On Tuesday, March 22, we celebrate the 94th birthday of the founder of Core Knowledge, E. D. Hirsch, Jr.
“Don,” as he is fondly called here at the Foundation, remains a vital and consistent voice of reason, affirming the need for a coherent, sequential, knowledge-rich curriculum as the key to educational equity and excellence.
In a series of books—from Cultural Literacy in 1987 to How to Educate a Citizen in 2020—Don has tirelessly and eloquently made the case that “the unifying aim of early schooling” should be to impart “the enabling knowledge that is possessed by the most successful adults in the wider society.” His newest book, American Ethnicity, will be available in late Spring 2022.
Here at the Foundation, we’re ever grateful for the intellectual leadership Don has provided, and we’re looking forward to new insights and inspiration to come.
To mark this 94th birthday milestone, we are launching the first episode of our new podcast Building Knowledge, with part one of an interview Dr. Hirsch. These podcasts can be listened on the Spotify or iHeartRadio apps or through this link.
New podcasts will be dropping every week ranging from discussions with creators of the Core Knowledge curriculum to interviews with school leaders and teachers discussing a wide range of topics. Don’t miss a single episode by subscribing to podcast today.
Happy Birthday, Don. Your work has inspired educational reform in this nation and continues to make its mark in conversations and change within the system. Your shared knowledge has informed teachers and parents as to what every child needs and they have carried that message with the choices they’ve made. Personally discovering Don Hirsch and Core Knowledge changed the course of my life. Cheers to you, Don!
Warm regards,
Joan
Me too, Don — exactly as Joan said it.
all the very best,
Happy Birthday, Don!
I taught kindergarten for many years and now that I’m homeschooling my own granddaughter/daughter, (we adopted our granddaughter), I’m sad to say I had never heard of core knowledge until now. I’m so grateful for all you have done to educate teachers, either of school or home school!
Tammy
Fairbanks, Alaska