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The Learning Curve

The Learning Curve

De: Pioneer Institute
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Join The Learning Curve every Wednesday for insight and perspective on education, learning trends, school choice, and public policy. Our hosts and guests offer a mix of provocative commentary as they interview school leaders, innovators, bestselling authors, policymakers, and more. Send any suggestions, tips, and fan mail to pioneer@pioneerinstitute.org.

Listen to all episodes of The Learning Curve at Ricochet.com.
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Episodios
  • Gijs van Hensbergen on Antoni Gaudí & the Sagrada Família

    Gijs van Hensbergen on Antoni Gaudí & the Sagrada Família
    Apr 3 2026
    In this week’s special Easter episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Dutch art historian Gijs van Hensbergen, author of Gaudí: A Biography and The Sagrada Familia: Gaudí's Heaven on Earth. They discuss the life, faith, and enduring legacy of Antoni Gaudí and his masterpiece, the Sagrada Família. Mr. van Hensbergen reflects on Gaudí’s upbringing in Catalonia, where deep Catholic devotion, modern artistic dynamism, and the natural landscape shaped his unique architectural philosophy. He explores how Barcelona’s Modernisme movement, alongside avant-garde artists like Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró, fostered Gaudí’s distinctive blend of Neo-Gothic, Art Nouveau, and organic design. He highlights Gaudí’s vision of the Sagrada Família as a “stone Bible,” uniting theology, geometry, and nature-inspired engineering. Mr. van Hensbergen also discusses the Nativity, Passion, and Glory façades, each representing key moments in the life of Jesus Christ, and the challenges of continuing construction after the destruction of Gaudí’s plans and models during the Spanish Civil War. In closing, Mr. van Hensberger reflects on Gaudí’s lasting influence and the spiritual and artistic significance of his work, by reading a passage from Gaudí: A Biography.
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    46 m
  • Aaron Lansky on the Yiddish Book Center & Preserving Jewish Culture

    Aaron Lansky on the Yiddish Book Center & Preserving Jewish Culture
    Apr 1 2026
    In this Passover episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools and Eos Foundation’s Andrea Silbert speak with Aaron Lansky, founder of the Yiddish Book Center and author of Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books. Lansky delves into his personal relationship to Yiddish literature and the formative educational experiences that led to him found the Yiddish Book Center in 1980. He explains the history of the Yiddish language, and how many of its words have been integrated into the English vocabulary over the years. Rescuing over one million Yiddish books, Lansky elaborated on why it was so important for him to honor the victims of the Holocaust and by preserving the enduring legacy of Jewish literature. He also reflected on his experience writing Outwitting History sharing how the book is another opportunity to preserve the Yiddish language, books, and memory of those Eastern European Jews who perished due to the tyranny of Nazi Germany. Lansky concluded by reading an excerpt from his book and offering advice on how the following generations can continue to uphold the Yiddish language and culture.
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    47 m
  • U-MI's Sarah Cohodes on Charter Public Schools & Paths to College Success

    U-MI's Sarah Cohodes on Charter Public Schools & Paths to College Success
    Mar 25 2026
    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Sarah Cohodes, Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, about her extensive research on charter public schools and education reform. Cohodes reflects on her academic journey and how it shaped her focus on school accountability, autonomy, and student outcomes. She explains the foundational charter school model—greater state regulatory flexibility in exchange for stronger accountability—and emphasizes the importance of rigorous authorization and data transparency. She highlights her 2021 research on charter effectiveness, showing strong gains for low-income students in urban areas and positive competitive effects on district schools. Cohodes also discusses high-performing charter networks, the importance of exceptional teachers and leaders, and Massachusetts’ charter schools’ standout success in closing achievement gaps and improving college outcomes. She concludes with a forward-looking discussion on policy solutions to address declining academic performance and how research can guide leaders and families in improving opportunities for urban students nationwide.
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    38 m
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