludes with reform recommendations aimed at restoring academic rigor and equality of opportunity in American schools.
This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and AFC’s Walter Blanks interview Senior Fellow at the American Federation for Children and Founder of Black Minds Matter, Denisha Allen. 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. Mrs. Allen also reflects on the evolving landscape of charter school politics and how the pandemic has reshaped education by increasing interest in diverse school choice options like charters, homeschooling, and microschools. She discusses the implications of the "Year of School Choice" in 2021, marked by expanded voucher and ESA programs, and questions why, despite large federal education expenditures, national reading and math scores have been stagnant or declining. Finally, Denisha shares her vision for what policymakers and parents should do to dramatically improve academic outcomes for America's students.
This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick interview fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the British Academy, Prof. Richard Holmes. Prof. Holmes delves into the life and literary legacy of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the most significant poets of the Romantic era. Holmes offers a comprehensive overview of Coleridge's early education, highlighting how classical learning deeply influenced his worldview and writings. He also touches on Coleridge's passionate anti-slavery views within the turbulent political landscape of late 18th-century Britain, providing context for his masterpiece, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Holmes further explores Coleridge's use of symbolism, particularly the iconic albatross and the haunting ghost ship, illustrating how these elements convey the poet's themes of guilt, nature, and human destructiveness. Prof. Holmes additionally covers Coleridge's struggles with opium addiction, reflecting on how it shaped his life and creative output. Holmes also underscores Coleridge's enduring influence on British Romantic poetry and its profound impact on the American Renaissance, encouraging educators and students to continue cherishing his timeless works. In closing, Prof. Holmes reads a passage from his two-volume biography of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy of DFER interview the NYT’s South Asia correspondent, Anupreeta Das. Ms. Das discusses how she became interested in writing her acclaimed biography, Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates and His Quest to Shape Our World, emphasizing Gates’ corporate and philanthropic influence on our era. She draws comparisons between Gates and other tech giants like Apple’s Steve Jobs and the 19th-century American tycoons Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Rockefeller, exploring their similarities and differences. Ms. Das also delves into Gates' early life, his pivotal role in the microcomputer and software revolutions, and the founding of Microsoft, highlighting his collaboration with Paul Allen and the innovative corporate culture they established. She further examines the landmark antitrust case, United States v. Microsoft, and its lasting effects on Gates and the tech industry. Finally, Das reflects on Gates' complex personal legacy and the broader implications of tech billionaires exerting significant influence over our democratic society. In closing, Das reads a passage from her book Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates and His Quest to Shape Our World.
This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Meredith Coolidge of DFER - MA interview President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Starlee Coleman. Ms. Coleman discusses her role as CEO of the Texas Public Charter Schools Association, highlighting the growth of charter schools in Texas, as well as the broader efforts to expand school choice. She addresses the complexities of charter school politics, the right-left coalition, and the need to bridge political divisions. Coleman also explores the challenges of maintaining academic quality amid the rapid expansion of charter schools, the role of authorizers, and the impact of federal K-12 spending on education outcomes. She concludes by discussing the political dynamics within the Democratic Party and the future of charter schools in states with strong teachers' unions.
This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Meredith Coolidge of DFER-MA interview Houston Independent School District, Superintendent Mike Miles. Mr. Miles reflects on his lifelong dedication to public service, starting as a soldier, then a diplomat, and later as an educational leader. He shares insights into his family background and formative experiences that shaped his commitment to serving the public. Miles discusses his time at West Point and how his service in the Army Ranger Battalion and as a Company Commander influenced his approach to leadership in large urban school districts. He delves into his diplomatic experiences in Poland and Russia during the Cold War, emphasizing the role of K-12 education in maintaining a free society and national security. Transitioning to his career in education, Mr. Miles talks about the challenges he faced as superintendent of the Harrison School District, Colorado Springs, and his urban district reform efforts in Dallas and Houston, Texas. Finally, Supt. Miles discusses the importance of urban education reform, the role of school choice, and the need to combat the chronic underperformance and despair affecting young people in American cities.
This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DEFR and retired MN Justice Barry Anderson interview Dr. David Heidler. He discusses the transformative period of Jacksonian Democracy, from 1829 to 1837. Dr. Heidler explores the political changes, sectionalism, and reforms that characterized the era, alongside the controversial figure of Andrew Jackson, whose volatile nature and strategic political management propelled his rise and image. Heidler delves into Jackson's presidential campaigns, his party's appeal to diverse coalitions, and the significant role of slavery, particularly in the wake of events like Nat Turner's 1831 slave rebellion. He also examines Jackson's relationships with prominent statesmen like Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, and John C. Calhoun; his influence on Indian removal policies leading to the Trail of Tears; as well as the divergent constitutional views of figures like the abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison and the states’ rights advocate, Calhoun. Dr. Heidler underscores how history, classic literature, and slave memoirs can enhance understanding of Antebellum America. He discusses the importance of examining the economic impact of immigration and transportation innovations, and highlights the influence of civic associations, religious movements, and communication advancements on the period's social reforms and democratic spirit. In closing, Dr. Heidler reads a passage from his coauthored book, The Rise of Andrew Jackson: Myth, Manipulation, and the Making of Modern Politics.
This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DEFR and Mike Goldstein interview Joshua Angrist, the Ford Professor of Economics at MIT. Prof Angrist shares his journey from growing up in Pittsburgh to becoming a Nobel Prize-winning economist. He reflects on his family, formative educational experiences, and his time as a paratrooper in the Israeli Defense Forces, where he gleaned valuable life lessons. Prof. Angrist explores the controversies and his motivations behind studying K-12 education, emphasizing what policymakers often overlook about education and labor markets. He discusses his groundbreaking research on charter schools, highlighting how his findings have influenced policymakers. Angrist also talks about his Nobel-winning work on the analysis of causal relationships in economics and the innovative research currently underway at Blueprint, his lab at MIT.
This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts DFER's Alisha Searcy and Mike Goldstein interview Stanford University Prof. Arnold Rampersad, author of Jackie Robinson: A Biography. He discusses the life and legacy of Robinson, the hall of fame baseball player and history-changing civil rights leader. Prof. Rampersad talks about Jackie Robinson's journey from rural Georgia, his athletic triumphs at UCLA, and his struggles against poverty and racism. He continues by exploring Robinson's military service, his time in the Negro Leagues, and Branch Rickey's pivotal role in helping Jackie break Major League Baseball’s color barrier. Prof. Rampersad highlights Robinson's historic MLB career, his profound impact on civil rights, and his enduring legacy.
This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and DFER's Alisha Searcy interview Pulitzer Winner Kai Bird. Mr. Bird focuses on the life and legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, “father of the atomic bomb.” He discusses Oppenheimer's impact on history, his early life and education, and his academic achievements in quantum physics. Bird covers Oppenheimer's political views, relationships, as well as his leadership in the Manhattan Project and his role in the Trinity test. He reflects on Oppenheimer's ethical concerns about the atomic bomb's devastation of WWII Japan and impact on the Cold War’s arms race. He examines Oppenheimer’s post-WWII career, including his involvement with the Atomic Energy Commission and the security clearance hearings that marked his decline. Mr. Bird continues with a discussion of Oppenheimer's legacy and the lessons from his life about the interplay between science, technology, and politics. He shares the experience of his book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, being turned into an Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer directed by Christopher Nolan. Mr. Bird closes by reading a passage from his Oppenheimer biography.
This week on The Learning Curve co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and DFER's Alisha Searcy interview Dr. Marguerite Roza from the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University. Dr. Roza explores the complexities of education finance and its impact on American K-12 education. She outlines the three phases of school funding over the past 40 years and their effect on equity and student achievement. She highlights that only about half of the K-12 education dollars fund student instruction, with significant money absorbed by the ever-expanding education bureaucracy. Dr. Roza discusses massive federal expenditures, such as COVID relief funds, emphasizing the need for better accountability. She examines the challenges faced by urban school districts with high per-pupil spending but low graduation rates and proficiency levels. Additionally, she explores the rise of private school choice programs and their accountability measures.
This week on The Learning Curve co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and DFER's Alisha Searcy interview Harlow Giles Unger, author of Lion of Liberty: Patrick Henry and the Call to a New Nation. Mr. Unger delves into the life of Patrick Henry as the country celebrates the Fourth of July. He explores Henry's early life, his rise as a lawyer and political figure, and his fiery opposition to British policies. Mr. Unger highlights Henry's famous "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech and his influential role as governor of Virginia, underscoring his enduring legacy in helping forge American independence. In closing, he reads a passage from his book, Lion of Liberty: Patrick Henry and the Call to a New Nation. The Learning Curve team wishes everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July!
This week on The Learning Curve co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Ret. MN Justice Barry Anderson interview U-CA Law-SF’s Prof. Joel Richard Paul. He discusses the statesman Daniel Webster, highlighting his reputation as the "conscience of New England" and one of America's greatest orators. Prof. Paul shares that Webster, despite a modest upbringing, became a leading attorney whose arguments in landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases shaped constitutional law. He highlights that Webster is known for his "constitutional nationalism," as he advocated for a unified vison of the country. Prof. Paul also notes Webster's powerful 1820 anti-slavery speech and his pivotal role in the Compromise of 1850, emphasizing his efforts to preserve the Union. In closing, he reads a passage from his book, Indivisible: Daniel Webster and the Birth of American Nationalism.
This week on The Learning Curve co-hosts DFER's Alisha Searcy and Charlie Chieppo interview Steven Wilson. Mr. Wilson delves into his extensive background, including his tenure at Pioneer Institute, his work with Governor Bill Weld, and his contributions to the landmark 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act. Steven shares insights into the high academic expectations and success of Boston's charter schools, emphasizing the importance of recruiting and retaining quality teachers and principals. He covers the significant growth of charter schools in the U.S., highlighting cities with strong political support and effective charter authorizing practices. Additionally, Wilson addresses the recent political shifts affecting charter schools, the impact of political correctness on educational quality, and previews his upcoming book on K-12 education and charter schools. He concludes by reflecting on the future of charter school reform and the steps policymakers should take to sustain and enhance educational innovation.
This week on The Learning Curve co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and DFER's Alisha Searcy interview Henry James biographer Sheldon Novick. Mr. Novick discusses the complexities of Henry James’ life and writing career, highlighting his significant literary contributions, the influence of his family's intellectual legacy, and the realistic portrayal of social tensions in his works. Novick explores Henry James’ life experiences that shaped his novels like The Portrait of a Lady and The Golden Bowl. He shared more on James' important friendships, particularly with the novelist Edith Wharton, emphasizing James' enduring influence on modern fiction. In closing, Novick reads a passage from his biography Henry James.
This week on The Learning Curve co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Ret. MN Justice Barry Anderson interview USAF Academy’s professor emerita, Jeanne Heidler. Dr. Heidler discusses Henry Clay's legacy as a seminal figure in American history. She covers Clay's early life, his transformation from a Virginia farm boy to a leading statesman, and his being mentored in the law by Founding Father, George Wythe. Dr. Heidler explores Clay's key contributions to U.S. public service, including his diplomatic role in ending the War of 1812, as well as his legislative work during the Missouri Compromise, the Nullification Crisis, and the Compromise of 1850. She addresses Clay's controversial role in the Election of 1824 and his tenure as secretary of state. She continues by discussing Clay's private life, his wife Lucretia, his conflicting positions on slavery, and his enduring impact trying to preserve the Union. In closing, Dr. Heidler reads a passage from her co-authored book, Henry Clay: The Essential American.
This week on The Learning Curve co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and DFER’s Alisha Searcy interview Harvard student Maya Shiloni. Ms. Shiloni discusses her Israeli upbringing, academic journey at Harvard, and experiences as a world-class dancer. She addresses leadership crises in higher education, religious toleration, and the impact of the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. In closing, Shiloni also highlights her aim to bridge understanding on American campus issues and international conflicts.
Maya Shiloni is an Israeli-American student at Harvard College studying Government and Economics with a citation in Arabic. She is an opinion editor with The Crimson, Harvard's leading student newspaper. In 2023, Maya interned for Knesset Member Meirav Cohen, and this summer, she will be working for Congressman Josh Gottheimer. She is also three-time gold medalist at the Dance World Cup, the largest international dance competition.
This week on The Learning Curve co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick interview Cheryl Brown Henderson, daughter of the lead plaintiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education. She explores her family's pivotal role in the Brown case, detailing her father’s part within the NAACP's wider legal strategy. Cheryl discusses the influence of religious faith on the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the impact of segregation on her family, and their courageous decision to confront the legal barriers to racial equality in K-12 education. She emphasizes the ongoing need for comprehensive school reform leadership that will address the racial disparities still found across American public education.
This week on The Learning Curve co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and DFER's Alisha Searcy interview POLITICO's Peter Canellos, biographer of Justice John Marshall Harlan. Mr. Canellos delves into Harlan's upbringing in a prominent slaveholding family, his Civil War service in the Union Army, and his rapid rise in Kentucky politics as a Republican. He highlights John Harlan’s mixed-race half-brother Robert Harlan and key legal precedents like the notorious Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), which influenced Harlan's views on race and equality. Canellos explores Harlan's famously farsighted dissent in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), emphasizing its significance in laying the groundwork for future civil rights legal victories, notably Brown v. Board of Education (1954). In closing, Mr. Canellos reads a passage from his book, The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America’s Judicial Hero.
This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts University of Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson interview General Counsel of U.S. Cyber Command, Colonel Pete Hayden. He shares insights about growing up in western Massachusetts, attending law school, his military service, and emphasizes the legal aspects of his national security work. Col. Hayden discusses Cyber Command's mission, distinguishing it from the NSA, while stressing the importance of defending the nation in cyberspace. He talks about Cyber Command's daily operations and international cooperation, highlighting partnerships with various entities, and the delicate balance of public engagement and classified national security. In closing, Col. Hayden advises young people on navigating the complexities of technology and encourages aspiring military legal professionals.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts University of Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Mariam Memarsadeghi interview Stanford University senior fellow and biographer of Joseph Stalin, Dr. Stephen Kotkin. He explores Stalin's origins, consolidation of power, and his Communist despotism. Kotkin delves into Stalin's cunning political maneuvers, his complex relationships with other Soviet leaders like Lenin and Trotsky, and the devastating consequences of his regime, including the forced collectivization and mass starvation of millions. Additionally, Dr. Kotkin examines Stalin's role as a wartime leader, his alliances with Western powers, and the far-reaching implications of the Nazi-Soviet pact. He shares a preview of the forthcoming third volume of his Stalin biography, offering insights into Stalin's Soviet Union during the post-WWII era and the early years of the Cold War. In closing Dr. Kotkin reads a passage from his first volume, Stalin: Paradoxes of Power, 1878-1928.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts University of Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Charlie Chieppo interview Johns Hopkins’ Institute for Education Policy director, Dr. Ashley Berner. She discusses educational pluralism's role in improving K-12 performance, exploring European models and the impact of U.S. school choice programs. Dr. Berner analyzes universal ESAs and vocational-technical schooling, addressing persistent academic struggles and civic knowledge gaps. She shares how the potential of liberal arts education could unify a divided society. In closing Dr. Berner reads from her new book, Educational Pluralism and Democracy: How to Handle Indoctrination, Promote Exposure, and Rebuild America’s Schools.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts University of Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick interview renowned poet and Boston University professor, Robert Pinsky. He discusses his memoir Jersey Breaks: Becoming an American Poet; the enduring influence of sacred texts like the Psalms; and the wide cultural significance of classic poets like Homer and Shakespeare. Through his book Democracy, Culture and the Voice of Poetry, he shares his views on the vital role of poetry in shaping a vibrant American democracy. Pinsky also talks about the power of poetry in inspiring social change, the importance of reading poetry aloud, and the timeless wisdom embedded in classic poetry, like his translation of Dante's Inferno. In closing, Pinsky reads his poem “Shirt."
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts University of Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Charlie Chieppo interview U.S. Chamber Foundation VP, Hilary Crow. She discusses the state of K-12 civics, emphasizing the Chamber Foundation’s role in addressing America’s wide civic education deficits. Crow highlights a recent national civics survey, alarming civic literacy gaps, and links between political unrest and our nation’s educational shortcomings in K-12 civics. Ms. Crow also stresses the importance of local engagement and initiatives like the Chamber Foundation’s National Civics Bee.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson interview UCLA’s classical historian, Prof. Ronald Mellor. Dr. Mellor delves into the enduring influence of Tacitus, the great Roman historian, on both America’s Founding Fathers and contemporary understanding of politics and government. He discusses Tacitus's insights on the early Roman emperors, unchecked authority, moral judgment of leadership, and the decline of the Roman Republic, as well as ancient lessons for modern governance. Prof. Mellor closes with a reading from his book, Tacitus.
This week on The Learning Curve, University of Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and guest co-host Alisha Searcy interview Tufts University Prof. Elizabeth Setren. Prof. Setren discusses her recent study of METCO, a pioneering voluntary school desegregation program under which Massachusetts students in Boston and Springfield are bused to surrounding suburban districts. She discusses METCO's history, the academic performance of students in the program, enrollment challenges, long-term benefits, and disparities among students. She urges policymakers to make evidence-based policy decisions and calls for further research to enhance the program’s effectiveness.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts DFER-MA's Mary Tamer and Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick, educator and notedMark Twain scholar, interview Trinity College Prof. Joan Hedrick, author of Harriet Beecher Stowe: A Life. During Women’s History Month, Prof. Hedrick discusses Harriet Beecher Stowe's wide literary influence on U.S. history. From her abolitionist activism to the publication of international bestseller Uncle Tom's Cabin, they explore Stowe's New England upbringing, anti-slavery convictions, and lasting impact on American literature and social reform in the 19th century. Prof. Hedrick closes with a reading from her Harriet Beecher Stowe biography.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts University of Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy interview Dr. Adrian Mims, founder of The Calculus Project. He delves into his mission to enhance math education for minority and low-income students, drawing inspiration from Bob Moses's Algebra Project and Jaime Escalante's teaching legacy. Dr. Mims navigates through the contentious "math wars" and underscores the pivotal role of Algebra I as a gateway to higher math. He also evaluates the negative impact of Common Core math standards, and proposes strategies to combat pandemic-induced learning setbacks and bridge the gap in math proficiency between American students and their international counterparts.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Charlie Chieppo interview Yale Prof. Beverly Gage, author of G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American. Gage delves into the enigmatic life and career of J. Edgar Hoover, tracing his formative years in Washington, D.C., his rise to prominence as director of the FBI, and his enduring influence on American law enforcement and politics. She discusses his early career monitoring domestic radicals to his aggressive pursuit of gangsters like John Dillinger, communists, spies, and Civil Rights-era figures. Hoover's tenure at the FBI was marked by both innovation and controversy. She closes with a reading from G-Man.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson interview UK University of Warwick Prof. Benjamin Smith. Prof. Benjamin Smith, author of The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade provides insights into various aspects of the Mexican drug trade, including its historical context and the evolution of illicit drug products over time. He discusses key cartels and their methods, the impact of the drug trade on Mexico's murder rates, the immense financial scale of the trade, its effect on Mexico and the U.S., and the challenges law enforcement face in combating it. Smith explores the relationship among Mexican cartels, other foreign countries, and the illicit drug market in the U.S. He closes with a reading from his book, The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Charlie Chieppo interview Mary Tamer, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform, Massachusetts. She focuses on the historic impact of the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act on the commonwealth’s students’ high achievement on national and international measures. She explores the politics of the Massachusetts Teachers Association advocating against the MCAS test as a graduation requirement. In closing, Ms. Tamer also discusses the rise of teacher strikes and their implications for education reform in the Bay State.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Alisha Searcy interview University of Tennessee Prof. Robert Norrell. He explores Booker T. Washington's early life in slavery, his transformative leadership at Tuskegee Institute amidst Jim Crow racism, and his advocacy for vocational education as a means for racial uplift. Prof. Norrell also discusses Washington’s 1901 autobiography, Up From Slavery; his controversial White House dinner with President Theodore Roosevelt; and his often overlooked legacy following the activism of the 1960s Civil Rights era. In closing, Prof. Norrell reads a passage from his book Up from History: The Life of Booker T. Washington.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Charlie Chieppo interview the executive director of TIMSS & PIRLS, Dr. Matthias von Davier. Dr. von Davier explores his educational background and its influence on directing TIMSS & PIRLS, shedding light on psychometrics and standardized testing. He discusses the shift in education policy's focus, the global education data landscape, and the pandemic's effects on K-12 education around the world. Dr. von Davier addresses the alarming decline in U.S. educational performance, emphasizing the urgency to bridge achievement gaps. Drawing from international experiences, he highlights global examples for American policymakers from higher-performing countries, emphasizing the crucial links between education, skills, and innovation on the global economy.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Charlie Chieppo interview Vice President of Policy for ExcelinEd, Dr. Cara Candal. Dr. Candal delves into the evolving landscape of K-12 education in the U.S., examining the expansion of private school choice programs in the wake of two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions. She then discusses the changing political dynamics around charter schools and the national school choice movement’s strategies in low-performing states. Next up are the role of parent-driven models during the pandemic, the significance of voc-tech education, and how to address underperformance and achievement gaps. Finally, she reflects on the international perspective through tests like PISA and TIMSS, and concludes with insights on addressing ongoing crises in large urban school districts.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Alisha Searcy interview New York Times best-selling biographer of MLK, Jonathan Eig. Mr. Eig delves into MLK's early spiritual leadership, the influence of Langston Hughes on his speeches, and his relationship with his wife, Coretta Scott King. He also discusses the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's challenges, historic events in Birmingham, Alabama, the March on Washington, and MLK's struggles in Chicago, concluding with the Poor People's Campaign and the tragic events leading to his assassination in 1968. Eig underscores the multifaceted aspects of MLK's life, and provides insights on drawing lessons for contemporary challenges in race relations and leadership. Mr. Eig closes the interview with a reading from his book, King: A Life.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Alisha Searcy interview Gabby Thomas, a world-class track sprinter and Olympian, originally from the Pioneer Valley in western Massachusetts. She shares her journey from the Williston Northampton School to Harvard, where she balanced neurobiology studies with winning 22 track titles. Transitioning to professional sprinting, she qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, winning bronze and silver medals. In addition to track sprinting, Ms. Thomas excels academically, focusing on neurobiology and global public health. She recently graduated from the University of Texas Health Science Center with a master's degree in epidemiology. After medal-winning performances at the 2023 World Athletics Championships this past summer, Ms. Thomas is looking ahead to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Charlie Chieppo interview two-time Pulitzer Prize winner T.J. Stiles. Mr. Stiles delves into the life of America’s first tycoon, Cornelius Vanderbilt, exploring his rise to historic wealth in steamboats, shipping, and railroads. He discusses Vanderbilt's legal battles, philanthropy, and enduring legacy, exploring his business competitiveness and wide impact on 19th-century America’s economy. Mr. Stiles closes the interview with a reading from The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Alisha Searcy interview Smith College Prof. Carol Zaleski. She discussed her co-authored book, The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings including J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, renowned for their literary and moral impact. Prof. Zaleski covers Tolkien's life, the success of The Lord of the Rings, and its enduring themes. Additionally, she delved into C.S. Lewis's experiences, his role as a professor, and the timeless lessons in The Chronicles of Narnia. Her discussion extends to the broader legacy of the Inklings, influencing J.K. Rowling and resonating in today's culturally divisive era, emphasizing their spiritual and moral contributions. Prof. Zaleski closes the interview reading an excerpt from her book The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings.
Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Alisha Searcy interview journalist Emily Hanford, host of the hit podcast Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong. Ms. Hanford discusses how she became interested in the science of reading, the growing consensus around phonics as the best way to teach children to read, the impact of the digital age on learning, and the importance of academic background knowledge for schoolchildren's learning. She offers her thoughts on how to reverse dramatic declines in NAEP reading test scores and the different kinds of reading that young people should be doing, including fables, poems, myths, fiction, history, and biography, that give them the wider vocabulary and knowledge to be good readers.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Andrea Silbert, president of the Eos Foundation, interview Francine Klagsbrun, the author of Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel. They discuss the story of the woman who left Kiev as a child, grew up in Milwaukee, emigrated to Mandatory Palestine, was a signatory to the declaration of independence for the state of Israel, and rose to become that nation's fourth prime minister. Klagsbrun discusses Meir's role in peace and war, her model of democratic leadership, and what young people today can learn from her remarkable life and legacy. She closes the interview with a reading from her biography of Meir.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Mariam Memarsadeghi, interview Hillsdale College's assistant provost for K-12 Education, Dr. Kathleen O’Toole. Dr. O'Toole explores Hillsdale's mission and its impact on K-12 education, delving into classical education, Greco-Roman ideals, Enlightenment principles, and the college’s efforts to enhance education. She discusses the challenges faced in exporting Hillsdale's model to K-12 public schooling, critiques of American education, and the role of the liberal arts in fostering academic unity amidst societal divisions.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Charlie Chieppo, interview the National Alliance’s Nina Rees. Rees discusses her 11-year tenure at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, highlighting policy gains, the growth of charter school enrollment, and the challenges of charter school politics. She explores debates on growth, quality, and authorizing of charters, and addresses the impact of federal K-12 spending and the evolving relationship between charter schools and private school choice. She concludes with insights on a new report ranking states’ charter school performance on NAEP and recommendations for improving academic outcomes in K-12 education.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Mariam Memarsadeghi, interview Harvard Prof. Leo Damrosch. Delving into the life of Jonathan Swift, Prof. Damrosch explores Swift's satirical brilliance in works like Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal. Analyzing his sharp critiques of politics and society, Dr. Damrosch emphasizes Swift's enduring literary legacy, showcasing his wit, keen insights into human nature, and commitment to liberty. In closing, Prof. Damrosch reads from his book, Jonathan Swift: His Life and His World.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Ian Rowe, the founder of Vertex Partnership Academies in NYC, interview Dr. Carol Swain, an award-winning political scientist. Dr. Swain discusses her background growing up in rural Virginia, experiences with racial discrimination and segregation in K-12 schooling, and changes in the intellectual climate on college campuses. She shares the role of faith in promoting literacy and justice, the legacies of MLK and Malcolm X, the 1619 Project, her work with 1776 Unites, and her belief in the importance of public intellectuals speaking their minds.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Alisha Searcy interview Leslie Klinger, annotator of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Mr. Klinger discusses Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; the creation of the Sherlock Holmes character; Holmes' relationships with Dr. Watson, Irene Adler, and Professor Moriarty; and famous Holmes cases. He also explores Edgar Allan Poe's influence on the detective genre, as well as the timeless significance of 19th-century horror stories such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in popular culture. In closing, Mr. Klinger reads a passage from his annotated Sherlock Holmes stories.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Prof. Albert Cheng interview Pioneer’s Chris Sinacola, co-editor of Restoring the City on a Hill: U.S. History & Civics in America's Schools. Sinacola explores our new book, which addresses the state of history and civics education in K-12 schools in the United States. He shares the book’s insights about the decline in history standards, the importance of studying history and civics for leadership, the overall crisis in history and civics education, and the use of primary sources to enhance students’ understanding. Sinacola reviews how Pioneer's book also profiles states with high-quality standards and evaluates various civics programs, emphasizing the significance of academic content in civic education. In closing, Sinacola reads a passage from the book.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Mariam Memarsadeghi and MN Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson interview Prof. Jeff Broadwater author of the biography George Mason: Forgotten Founder. Prof. Broadwater explores George Mason's pivotal role in opposing British policies during the American Revolution, his authorship of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and Constitution and his stance against slavery. Prof. Broadwater discusses George Mason's views on constitutionalism and federalism, leadership among the Anti-Federalists, and concerns about the emergence of commercial interests. He also highlights George Mason's emphasis on civic virtue as the foundation of American self-government. Prof. Broadwater closes with a reading from his biography of George Mason.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Mary Tamer of DFER- Massachusetts interview former D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty. Mayor Fenty discusses the historic school reforms implemented during his and Michelle Rhee's tenure in Washington, D.C., focusing on taking over the D.C. Public Schools (DCPS). He highlights the challenges of overcoming the DCPS bureaucracy, navigating politics, and managing the transition of leadership from Michelle Rhee to Kaya Henderson. Additionally, Mayor Fenty touches on the broader crisis of urban education reform and teacher unions' role in controlling the urban school landscape.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Professor Albert Cheng interview Dr. James Stigler, a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He’s the co-author of the long-noted books The Teaching Gap and The Learning Gap. Professor Stigler discusses the enduring teaching and learning challenges in U.S. STEM education, international student achievement, math pedagogy debates, and international standardized tests. He explains possible strategies for mitigating COVID-19-related learning loss.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Mariam Memarsadeghi and Mary Connaughton interview Laura Thompson, a New York Times bestseller and the award-winning author of Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life. Ms. Thompson provides an overview of Agatha Christie's life and career, gaining insights into her literary contributions and the enduring popularity of her detective novels. She explores the timeless appeal of Dame Agatha's iconic characters, such as Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, and discusses the influence of her writing on the mystery genre as a whole. They weigh in on the various adaptations of Christie's works into film, television, and theater, shedding light on the fascination with her intricate plots, and her own mysterious disappearance in 1926. Ms. Thompson concludes the interview with a reading from her biography of Agatha Christie.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Derrell Bradford interview John Steele Gordon, the author of 10 books on business, economic, and technology history. They discuss the keys to America’s transformation into the world’s foremost economic power, from its grounding in British legal, political, and financial institutions into the political economy of the Founding era, with the establishment of intellectual property law and copyrights. Mr. Gordon analyzes the economic impact of the Civil War, slavery, tariff battles, and key figures from the Gilded Age, as well as how America emerged from two world wars to become a financial powerhouse. He assesses the innovation that has created global giants such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, and the U.S.’s massive national debt and economic prospects for competitiveness in the twenty-first century. Mr. Gordon concludes the interview with a reading from his book An Empire of Wealth: The Epic History of American Economic Power.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Mariam Memarsadeghi interview writer and biographer Dr. Ramachandra Guha. The author of a definitive two-volume biography of Mohandas K. Gandhi, Guha discusses Gandhi’s formative educational experiences, spirituality, political leadership, and philosophy of non-violent resistance, as well as his emphasis on moral self-reliance, interfaith dialogue, and social justice. He reviews Gandhi’s career, including how his experiences in the U.K. and South Africa prepared him to become a national leader in India, his role in the 1930 Salt March, and the push for Indian independence. Guha discusses Gandhi’s enduring legacy and influence on movements for freedom around the world. He concludes with a reading from Gandhi Before India, the first volume of his biography.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Mary Tamer, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform, Massachusetts, speak with Paul Vallas, former CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and a candidate for mayor of that city earlier this year. Vallas talks about the professional lessons he drew from public leadership, how he financed the largest infrastructure investment program in over a century in the city, and how he closed deficits and balanced budgets as head of the Chicago Public Schools. He also reflects on Chicago politics, the challenge of bargaining with teacher unions, the state of charter public schools in Chicago, and the growing political power of teachers' unions in large urban areas.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Alisha Searcy speak with Albert Cheng, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Education Reform in the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas. Professor Cheng talks about the importance of classical education for guiding educational philosophy and practice and shaping the character of students. He reflects on how mathematics informs the kind of education students need in the twenty-first century and discusses tensions in K-12 policymaking between progressive education theories and the liberal arts based in academic content, as well as debates over school choice, educational content, and accountability.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Mariam Memarsadeghi interview Jay Parini, Professor of English and Creative Writing at Middlebury College. A poet, professor, and author of literary biographies, Parini discusses how he came to write Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America. From William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation through The Federalist Papers, Thoreau’s Walden, and works by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain, and W.E.B. Du Bois, Parini explores how key works of fiction and nonfiction have shaped the American mind and character and guided our understanding of ourselves as a people and a nation. He closes the interview with a reading from Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Kendra Espinoza interview Shiren Rattigan of Colossal Academy, a microschool in Florida. They discuss how Shiren became interested in K-12 education, how the COVID-19 pandemic led to her founding of Colossal Academy, and her development into a national leader in the microschool movement. Shiren addressed how microschools, pods, and hybrid learning can help students with curricular fundamentals that traditional public schools have long struggled with, and how educational alternatives can help underserved communities and at-risk students.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Kerry McDonald interview Professor David Abulafia from Cambridge University, who discusses the many roles of the world’s oceans in human history and trade. He focuses on how the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans, along with the Mediterranean Sea, have networked human societies and spurred the rise of civilizations. From religion, language, and culture to maritime trade, military conflict, and the modern era of container ships, Professor Abulafia shows how the oceans have been instrumental in shaping cultures and history, and outlines the seas' ongoing importance in the century ahead. Professor Abulafia concludes the interview with a reading from his book The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson and Mariam Memarsadeghi interview Dr. Peter Wood, president of the National Association of Scholars. Dr. Wood discusses the invention of the modern concept of diversity and how it has replaced earlier understandings of human unity, liberty, and equality as exemplified by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's civil rights message of “a single garment of destiny." He traces the history of U.S. Supreme Court rulings on the use of diversity in college admissions while also addressing how a culture of anger seems to pervade American life, including our music and politics. Dr. Wood concludes the interview with a reading from his latest book Wrath: America Enraged.
Stories of the Week: Barry discussed a piece in First Things in which Mark Bauerlein discusses rising Catholic school enrollments and gives a defense of traditional liberal arts education; Mariam cited an Axios story discussing a recent Gallup poll which found declines in American patriotism, with just 18 percent of those ages 18-34 feeling very proud to be Americans.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest cohosts Derrell Bradford and Alisha Searcy interview professor Manisha Sinha, the Draper Chair in American History at the University of Connecticut and an expert on slavery and abolition. She discussed the influential figures and seminal events that created the abolitionist movement. Professor Sinha described the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and other key moments in the fight to end slavery. She closes with a reading from her book The Slave’s Cause: A History of Abolition.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest cohosts Alisha Searcy and Mariam Memarsadeghi interview award-winning biographer Tamara Payne about the life and legacy of Malcolm X. She discussed how her father, Les Payne, embarked on the biography, and offers insight into Malcolm Little’s early life and education, the influences of racism and Pan-Africanism on the Little family, and how Malcolm Little became Malcolm X and rose within the ranks of the Nation of Islam. Tamara traces Malcolm X’s experiences during the civil rights movement, his break with the Nation of Islam, pilgrimage to Mecca, his autobiography, the dynamics leading to his assassination, and the ongoing debate over his legacy. Ms. Payne concludes the interview with a reading from The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X.
Stories of the Week: Alisha highlights New Hampshire's recent bipartisan bill promoting civics education; and Mariam talked about Michael Bloomberg's WSJ op-ed on holding politicians accountable for neglecting our nation's education system.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest cohosts Charlie Chieppo and Alisha Searcy join Dr. David Steiner for a wide-ranging discussion about the importance of education as a means of transmitting enduring wisdom to young people. Dr. Steiner discusses differences in K-12 education between the U.S. and the U.K., explores how schools of education may be contributing to the decline of K-12 education, reflects on the politicization of U.S. history and civics education, and talks about what states, governors, and state legislatures can do to lead systemic academic improvements. Dr. Steiner concludes the interview with a reading from his new book A Nation at Thought: Restoring Wisdom in America’s Schools.
This week on The Learning Curve, for our special July Fourth edition, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Stacy Schiff explores the American revolutionary Samuel Adams. She discusses Adams’ background, religion, and formative intellectual development, including the influences that Greco-Roman history, the Bible, and Enlightenment thinkers had upon his life and political thought. Schiff discusses Adams' rise to prominence in the 1760s and ‘70s, how he and fellow American revolutionaries viewed the British Crown’s policies, and how they transformed their conception of themselves and their country from subjects of Great Britain to independent citizens of an American republic. Schiff touches on Adams’ ideas about American independence, republicanism, and slavery, and what K-12 schoolchildren today should remember about a man who was a paragon of austere republican self-government based on principled civic virtue. Ms. Schiff closes the interview with a reading from her book, The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams.
This week on The Learning Curve, Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson close out their time as long-time cohosts of the podcast by sharing highlights and memories from over the last several years. They reflect upon the state of education reform, the growth of school choice, parental empowerment, the impact of the Great Books, and the wisdom of many well-known and influential guests. We thank Cara and Gerard for their long and faithful service to the podcast and wish them well.
This week on The Learning Curve, Eric Rassbach of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty discusses school choice and religious freedom. He talks about competing legal philosophies and views of the U.S. Constitution as they impact education, school choice, and religion liberty, and why issues pertaining to religion and schools remain so divisive at the K-12 level. Mr. Rassbach examines the long-term implications of recent, landmark U.S. Supreme Court rulings in favor of families choosing religious schools for their children, as well as key points at issue in Loffman v. California Department of Education, in which a group of parents are suing for their right to use special education funding at Orthodox Jewish schools.
This week on The Learning Curve, Lance Izumi of the Pacific Research Institute discussed the state of K-12 education reform, including declining test scores, COVID-related learning loss, and the growth of education bureaucracies and non-instructional staffing. He reflected on charter schools, school choice, and how knowledge of U.S. history and civics should be taught. Lance talked about efforts to rebuild coalitions to promote charter schools, and the impact of two recent landmark U.S. Supreme Court rulings on expanding private and religious school choice for families.
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This week on The Learning Curve, McGill University Professor Marc Raboy, author of Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World, explores how twentieth-century Italian communications pioneer Guglielmo Marconi made his world-changing discoveries. Prof. Raboy explores the global significance of Marconi’s first transoceanic signal transmission in 1901, and how today’s world of smartphones, Wi-Fi, satellite TV, GPS navigation, and wireless computer networking derives from Marconi’s historic work. Prof. Raboy closes the interview with a reading from his Marconi biography.
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This week on The Learning Curve, cohosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson spoke with Donald Graham, Chairman of Graham Holdings Company, previously The Washington Post Company. Mr.Graham discussed his family’s ownership of The Washington Post, their efforts to bring the paper to prominence and financial stability. He talked about his mother, Katharine Graham’s, history-changing achievements, including the Post’s coverage of the Watergate scandal. Graham reflects upon how his military and police career informed his work as a journalist, his views on social media, and his work in higher education reform and philanthropy on behalf of immigrant youth.
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This week on The Learning Curve, cohost Cara Candal and guest cohost Michael Bindas, senior attorney with the Institute for Justice, speak with noted constitutional law professor Philip Hamburger of Columbia Law School. They discuss the legal basis for private and religious school choice, and how American constitutionalism supports parental choice in education. Prof. Hamburger explores the implications of recent landmark U.S. Supreme Court rulings in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue and Carson v. Makin for the future of private and religious school litigation in America. Prof. Hamburger closes with a reading from his book Purchasing Submission: Conditions, Power, and Freedom.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest cohost Jonathan Greenberg speaks with Loyola University Maryland professor and American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Dr. Diana Schaub. They discuss America’s democratic civic culture and how Enlightenment thinkers shaped the Founders’ views about modern republican self-government. Prof. Schaub explores the legacies, speeches, and writings of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, and how knowledge of U.S. history and primary sources can debunk revisionist approaches to teaching history and civics. Dr. Schaub closes the interview with a reading from her recent book, His Greatest Speeches: How Lincoln Moved the Nation.
This week on The Learning Curve, Cara and Gerard speak with Morehouse College's Dr. Marisela Martinez-Cola, JD, about her book The Bricks before Brown: The Chinese American, Native American, and Mexican Americans' Struggle for Educational Equality, about the long struggle for equal opportunity in American education. She discussed the many cases that preceded Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 decision that overturned the doctrine of "separate but equal" established in the Supreme Court's 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling. Dr. Martinez-Cola reviews the important, lesser-known legal challenges brought by Chinese American, Native American, and Mexican American plaintiffs, and how their efforts set the stage for Brown and continue to shape Americans' understanding of civil rights and equality of educational opportunity.
This week on The Learning Curve, Gerard and guest cohost Alisha Searcy speak with Dr. Howard Fuller, Founder/Director of the Institute for the Transformation of Learning (ITL) at Marquette University, about the state of education reform and the ongoing push to expand school choice and charter schools. Dr. Fuller discusses educational options available to minority students today, the role of charter schools in overall reform of urban education, and how the nation’s political, civic, and religious leaders can address racial divisions. He also shares with listeners highlights and frustrations from his long and remarkable career in education.
This week on The Learning Curve, guest cohosts Charlie Chieppo and Alisha Searcy speak with Dr. Eric Foner, Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University and Pulitzer Prize-winning author on Lincoln, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. They discuss what educators and students today need to know about the post-Civil War era, Reconstruction, and the legacy of slavery. Professor Foner talks about emancipated slaves' quest for economic autonomy and equal citizenship, and the importance of studying and understanding the Reconstruction Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. He closes the interview with a reading from his book The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery.
This week on The Learning Curve, Cara and guest cohost Charlie Chieppo speak with Dr. Carey Wright, former Mississippi state superintendent of education. They discuss the lessons she’s learned about education policymaking across her career, and the state leadership that was necessary to achieve dramatic improvements in fourth graders' reading scores in Mississippi during her time there. Dr. Wright also talks about the role Mississippi’s great literature and blues music should play in the curriculum of K-12 schooling. She discusses the importance of early childhood education and literacy programs, as well as the lessons educators can draw from Mississippi's heroes in the Civil Rights Movement, including Medgar Evers and Fannie Lou Hamer.
This week on The Learning Curve, Gerard and guest cohost Jay Greene discuss the history of modern China with Dr. Frank Dikötter, author of the People's Trilogy, a landmark study of the impact of Communism on the ordinary people of China. Dr. Dikötter discusses Chairman Mao Zedong, the Chinese Communist revolution, the Great Leap Forward, China's economic ascent under Deng Xiaoping, and the hard realities that the U.S. and the West must understand as they seek to engage with the rising economic and military power that is modern China. Prof. Dikötter closes the interview with a reading from his book, China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower.
This week on The Learning Curve, Cara and guest cohost Jonathan Greenberg discuss the legacy of the Founding Fathers and the future of civics education with Lorraine Pangle, professor of political philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. They discuss how Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and others were steeped in the classics and how ancient authors and thinkers, along with figures from the Enlightenment, helped shape America's Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and our nation's understanding of the role of public education as a wellspring of republican self-government. Prof. Pangle concludes with a reading from her book, The Learning of Liberty: The Educational Ideas of the American Founders.
In this special April Fools' Day edition of The Learning Curve, guest host Mark Bauerlein chats with Robert McCrum, the definitive biographer of the English comic genius P.G. Wodehouse, whose whimsical satires featuring the brilliant valet Reginald Jeeves and the daffy English gentleman Bertie Wooster have delighted generations of readers. They discuss Wodehouse's pitch-perfect sense of humor, inimitable prose style, and the gentle, much-needed humor he brought to Britain in the wake of
World War I and the 1918 flu epidemic. Mr. McCrum concludes the interview with a reading from his 2004 biography P.G. Wodehouse: A Life.
This week on The Learning Curve, cohosts Cara and Gerard speak with Ashley Soifer, Chief Innovation Officer of the National Microschooling Center. They discuss the rapid growth of these innovative schooling options, in which families and innovators are using a wide array of education choices that offer parents flexibility and greater control over how, where, what, and when their children learn. Soifer discusses how microschools predate the pandemic, saw rapid expansion during COVID-19, and are here to stay. She also touches on the role of technology in homeschooling, microschooling, and pod models, and how families, including many parents of color, are taking advantage of these exciting new approaches to K-12 education.
This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara and Gerard talk with Peter Cozzens, the award-winning author of The Earth Is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West. As National Native American Heritage Month winds down, Mr. Cozzens reviews what our schoolchildren should know about Native Peoples’ innumerable contributions and heart-wrenching experiences. He discusses the life and...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara and Gerard talk with Nathaniel Philbrick, historian, winner of the National Book Award, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and author of Mayflower: Voyage, Community, and War. Mr. Philbrick shares what we should know about the actual historical events of the First Thanksgiving in 1621. He describes who the Pilgrims were, their beliefs and educational...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara and Gerard talk with Alisha Thomas Searcy, the Democratic nominee for Georgia state school superintendent. She shares her experience as a former six-term state legislator and school leader; her recent bid for Georgia’s top education post; and her passion for K-12 education reform. They explore her support of charter schools, school choice...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara and Gerard talk with Amar Kumar, founder and CEO of KaiPod Learning, a network of in-person education centers for online learners and homeschoolers, based in Massachusetts. They discuss how the pandemic dramatically changed parents’ sentiments about their traditional public schools, opening the door to wider private school choice options...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara and Gerard talk with Dr. Jack Rakove, Coe Professor of History and American Studies and Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Stanford University, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution. Professor Rakove reviews the biography of James Madison, often called the “Father of the...
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This week on a Halloween edition of “The Learning Curve,” guest host Mary Z. Connaughton talks with Miranda Seymour, novelist and definitive biographer of Mary Shelley, author of the classic Gothic novel, Frankenstein. Ms. Seymour shares some of the main features of Shelley’s brilliant and tragedy-filled life that the general public and students should know more about, starting with her parents...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Maryanne Wolf, Director of the Center for Dyslexia and Diverse Learners at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, and the author of Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World. They discuss American K-12 education’s approach to reading instruction, and how we can increase students’...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Jeff Wetzler, co-founder of Transcend, a nonprofit focused on innovation in school design that works with hundreds of school communities in over two dozen states in America. He shares his background and what motivated his interest in helping to bring about transformational changes to improve student outcomes.
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On this special Columbus Day edition of “The Learning Curve,” guest host Pioneer Institute’s Mary Z. Connaughton talks with Laurence Bergreen, a prize-winning biographer, historian, chronicler of exploration, and the author of Columbus: The Four Voyages, 1492-1504. Mr. Bergreen discusses what people should know about the life, career, and myths around Christopher Columbus, the courageous, ruthless...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Karega Rausch, President and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. Dr. Rausch shares some of his background, his interest in K-12 education reform and charter public schools, and lessons from Indiana and other states that inform his work. With charter public school enrollment nearly doubling...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy, and Amy McGrath, the Chief Operating Officer of ASU Prep and Deputy Vice President of ASU Educational Outreach. Mr. Khan shares the origin story of his wildly successful online K-12 education platform, which reaches 137 million users across 190 countries. Mr.
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Niall Ferguson, the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard. He is the author of 16 books, including Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe. Dr. Ferguson comments publicly for the first...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Bill Evers and Ze’ev Wurman, of the Independent Institute, about the challenges of ensuring all students have access to quality K-12 math and science education in California and across the U.S. They review the findings of the 1983 report, A Nation At Risk, and international TIMSS and PISA data going back a decade...
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In this Labor Day edition of “The Learning Curve,” Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Timothy Garton Ash, Professor of European Studies at the University of Oxford, Isaiah Berlin Professorial Fellow at St Antony’s College, Oxford, and the author of The Polish Revolution: Solidarity. Professor Garton Ash shares insights on what both the public and students should know about Poland’s...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Angel Adams Parham, Associate Professor of Sociology and senior fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture (IASC) at the University of Virginia, and the author of The Black Intellectual Tradition: Reading Freedom in Classical Literature. Professor Parham shares her background as an academic and...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Alan Taylor, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor of History at the University of Virginia, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of the book, Thomas Jefferson’s Education. Professor Taylor shares some highlights of Jefferson’s career, his views on the importance of primary and higher public...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Gerard Robinson and guest co-host Charles Chieppo talk with Doug Lemov, author of the international bestseller, Teach Like a Champion. Doug describes how he became interested in charter schools, dating back to the late 1990s in Massachusetts, and how the sector developed into a nationally recognized success story. He discusses his experience with the Uncommon...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Charles Hobson, a retired resident scholar at the William & Mary Law School, 26-year editor of The Papers of John Marshall, and author of The Great Chief Justice: John Marshall and the Rule of Law. Dr. Hobson shares what students should know about the longest-serving, most important chief justice in the...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Milly Arbaje-Thomas, President & CEO of the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity, Inc. (METCO) and Roger Hatch, co-author of Pioneer’s report, METCO Funding: Understanding Massachusetts’ Voluntary School Desegregation Program. Milly shares her background as an immigrant from the Dominican Republic and...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Richard Epstein, the inaugural Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Law at NYU School of Law, and author of The Classical Liberal Constitution: The Uncertain Quest for Limited Government. He describes the influence of 17th and 18th-century English ideas on our Founding Fathers’ views of ordered liberty and self...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Gerard Robinson and guest co-host Kerry McDonald talk with Bernita Bradley, founder and president of Engaged Detroit, a parent-driven urban homeschooling advocacy coalition. Bernita shares her background, and how she became a nationally recognized parent advocate for urban K-12 education reform. They delve into problems with the chronically underperforming...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Gerard Robinson and guest co-host Kerry McDonald talk with Jean Strouse, author of the award-winning biography of J.P. Morgan, Morgan: American Financier. They discuss why the general public and students alike should know more about the life and accomplishments of the controversial, late 19th- and early 20th-century American banker. She explains Morgan’s role as...
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This Fourth of July week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Dr. Joseph Ellis, Professor Emeritus of History at Mount Holyoke College and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. They discuss the resurgence of public interest in the Revolutionary and Founding generations due, in part, to his book...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Arif Panju, a managing attorney with the Institute for Justice and co-counsel in the U.S. Supreme Court school choice case, Carson v. Makin; and David Carson, the lead plaintiff. Panju shares the key legal contours of Carson v. Makin and the potential impact of the Court’s decision in favor of the plaintiffs.
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Gerard Robinson and guest co-host Kerry McDonald talk with Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He shares his background working with curriculum expert E.D. Hirsch, Jr., who has emphasized the importance of academic content knowledge in K-12 education as well as civic education to develop active participants in our democracy.
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Margaret “Macke” Raymond, founder and director of the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University. She shares some of the major highlights from Hoover’s recent Education Summit that featured a wide variety of national and international experts. They discuss the reasons for...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Chris Sinacola and David Ferreira, co-editors of Pioneer’s new book, Hands-On Achievement: Massachusetts’s National Model Vocational-Technical Schools. They share information from their new book on the story of the Bay State’s nation-leading voc-tech schools, and how accountability tools from the state’s 1993...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara Candal and guest co-host Derrell Bradford talk with Prof. Paula Giddings, Elizabeth A. Woodson Professor Emerita of Africana Studies at Smith College, and author of A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching. Professor Giddings shares how her experience watching historic events like the Civil Rights Movement and Freedom Rides shaped...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Senator Patricia Puertas Rucker, a West Virginia state Senator and Chair of the Education Committee. Thanks to her leadership, West Virginia now has the widest, most universal education savings account program in America. Senator Rucker describes the lessons other state legislators across the country can learn...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” guest co-host Kerry McDonald talks with Nicholas Lemann, Joseph Pulitzer II and Edith Pulitzer Moore Professor of Journalism and Dean Emeritus of the Columbia School of Journalism, and author of the books, The Promised Land: The Great Black Migration and How It Changed America, and The Big Test: The Secret History of the American Meritocracy.
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Cass Sunstein, the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School, and the author of The New York Times best-selling book, The World According to Star Wars. He shares what drew him to this topic, and why, after 45 years, these movies have become a $70 billion multimedia franchise and continue to have...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Eric Hanushek, the Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. Dr. Hanushek shares how he first became interested in the economics of education, his plans for the nearly $4 million in funding from the prestigious Yidan Prize, which he received in 2021, and where he sees...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Wilfried Schmid, Dwight Parker Robinson Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University, who played a major role in drafting the 2000 Massachusetts Mathematics Curriculum Framework and served on the U.S. National Mathematics Advisory Panel (NMAP) in 2008. Dr. Schmid shares how he became interested in...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Robert Alter, Emeritus Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, and author of the landmark three-volume book, The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary. As Jews around the world celebrate Passover this week, Dr. Alter shares why the Hebrew Bible is...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Denisha Merriweather, the director of public relations and content marketing at the American Federation for Children and founder of Black Minds Matter. They discuss Denisha’s inspiring personal narrative, from a struggling student to a leading national spokesperson for school choice. She shares her experience of receiving...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” as the nation prepares for the likely confirmation of its first Black female U.S. Supreme Court justice, Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. G. Edward White, David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law, and author of the three-volume book, Law in American History. Professor White draws on his...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-host Cara Candal talks with John Lewis Gaddis, the Robert A. Lovett Professor of Military and Naval History at Yale University, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of George F. Kennan: An American Life. He shares some of the wider background knowledge, major historical themes, and key events that today’s students should know about the Cold War and its impact.
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Arthur Levine, a scholar with New York University’s Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy, a senior fellow and president emeritus of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, and president emeritus of Columbia University’s Teachers College. He shares the main findings and recommendations...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Charles Moore, a columnist for The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator, and the authorized, three-volume biographer of Lady Margaret Thatcher. Lord Moore explains why Lady Thatcher is considered the most important female political figure of the 20th century, and reviews the challenges she faced at home and abroad...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Leslie Hiner, Vice President of Legal Affairs and Director of Legal Defense & Education Center with EdChoice. They discuss the the landmark U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision in Brown v. Board of Education, among the most important in the nation’s history, and how Brown’s call for racial access and equity in K...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-host Cara Candal talks with Linda Chavez, a senior fellow at the National Immigration Forum and the author of Out of the Barrio: Toward a New Politics of Hispanic Assimilation. She shares how her ethnic background, Catholic education, and experience working with legendary American Federation of Teachers president Al Shanker, a great champion of civic education...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-host Gerard Robinson and guest co-host Kerry McDonald talk with Howard Bryant, a senior writer for ESPN and the author of nine books, including Full Dissidence: Notes From an Uneven Playing Field and The Heritage: Black Athletes, A Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism. Bryant shares how his experiences as a student, baseball fan...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-host Cara Candal and guest co-host Prof. Robert Maranto talk with Dr. Mark Bauerlein, Senior Editor at First Things, Professor of English Emeritus at Emory University, and the author of The Dumbest Generation Grows Up. Dr. Bauerlein shares his views about the kinds of content American K-12 students should be reading for preparation for college and meaningful...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-host Gerard Robinson and guest co-host Derrell Bradford talk with Virginia Walden Ford, education advocate and author of Voices, Choices, and Second Chances, and School Choice: A Legacy to Keep. She shares her experiences growing up and desegregating high schools in Little Rock, Arkansas in the mid-1960s, and the lessons she carried forward in her school...
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As we celebrate National Catholic Schools Week, “The Learning Curve” co-host Cara Candal talks with Dr. Jennifer Frey, an associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of South Carolina and fellow of the Institute for Human Ecology at the Catholic University of America. Dr. Frey shares why Catholic education is so vitally important in the lives of families, schoolchildren, and communities...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Andrew Campanella, the president of National School Choice Week. They discuss why 2021 was called the “Year of School Choice,” and the implications of more academic options for K-12 education reform across America. They delve into the reasons why political support for even the highest performing charter public...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Ian Rowe, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on education and upward mobility, family formation, and adoption. Ian shares his background in entrepreneurial school leadership and policy research, and how he became interested in K-12 education reform. They discuss his work to...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Dr. Clayborne Carson, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor of History Emeritus at Stanford University and the Founding Editor of The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. He describes the larger political and spiritual lessons Dr. King and the other leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Bari Weiss, former New York Times op-ed editor and writer, and author of How to Fight Anti-Semitism. Bari shares what motivated her to write this book, its reception, and key lessons for teachers and students alike. She also explains why we’re now seeing a rise in anti-Semitism, how educators can best combat it...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Michael Bindas, a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice, who represents the lead plaintiffs in the U.S. Supreme Court case, Carson v. Makin. They discussed last week’s oral arguments, and the background and key legal contours of the case. Bindas described Maine’s school tuitioning program...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Dr. Marc Seifer, author of the acclaimed biography Wizard: The Life & Times of Nikola Tesla. He reviews what teachers and students should know about the life of Nikola Tesla, the world-renowned engineer, physicist, and inventor who is more widely known nowadays for the electric car and clean energy companies...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Dr. Matthew Chingos, who directs the Center on Education Data and Policy at the Urban Institute. They discuss the “Year of School Choice,” the welcome 2021 trend of states across America expanding or establishing private school choice programs. Dr. Chingos describes the gradual evolution of private school choice...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Nicholas Basbanes, author of the 2020 literary biography, Cross of Snow: A Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He shares why poetry – from the Epic of Gilgamesh and Homer to Dante, Shakespeare, Longfellow, Emily Dickinson, and Langston Hughes – may well be the most influential, enduring form of written human...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Prof. Paul Israel, Director & General Editor of the Thomas A. Edison Papers at Rutgers University, and author of Edison: A Life of Invention, the definitive biography of America’s greatest inventor. Professor Israel describes Edison’s public and private life, as well as the impact of his world-changing inventions...
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, President of RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization advancing opportunities so 57 million Americans with a disability can fully participate in all aspects of community. She shares her personal story struggling with dyslexia and ADHD, and what drew her to this cause.
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Pastor Robert Soto, a Lipan Apache religious leader and award-winning feather dancer who has successfully upheld his Native American cultural heritage and religious liberties in federal courts. As the country celebrates Native American Heritage Month, Pastor Soto shares his personal journey as a religious leader and describes the Lipan Apache Tribe. They discuss his experience upholding religious liberties under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, with the help of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, after being threatened with criminal fines and imprisonment for using eagle feathers in spiritual ceremonies (a practice banned by the federal government). He also offers thoughts on how American schoolchildren should be taught about the influence of Native American culture across the country and the proud history of Native peoples.
Stories of the Week: Education has played a key role in the Virginia gubernatorial election – is this campaign a harbinger of political battles to come? Analysis of data on the costs of a bacherlors degree, compared to students’ income two years after graduation, reveals a low return on investment at a number of colleges and universities.
Guest:
Pastor Robert Soto is an award-winning feather dancer and Lipan Apache religious leader who was threatened with criminal fines and imprisonment for using eagle feathers in his religious worship. He fought in court for over a decade to defend his rights to practice his faith in Christ as an American Indian under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Soto presently is the Vice Chairman of the Lipan Tribe of Texas, a tribe consisting of 4,500 members. He is the founder of Son Tree Native Path, which has performed and danced in 20 countries and 46 states. Soto is also the pastor of McAllen Grace Brethren Church and the Native American New Life Center in McAllen, Texas; My Rock Native Fellowship in Brownsville, Texas; and Chief of Chiefs Christian Church in San Antonio, Texas. In past years, Robert has had the privilege of working with the Seminoles of Florida and the Pueblos and Navajos of New Mexico along with 27 other tribal groups in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America. Pastor Soto holds a B.A. in Biblical Education from Florida Bible College, a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Christian School Administration from Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana, and a Doctor of Arts in Theology and Biblical Studies from South Texas School of Theology in Corpus Christi, Texas. He and his wife, Iris Soto, have been married for 46 years and have three children (one adopted), and eight grandchildren.
The next episode will air on Wednesday, November 10th with guest, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, President of RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.
Tweet of the Week:
Dismantling Denver: "The city was a national model for education reform. Then union-backed candidates took over the school board." https://t.co/ucg0pvRNQn
— Education Next (@EducationNext) November 1, 2021
News Links:
Will that college degree pay off? A look at some of the numbers https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/11/01/college-degree-value-major/
McAuliffe vs. Youngkin Is a Glimpse at Education Battles to Come https://reason.com/2021/11/01/mcauliffe-vs-youngkin-is-a-glimpse-at-education-battles-to-come/
Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/the-learning-curve/lipan-apache-tribes-pastor-robert-soto-on-native-american-heritage-month-religious-liberty/.
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Subscribe to The Learning Curve in Apple Podcasts (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in Apple Podcasts or by RSS feed.
Follow The Learning Curve on Send any suggestions, tips, and fan mail to micaela@pioneerinstitute.org.
This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Dr. Bror Saxberg, MD, Vice President of Learning Science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Dr. Saxberg describes his groundbreaking work in the area of learning science and understanding how “working memory” and “long-term memory” can help improve academic excellence and equity. He reviews what we now know from cognitive science and brain research that, if taken to scale, would likely help drive better student outcomes, and surveys some of the schools that apply this research most effectively to instructional reforms. Finally, Dr. Saxberg offers thoughts on the uses and limits of technology in American education reform, and whether school districts and schools are spending their resources on technology effectively enough to improve student achievement.
Stories of the Week: In Philadelphia, as the city prepares for a transit system strike that could disrupt in-person learning for 60,000 students and 20,000 school system employees, district leaders are looking to online education as a temporary solution. Wisconsin is seeing a rise in efforts to recall school board members, with 11 attempts in 2021, as a result of academic decline, COVID response, and some contentious curriculum content.
Guest:
Dr. Bror Saxberg, MD, is Vice President of Learning Science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. In his role, Saxberg is responsible for CZI’s thinking about how to apply learning science results at scale to real-world learning environments. Bror works closely with the Summit Public Schools team to guide learning science research and applications in Summit Schools and the Summit Learning Program. Saxberg most recently served as Chief Learning Officer at Kaplan, Inc. Saxberg received an Honors BA in Mathematics and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, and an MA in mathematics from Oxford University, a PhD in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, and an MD from Harvard Medical School.
Tweet of the Week
More than 5,000 #Maine children began #homeschool in 2021 (+75% from 2020)
More than 50 districts at least doubled their counts
The average district lost ~80% more students to homeschooling
data as of 3/31/21 👇👇@mdoenews https://t.co/bkOdTtcDyZ #mepolitics #School2021
— Nick Murray (@NickMurr) July 23, 2021
News Links:
Philadelphia School District braces for a possible SEPTA strike by considering online learning https://www.inquirer.com/news/septa-strike-philadelphia-school-district-plans-20211019.html
In Wisconsin, recall efforts add to pressure on school boards in the wake of COVID-19 https://www.wpr.org/wisconsin-recall-efforts-add-pressure-school-boards-wake-covid-19
Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/the-learning-curve/chan-zuckerberg-initiatives-dr-bror-saxberg-on-learning-science-school-reform/.
Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join and see what you’ve been missing: https://ricochet.com/membership/.
Subscribe to The Learning Curve in Apple Podcasts (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in Apple Podcasts or by RSS feed.
Follow The Learning Curve on Send any suggestions, tips, and fan mail to micaela@pioneerinstitute.org.
This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with David Reynolds, a Distinguished Professor of English and History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is the author of Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times, selected as one of the Top Ten Books of the Year by The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Professor Reynolds shares what teachers and students alike should know about the culture of Civil War America, primary education in that era, and the wide variety of influences on Lincoln’s thinking and leadership. They delve into the most bitterly contentious political topics of Lincoln’s time, including slavery, states’ rights, trade tariffs, and women’s rights, and how the 16th president addressed the nation’s many political divisions. They also explore how Lincoln used his rustic image to shape his public persona and appeal to voters; and how he marshaled his rhetorical talent, invoking biblical language and the ideals of the American founding, to win the war, preserve the Union, and ultimately abolish slavery. Professor Reynolds concludes with a reading from his biography.
Stories of the Week: Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews recognizes the work of Will Fitzhugh, founder of The Concord Review, to encourage students’ interest in historical fiction and reward long-form research and writing. A new project of the Teagle Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities promises to restore the humanities in undergraduate education.
Guest:
David Reynolds is a Distinguished Professor of English and History at the Ph.D. Program at the CUNY Graduate Center. He’s the author or editor of sixteen books, including Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times (2020), which was a noted book of the year by The Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. Prof. Reynolds is the winner of the Bancroft Prize, the Lincoln Prize, the Christian Gauss Award, the Abraham Lincoln Institute Book Award, the Ambassador Book Award, the Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book Award, John Hope Franklin Prize (Honorable Mention), and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He is a regular contributor to The New York Times Book Review, The New York Review of Books, and The Wall Street Journal.
Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/the-learning-curve/award-winner-prof-david-reynolds-on-abraham-lincoln-american-civil-war-culture/.
Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join and see what you’ve been missing: https://ricochet.com/membership/.
Subscribe to The Learning Curve in Apple Podcasts (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in Apple Podcasts or by RSS feed.
Follow The Learning Curve on Send any suggestions, tips, and fan mail to micaela@pioneerinstitute.org.
This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), a non-partisan research and policy analysis organization developing transformative, evidence-based solutions for K-12 public education. Robin describes the type of research CRPE conducts and how it has evolved over time, and shares her view of the impact it should have on schools, teachers, and families. She discusses CRPE’s work tracking school closures across the country at the height of the pandemic, the methodology used, and the findings so far. Robin reviews key takeaways from CRPE’s July report on how districts are allocating federal COVID-19 relief funds, and talks about how districts should spend those dollars. After sharing what her team will be focusing on as we emerge from the pandemic, she describes the challenges of leading a non-partisan research organization and remaining committed to the mission during a highly partisan era, with schools and curricula increasingly being drawn into political battles.
Stories of the Week: Finance and economics education improves young people’s financial literacy and helps prevent credit card and student loan debt, and insufficient savings for retirement. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio is ending the school district’s Gifted and Talented program by fall 2022, in favor of a new program which he claims is more equitable.
Guest:
Robin Lake is director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) a non-partisan research and policy analysis organization developing transformative, evidence-based solutions for K–12 public education. Her research focuses on U.S. public school system reforms, including public school choice and charter schools; innovation and scale; portfolio management; and effective state and local public oversight practices. Lake has authored numerous studies and provided expert testimony and technical assistance on charter schools, district-charter collaborations, and urban school reform. She co-authored, with Paul Hill, Charter Schools and Accountability in Public Education, and has provided invited testimonies to the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee as well as various state legislatures. Lake holds a BA in International Studies and an MPA in Education and Urban Policy from the University of Washington.
The next episode will air on Wednesday, October 20th with guest, David Reynolds, a Distinguished Professor of English and History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is the 2020 author of Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times, selected one of the Top Ten Books of the Year by the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.
Tweet of the Week:
Researchers at Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research, @NWEA and @caldercenter will partner with a consortium of districts across the United States to provide timely information about tutoring, after-school programs and other interventions https://t.co/VclsW9FuIO
— The 74 (@The74) October 10, 2021
News Links:
New York Post: NY to Phase Out Gifted and Talented Program
CNBC: To raise successful children, teach them about economics
Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/the-learning-curve/crpes-robin-lake-on-covid-school-closures-learning-loss/.
Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join and see what you’ve been missing: https://ricochet.com/membership/.
Subscribe to The Learning Curve in Apple Podcasts (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in Apple Podcasts or by RSS feed.
Follow The Learning Curve on Send any suggestions, tips, and fan mail to micaela@pioneerinstitute.org.
This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Raymond Arsenault, the John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History at the University of South Florida, and author of several acclaimed and prize-winning books on civil rights, including Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice. He shares how he became interested in researching, writing, and teaching about the Civil Rights Movement. As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Rides, he describes key figures in the movement, such as Irene Morgan, James Farmer, Diane Nash, and John Lewis, as well as the fear, hostility, and mob violence the riders (and the press covering them) confronted. They review organizations like the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC); and how their opponents responded with terrifying violence across the South. He offers thoughts on how teachers and students should think about the tensions among the Kennedy administration, MLK and SCLC, and the often younger, student led-groups like CORE and SNCC. He concludes with a reading from his book about the Freedom Riders.
Stories of the Week: Civil Rights activist and education reform activist Dr. Howard Fuller’s support for school choice stems from his determination to provide Black students a quality education by any means necessary. Research from the Center for Research and Reform in Education shows that students in grades K-12 have been most seriously impacted by the effects of COVID-19-related learning loss.
The next episode will air on Wednesday, October 13th with guest, Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, a non-partisan research and policy analysis organization developing transformative, evidence-based solutions for K–12 public education.
Guest:
Raymond Arsenault is the John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. One of the nation’s leading civil rights historians, he is the author of several acclaimed and prize-winning books, including Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice from Oxford University Press (2006), which served as the basis for the PBS American Experience documentary, Freedom Riders (2010). In 2011, he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in an episode dedicated to the Freedom Riders. Prof. Arsenault also authored The Sound of Freedom: Marian Anderson, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Concert That Awakened America (2009) and the New York Times Notable Book, Arthur Ashe: A Life (2018).
Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/the-learning-curve/prof-raymond-arsenault-on-the-60th-anniversary-of-the-freedom-rides-civil-rights/.
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This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Mike Goldstein, founder of the Match Charter School and Match Teacher Residency in Boston. He shares why he became involved in K-12 education and founded Match Charter, and some of the innovations the school has implemented, such as high-caliber teacher preparation and use of Ivy League-educated teachers to drive successful student achievement. They discuss Match’s high-dosage tutoring program, and Mike shares the results of an experiment begun six years ago to replicate it in school districts. Mike also sheds light on charter graduates’ economic mobility, including job prospects and earning gains after college. Lastly, they delve into how charter supporters and leaders in Massachusetts and other blue states should proceed now that opposition is on the rise in states with some of the highest-performing charters, and what must be done to bridge the growing political divisions within K-12 education reform.
Stories of the Week: In New Mexico this year, the state is experiencing a 40 percent spike in the retirement of education employees. In Illinois, nearly 40 cents of every education dollar is spent on pensions.
Guest:
Mike Goldstein is founder of Match Charter School in Boston, profiled by the illustrious Cara Candal for unusual approaches to tutoring and also teacher prep. Mike went on to become CAO of Bridge International Academies. That’s the largest operator of elementary schools in Africa, with over 800,000 students. Most recently, Mike advises start-ups that create parent choice – including Avela, Reconstruction, SchoolHouse – and is cooking up a new start-up to address a charter sector challenge (that our graduates often don’t escape poverty as adults). He lives outside Boston with wife Pru, two middle-schoolers, and pandemic pup, Grizzly.
Next Episode: The next episode will air on Wednesday, October 6th with guest, Raymond Arsenault, the John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History at the University of South Florida, and the author of several acclaimed and prize-winning books on civil rights, including Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice.
Tweet of the Week:
Alabama aims for huge pre-K enrollment boost by 2025 https://t.co/ZehTCS6Sog via @arielgilreath
— Liz Willen (@L_willen) September 24, 2021
News Links:
The Albuquerque Journal: NM sees 40% jump in education retirements
https://www.abqjournal.com/2432486/state-sees-40-jump-in-education-retirements.html
Illinois Policy: NEARLY 40 CENTS OF EVERY EDUCATION DOLLAR IN ILLINOIS GOES TO PENSIONS
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/nearly-40-cents-of-every-education-dollar-in-illinois-goes-to-pensions/
Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/the-learning-curve/match-charter-public-school-founder-mike-goldstein-on-school-teacher-prep-reform/.
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Subscribe to The Learning Curve in Apple Podcasts (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in Apple Podcasts or by RSS feed.
Follow The Learning Curve on Send any suggestions, tips, and fan mail to micaela@pioneerinstitute.org.
This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-host Cara Candal talks with Julie Young, ASU Vice President of Education Outreach and Student Services, and Managing Director of ASU Prep Academy and ASU Prep Digital. They discuss the implications of COVID-19’s disruption of American K-12 education and the future of digital learning. Julie describes the enrollment growth her organization has seen as a result of parent demand for alternatives to public offerings, which comes on top of the growth in online schooling that pre-dated the pandemic (an 80 percent increase in enrollment during the last decade). Julie answers critics who claim digital schooling can’t work for early childhood, urban, or special needs students. She shares insights on quality digital education curriculum materials and approaches to subject areas that some assume are not well suited for digital learning.
Stories of the Week: Co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson discuss a Wall Street Journal investigation into Facebook, showing that the company is aware of mental health issues especially among teen girls, connected to Instagram. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has ordered school classes to resume in grades seven to 12 – but only for boys.
Guest:
Julie Young is ASU Vice President of Education Outreach and Student Services and Managing Director of ASU Prep Academy and ASU Prep Digital. She is a visionary CEO, educator, and entrepreneur passionate about leveraging technology and building innovative school models that put students at the center of every decision. Under Julie’s leadership over the last four years, ASU Preparatory Academy has grown exponentially in both enrollment and global impact, currently serving more than 7,500 full-time K–12 students and over 400,000 student enrollments in school partnerships around the U.S. This unique program offers students an accelerated path toward college admission and careers of the future with the chance to earn concurrent high school and university credit, shortening time and cost to degree. Julie was the founding President and CEO of Florida Virtual School (FLVS ®), the world’s first virtual statewide school district that began as a small grant initiative and grew to become the largest public K-12 program in the U.S., serving more than 2 million students in 50 states and 68 countries.
The next episode will air on Wednesday, September 29th with guest, Mike Goldstein, the founder of the MATCH Charter School and MATCH Teacher Residency in Boston.
Tweets of the Week:
Happy Constitution Day to the chad history teachers with the US Constitution hanging in their classroom.
— Chalkboard Review (@ChalkBoardRev) September 17, 2021
A recent @CRPE_UW analysis of 100 large and urban school districts, including the 30 biggest in the country, found that only 10% required vaccinations for school staff and just 18% required testing. (via @USNewsEducation) https://t.co/MiF4EEmu9W
— Center on Reinventing Public Education (@CRPE_UW) September 17, 2021
News Links:
WSJ: Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739
Taliban ban girls from secondary education in Afghanistan
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/17/taliban-ban-girls-from-secondary-education-in-afghanistan
Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/the-learning-curve/asus-julie-young-virtual-schooling-pioneer-on-digital-learning-during-covid-19/.
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Subscribe to The Learning Curve in Apple Podcasts (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in Apple Podcasts or by RSS feed.
Follow The Learning Curve on Send any suggestions, tips, and fan mail to micaela@pioneerinstitute.org.
This week on “The Learning Curve,” guest co-host Jason Bedrick and co-host Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Leon Kass, MD, the Addie Clark Harding Professor Emeritus in the Committee on Social Thought and the College at the University of Chicago. Dr. Kass describes the important pieces of wisdom and humanity people today can still learn from reading the Book of Genesis, the topic of his 2003 work, The Beginning of Wisdom. They next discuss hisnewest book, Founding God’s Nation: Reading Exodus, and general lessons about the Israelites that leaders, teachers, and students could use in addressing the challenges of modern life. They explore the influence of the Book of Exodus and the themes of liberation from captivity on the Civil Rights Movement, and several of its major leaders, including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and what teachers and students today should learn from Exodus about deliverance from life’s hardships. Dr. Kass shares why he became interested in the Great Books, and their crucial role in helping 21st-century students receive a complete liberal arts education and lead fulfilling lives. They discuss Western education’s increasing focus on vocationally oriented and often technocratic skills at the expense of humanistic education, and why we should be concerned about it, especially in our hyper-technological era. The interview concludes with a reading from Dr. Kass’s newest book on Exodus.
Stories of the Week: Co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson discussa New York Times story on the plight of America’s nine million students in rural school districts that are underfunded, disconnected, and face myriad challenges. Pioneer Institute and other organizations submitted an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case, Carson v. Makin, to expand access to private and religious schools for families in Maine.
The next episode will air on Wednesday, September 22nd with guest, Julie Young, Deputy Vice President of Education Outreach and Student Services for Arizona State University, and CEO of ASU Prep Digital High School.
Guest:
Dr. Leon Kass, MD, is the Addie Clark Harding Professor Emeritus in the Committee on Social Thought and the College at the University of Chicago. He is also a Senior Fellow Emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute, a public policy think tank in Washington, DC. Dr. Kass was the chairman of the President’s Council on Bioethics from 2001 to 2005, as well as a Member, Vice-Chairman, and Committee Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1984-91. He has been engaged for more than 40 years with ethical and philosophical issues raised by biomedical advances and, more recently, with broader moral and cultural issues. Dr. Kass is the author of several widely acclaimed books, including The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis (2003), Leading a Worthy Life: Finding Meaning in Modern Times (2017), and Founding God’s Nation: Reading Exodus (2021).
Tweet of the Week:
"When a state brokers a deal with the local school district that results in an innovation zone, local leaders are more likely to feel ownership of that initiative [relative to when the state takes over a failing school and hands it over to a charter]." https://t.co/QNsBFCsb7R
— Education Next (@EducationNext) September 12, 2021
News Links:
NYT: The Tragedy of America’s Rural Schools
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/magazine/rural-public-education.html
SCOTUS Amici briefs for Carson v. Makin: Pioneer Institute & Prof. Charles Glenn:
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/20/20-1088/191979/20210910093745365_Carson%20v.%20Makin%20Glenn%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/20/20-1088/192035/20210910121842949_20-1088%20Amicus%20Brief%20for%20Pioneer%20Institute.pdf
https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/20-1088.html
Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/the-learning-curve/uchicagos-dr-leon-kass-on-genesis-exodus-reading-great-books/.
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Subscribe to The Learning Curve in Apple Podcasts (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in Apple Podcasts or by RSS feed.
Follow The Learning Curve on Send any suggestions, tips, and fan mail to micaela@pioneerinstitute.org.
