Today we’re continuing the education series with someone who’s worked in the school trenches for over a quarter century. Bob originally interviewed Rafe Esquith about two years ago for his book, Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire, in which he revealed the tactics that have helped turn his disadvantaged, inner city, first generation fifth graders into Ivy League graduates. Esquith, who works on the front line with the nation’s next generation and is the only school teacher ever to receive the president’s National Medal of the Arts, seemed like the ideal person to talk to about the types of reforms we’ve been discussing throughout this series. He was eager to chime in on issues like No Child Left Behind, standardized testing, parental involvement, and teacher tenure – and I for one was anxious to hear what he had to say.
Click here to learn more about his theater program, the Hobart Shakespeareans
And stay tuned. There will be more from Rafe Esquith (when he releases his next book, due out in August) — and from this series.
We’ve received some thoughtful comments from our audience about these interviews. Please keep them coming!
– Ariana