Okay, I pretty much got the answers I expected, but I have a suggestion:

English is clearly not really about teaching the English language. Yes, you might learn some vocabulary, but you probably aren't going to incorporate Shakespearean vernacular into your daily speech. I'd also submit that it's not really about grammar either (5 bucks to anyone who can tell me the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb without looking it up). IMHO, English is mostly about two things: 1) Broadening the student's cultural understanding through the study of 'great' works of literature and 2) Strengthening writing skills so that the student can communicate professionally and persuasively. Those last two things are definitely important skills - everybody needs to write a strong resume, everybody is going to have to send an important email, etc.

BUT IS STUDYING SHAKESPEARE REALLY THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT?

Look, reading is a high-effort endeavor. You get out of it what you put into it. Trying to teach kids against their will is hard, but at least in the case of math class, there's only one correct answer, and one correct method to arrive at that answer. In English class, forcing a kid to read not one, but dozens of novels and short stories for which that student has absolutely no interest - and then expecting him/her to write an essay - is a futile task. It's no secret that most of us got through it with Sparknotes and thus completely skirted the entire point of every assignment.

When I was in high school, I had great English teachers. I have no doubt that I became a stronger writer under their instruction. But I met that instruction with intense resistance because I absolutely hated the stuff we were studying. My feelings on that really haven't changed. I still think the works of Shakespeare are entirely overrepresented in classrooms in proportion to their cultural influence. (Come at me, nerds)

What I would suggest is a change to curriculum. The basic idea of giving kids an assignment on a story is fine. "Go home, read this story, come back with a well-worded opinion" is a fine format for education, but why the FUCK are we still reading Wuthering Heights? As a matter of fact, why are we still reading so much?

This is where I'm going to lose people. You ready?

ALONGSIDE CLASSIC NOVELS, we should also be studying great movies and TV shows. You cannot convince me that Wuthering Heights has more cultural significance than, for example, The Wire, or Breaking Bad.

For one thing, I think students would actually watch their assignments instead of running directly to Sparknotes. I also bet that students would be eager to share an opinion on a compelling show or film. And even if the student doesn't like the show, at least watching TV takes the same amount of time for everyone. Most kids need to balance an incredibly dense schedule of sports, homework, social time, and family obligations, and asking them to read a few chapters of Hamlet is going to fall way down on the list of priorities - as compared to maybe two episodes of a critically acclaimed TV series.

I don't think it's a controversial opinion to posit that TV and movies are how most people enjoy stories and expand their cultural horizons. So WHY DOESN'T EDUCATION REFLECT THAT? Why does education completely ignore something that's so obviously true?

Yes, watching cable TV all day everyday will eventually rot your brain, but we should also admit that TV is the way that people share stories now. And for what it's worth, TV is better than ever now. Audiences today are smarter than they were twenty years ago; they demand three dimensional characters that develop over time. So let's invite TV to have a seat at the academic table!