The Learning Curve

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...

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'...

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. Novi...

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...

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 cl...

This week on  The Learning Curve  co-hosts U-Arkansas  Prof. Albert Cheng  and  Steven Wilson  interview  Kimberly Steadman , co-director of Edward Brooke Charter Schools. Steadman reflects on her educational background and leadership in urban charter public schools. She discusses the importance of rigorous academic expectations for K-12 students, and how this outlook influences her educational ph...

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...

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-rac...

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 discus...

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 le...

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-...

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. T...

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 betwe...

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 ...

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 hist...

This week on  The Learning Curve , guest co-hosts DFER-MA's  Mary Tamer  and  Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick , educator and noted   Mark 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 publicati...

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 "mat...

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 enforceme...

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 e...

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 Teacher...

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 di...

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...

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...

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 Co...

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. Transitionin...