There Are No Shortcuts - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Year after year, Rafe Esquith’s fifth-grade students excel. They read passionately, far above their grade level; tackle algebra; and stage Shakespeare so professionally that they often wow the great Shakespearen actor himself, Sir Ian McKellen. Yet Esquith teaches at an L.A. innercity school known as the Jungle, where few of his students speak English at home, and many are from poor or troubled families. What’s his winning recipe? A diet of intensive learning mixed with a lot of kindness and fun. His kids attend class from 6:30 A.M. until well after 4:00 P.M., right through most of their vacations. They take field trips to Europe and Yosemite. They play rock and roll. Mediocrity has no place in their classroom. And the results follow them for life, as they go on to colleges such as Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford.
Possessed by a fierce idealism, Esquith works even harder than his students. As an outspoken maverick of public education (his heroes include Huck Finn and Atticus Finch), he admits to significant mistakes and heated fights with administrators and colleagues. We all—teachers, parents, citizens—have much to learn from his candor and uncompromising vision.

Customer Reviews: Read 75 more reviews...

3 out of 5 stars

Alternately inspiring and frightening March 6, 2005
119 out of 141 found this review helpful

I ran into this book at a used book store five hours ago and have been reading it since, rapt. I had never heard of this guy, but since I am becoming a teacher I found his insider account of finding success in a tough school intriguing. And the book is never boring. Also, I'm sure many of the kids he taught benefited from his passion, creativity, fundraising abilities and personal largesse with his time and (modest) income.

Honestly, though, the guy is a nut. At one point he takes the older kids on a 31-day tour of 25 college campuses?!?! Is that really necessary? Useful? Wouldn't three or four have sufficed? At another point he is working crappy second, third and fourth jobs to buy presents for the kids and take them on trips. When a father is shot in the neck, he practically moves in with the wife and daughter -- and then is suprised when he doesn't get a thank you note ... maybe he inspired some jealousy?! He stares down murderers, takes on LA Unified any chance he gets -- by the end I was waiting for him to drive up the stairs on a motorcycle like Jim Belushi in "The Principal." After all, he's teaching at what he describes as "The Jungle" (which seems a bit extreme a name for even the roughest K-5!)

The guy's martyr/megalomania level is off the charts. He so desperately needs to be these kids' uber-father figure, it's genuinely scary. And despite the occasional bone he throws other teachers, he is very clear that NOBODY is even in his league as a teacher. Plus, he has set up his class where his kids are constantly performing to public acclaim, which then reflects back on the director.

Furthermore, he glosses over so many issues to make his story sexier. For example, immigrants are statistically much more likely to jump the achievement gap than minorities who have been here more than a generation, but everything is simplified here as "inner-city" vs. "middle-class." And nowhere in my reading did I pick up that his class was not an "average" fifth-grade class, but selected as an upper-track class ("gifted").

Overall, although it was a lively read, I found this a rather disturbing book, because if it takes Gen. Patton meets Mahatma Gandhi to make change in the schools then we're in even bigger trouble than I thought. No doubt, this guy is a good teacher -- and folks with big egos and neuroses accomplish all sorts of amazing things in this world -- but as a blueprint for renewal, this was discouraging rather than inspirational.

Take what you like and leave the rest, they say in AA, and that's what I'm doing with this one.

4 out of 5 stars

"Work hard, be nice." September 25, 2005
39 out of 44 found this review helpful

After I saw a documentary about Rafe Esquith, I decided to read "There Are No Shortcuts," in which this unique educator gives his perspective on the rewards, challenges, and disappointments of teaching in a Los Angeles public school. Esquith has two decades under his belt fighting entrenched bureaucrats who prefer conformity to individuality. During his years in Hobart Elementary School, he has taught inner-city children Shakespeare and other works of classic literature as well as advanced mathematics and music. In addition, he has given his students the skills and the confidence to achieve more than they ever dreamed was possible. All of this comes at a price. Esquith almost went bankrupt paying for the materials that he needed to support his curriculum, and he ended up in the hospital after putting in long hours with little sleep. He still works from dawn to dusk, as well as on Saturdays and school holidays, but he attempts to avoid burnout by occasionally taking some time off to relax with his family.

One of Esquith's mottos is "work hard, be nice." He certainly works hard, but he is not always nice in his criticism of the educational establishment. He skewers incompetent and indifferent teachers and administrators, ridicules irrational and obstructive rules and regulations, and even has a few harsh words for his own union, which he has supported over the years. Anything or anyone who prevents an educator from doing whatever he can to bring out the best in every student gets thumbs down from Esquith. He believes that a teacher should be able to come into school to work with students during his free time, be allowed to take kids on overnight trips, be permitted to create his own course of study, and be given respect by his fellow educators, even though he refuses to toe the party line.

"There Are No Shortcuts" is not a "how-to" book for new public school teachers. If anything, it's a cautionary tale about how a person who sticks his neck out is in danger of getting it chopped off. Esquith is not now and has never been a typical teacher, and few will have the desire or the energy to emulate him. However, he is inspiring in his desire to uncover his students' untapped talents, and he has given a great gift to those fortunate enough to have been in his classroom. It is heartwarming to learn that some of Esquith's former students go on to Ivy League schools and become successful professionals. Many of them keep in touch with their former mentor and a few take the time to revisit Hobart to lend a hand. It is also amazing that such luminaries as Ian McKellan and Hal Holbrook are enthusiastic fans of Esquith who regularly visit his classes.

Although Rafe Esquith is an award-winning teacher who has received widespread media coverage, he is not a saint. He confesses that he has made some serious errors, and he admits that he may occasionally come across as rude and intolerant. Esquith's passion for his job and his disparagement of teachers who coast rather than strive for excellence has aroused animosity in some of his colleagues who may be resentful of his fame and what they perceive as his sense of entitlement. Why should they have to follow the rules while Rafe Esquith gets special treatment? He makes no bones about how little patience he has for the many underachievers who stand in front of the nation's classrooms. These include educators who are lazy, rarely read, use the boring textbooks provided by the school instead of stimulating materials, and who refuse to give even a minute extra of their time to their students. Is Rafe Esquith an altruistic and heroic individual who is correct in his assessment of public education? Or is he an arrogant, unrealistic, and self-serving publicity hound? Whether you are a cheerleader or a critic, no one can dispute the fact that this is a man who expects a great deal of himself, his students, and everyone else, and he has no intention of lowering his standards anytime soon.

1 out of 5 stars

A different point of view June 29, 2003
35 out of 44 found this review helpful

I was a student at this jungle school. I resent our school being referred to as the jungle. We had caring administrators and other wonderful teachers besides Mr. Esquith, who happened to be my teacher in 5th grade. I started the GATE program as a 3rd grader so I had two other great teachers before him. I am sorry to see that he does not give credit to other teachers who have also prepared and nurtured me to become who I am today.
When I was in his class, I have learned many wonderful things and I did like the economy system. However, my parents did not like it when I brought Rated R movies to watch to write a review to get extra points. He has many Rated R movies in his class. My parents are Catholic and they didn't like some of his ways. However, because they don't speak English, they trusted him to teach me well. I was also saddened when I couldn't go on trips because I didn't have the money. Even though people think he gets a lot of money from his foundations and from Oprah, we still had to pay hundreds of dollars. This is my dad's one month salary. One of the girls mentioned in the book, Joann, had parents who are millionaires with many businesses so she got to go on all the trips. Another girl he mentions in the book as being the sweetest is also lucky because her parents often donate money to his foundation and invites him over to her rich neigborhood home. I respect Mr. Esquith and he has given me opportunities. However, it was not an equal opportunity for all children.

2 out of 5 stars

A Man In Search Of His Self-Worth September 2, 2003
26 out of 41 found this review helpful

I was extremely disappointed with this book. Instead of characterizing Mr. Esquith as a teacher who is committed to his students and their success, I would describe him as someone who never really felt good about himself unless he could present a list of accomplishments to you.
Mr. Esquith's approach to teaching is unusual, and most definitely impractical for most teachers and schools districts. If you read the book, you will come to understand that he has ready access to his school year-round, since the district is on a year-round teaching schedule. Therefore, the physical buildings are open when his class is on vacation, and he can utilize the facility for continued education of his students. Very few teachers can do the same. It is also apparent that Mr. Esquith has no personal life - his entire world is that school. Now I wouldn't knock that necessarily for a celibate monk, but this man is married and has children - what kind of lesson is he teaching his students about the value of marriage and children by staying away from his own?
I also perceived a move toward a specific selection of students, and gifted ones at that. He clearly states in the book that teachers from his school would choose students to be in his class because they thought these kids had the best chance of overcoming the many obstacles of the neighborhood. Nowhere did I find a statement that his classes were just a "roll of the dice". So he is clearly working with some advantages here, not the least of which is parental support.
Mr. Esquith also has no discussion of working with kids who have significant learning differences, and how he handles that. He only slightly mentions giving an easier part in the Shakespeare play to a kid who is shy or cannot read as well. What would he do with a child who cannot hear half the phonetic sounds, and so has great difficulty reading? What does he do with kids who have dysgraphia and cannot write the many compositions he talks about?
I also noticed that his "dinners out" never contained all of his class. 15 out of 40 kids is less than 50% of the class. Yes, he mentions that some kids are not ready to go out, YET. And that is true. But, does he select the diners or are they the kids who are available to go? I wondered a lot about that, because he always made his outings sound as if it were his entire class.
Speaking of his fellow teachers, I found his attitude toward them extremely arrogant and rude. Yes, there are some very incompetent teachers out there. But, his philosophy seemed to be that if you as a teacher were not putting in 14 hour days, 6 days a week, 50 weeks a year, then you were scum. Would he have a teacher who is a single mother keep the same schedule? Would he have a teacher who has a new baby follow his lead? Would he classify an excellent teacher who had fibromyalgia and could not keep such a grueling schedule as a slacker? His attitude was definitely not very generous or kind, despite his continued attempt to convince the reader of his amazing kindness! By the way, I am a parent, not a teacher, and I have seen plenty of bad teachers, but also many excellent ones, and they did not keep the same kind of schedule.
It should also be pointed out that he is giving his services away for free - the parents have free daycare for the extra time he spends with them, free tutoring, free everything. I do not begrudge them that at all - families in poverty deserve all of that and more. BUT, by providing all of those services for free, he enables the very system he blasts to continue to treat teachers as slave labor. So it is not as wonderful as he makes it out to be, because it perpetuates low salaries for teachers, which in turn prevents excellent people from entering/staying in the profession because they can't afford to teach and feed their families. And yes, teaching is a ministry, and so should not go to the highest bidder, but you have to be somewhat realistic.
The issue of liability crossed my mind several times as well as I read. How many school districts would allow a teacher to take students out by him/herself? That's a scary thought as the truth of sexual abuse toward children is revealed in various aspects of our society.
Esquith has some good points, but they are so far buried under his drive to prove to himself (and perhaps his late father) that he is a valuable human being, that they get lost. He pats himself on the back way too much for my taste.
I also did not get any sense that he teaches his kids about service to others. There was a little bit in the book, but his focus is truly self-achievement, measured by how much stuff he can cram into their little heads in one year. Achievement and value for just being is a fine balance, but Esquith never really discusses that. In some ways, his students seemed to me to be not clearly individuals valued for themselves, but commodities he needs to makes himself a success. Yikes.
I would love to have seen some statistics on his classes' future successes, as well as immediate successes. How many eventually drop out of school vs. how many go to college and complete it? I suppose, though, that he would only take credit for the successes, and place the blame for the failures on his successors.
In the end, I think the lesson his kids learn is that they are valuable not for themselves as people, but for what they DO. And that is a very dangerous lesson to teach;it gets us into all kinds of trouble on down the road.
Go read Dr. Mel Levine if you want to learn about kindness,the amazing qualities of kids as kids, and helping kids to succeed at school. His books are way more practical and grounded.

2 out of 5 stars

Sometimes you CAN judge a book by its cover August 27, 2006
24 out of 31 found this review helpful

I wanted to love this book. I looked forward to reading it, and I found some value in it. HOWEVER, after I finished I found myself staring at the cover photo, which is worth the proverbial thousand words. A group of students, each gazing raptly at the author, who is in front of them, smiling outward. Make no mistake--this book is about the Wonderfulness of Rafe Esquith.

To hear Esquith tell it, there's not much good about public education except his own work. He has nothing but contempt for his most of his fellow teachers and he shows it in the nicknames he chooses for them: Miss Mothballs, Miss Busy-as-a-Bee, Mr. Incompetent, Mr. Helpless, Miss Egghead, Miss Cruise Director.

Esquith is like our great-grandparents who walked five miles barefoot in the snow to school and back--uphill both ways! There is no shortage of stories about how much he's sacrficed and how much he gives; there are even plenty of tales about how much he's been underappreciated.

Still, there are great gaps in his account. He tells about the many extra jobs he's taken to provide money for his class projects, but it doesn't quite add up to all of the long and expensive trips he takes his students on. I suspect that what's missing would make for some interesting reading.

I took away some important messages: don't underestimate students' abilities, give them a sound context for the challenging literature one assigns them, let them know that it's necessary to work hard in order to excel, prepare them for field trips so they know how to act, what to expect, and how to get the most from the experience. Expect excellence of one's students and of oneself.

I imagine that Esquith is a pretty good teacher (you need to read Charles Osgood's poem "Pretty Good," quoted in this book, to understand how faint my praise is). This book, I'm afraid, irritates more than it inspires.

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