During this six-part series entitled, 20 Years of McCuistion, Dennis McCuistion revisits past programs on specific issues from the last 20 years.  In part one of this series, Dennis McCuistion discusses Education and Our Children.  This program features:

• Terry Flowers, PhD: Headmaster at St. Philip’s School
• Tom Luce: CEO of National Math and Science Initiative

Terry Flowers is joined by students from St. Philips School who recite the St. Philip’s Creed, a creed that made national news. Tom Luce talks about what is necessary for the US to remain competitive today in education.

The McCuistion TV Program (co- founded 20 years ago by host, Dennis McCuistion, and Executive Producer/Producer, Niki Nicastro  McCuistion)  focuses on issues that impact our daily lives, economically, politically and socially.  Niki believes that “the power of television when combined with an understanding of important issues can make significant, positive differences in the lives of people who watch.” The team brings that mission to every program they have produced.

Dennis and Niki both firmly believe educating our children is a critical issue, stating:

“Educating our youth is the single biggest challenge we face in a knowledge based society with global competition. We believe it’s not about more money; it’s about better parenting, more discipline, innovation or market-based education vs. government run education, and great leadership. It’s vital we put more emphasis on the basics; phonics, and repetition, yet it’s also using the best of the new technology.”

The team believes “children are our future, and while we say that if we don’t provide the tools and the environment where our children can excel, then it won’t be them who have failed us, it will be us who have failed them.”

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In this segment from the McCuistion Program,  Charles Murray, author of The Bell Curve, Losing Ground and the recently released, Real Education, explains and expounds on four controversial truths as they relate to the educational system.

Real Education has a simple premise: the way that we are educating our children is based on educational  myths and disregards four distinct truths.  The lack of concern for these four truths is detrimental to the futures of our children.

Truth #1 – Ability varies. Mr. Murray talks about the “No Child Left Behind” campaign and   fallacies of thought.  Schools draw on verbal, linguistic, visual, spacial and mathematical skills. However, there are many more skills that aren’t covered in school that should not be disregarded.

Truth #2 – Half of all children are below average. This statement refers to the skills that are taught and graded in school.  He goes on to discuss the segregation that goes on from school to school and how that plays into this truth.

Truth #3 – Too many people are going to college. In Murray’s research he concluded that only 10-15% of kids have the ability to actually graduate from college courses, if they were in fact doing college-level work. However, 28% of Americans have bachelor degrees.  He then expounds on the educationally elite and the effect that that has had on society.

Truth #4 – The future of America depends on how we educate the academically gifted.Mr. Murray believes it is our bright kids who will  be leading the country, and they need to be trained better in those areas they are not currently trained in. According to Murray one of these areas is virtue. He goes on to explain the misunderstanding of true virtue among the rising generations.

He believes, “real education” is needed in order to eliminate the education myths that are being taught in our schools today.

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10.12.08 – 1721

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