There is a classroom of fifth graders in Los Angeles that has been rocking the world of public education. In this inner city classroom children who speak English as a second language, who primarily come from impoverished single parent homes, who live in a gun and gang infested neighborhood, are performing Shakespeare around the world, attending classes six days a week, and consistently scoring in the top 5 to 10 percent nationally in standardized tests, and eventually moving on to some of the finest universities in the world. Rafe Esquith is the teacher orchestrating this transformation, and his visionary teaching methods have garnered impressive attention in the media. There Are No Shortcuts is a heart-wrenching, hilarious, and ultimately heart lifting first-hand account of what it takes to and what it means to nurture children to success.

Rafe Esquith is beginning his 17th year at Hobart Elementary School in Los Angeles. He is the product of the LA public schools and a graduate of UCLA. His many honors and awards include the 1992 National Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award, the top teaching honor from the English Speaking Union, an SBD Fellowship from Johns Hopkins University, Parents Magazines top national teaching honor, and Oprah Winfrey's Use Your Life Award. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Barbara Tong.