25 Years of Education: How to Educate Our Children In the Future

Education is the focus of part three of this three part series on education. To date, the U.S. ranks 36th in the world in terms of overall education. Therefore it’s no surprise our experts conclude that the U.S. educational system needs restructuring. It is not educating our children to get the jobs that will help them be self-sufficient citizens.

Joining host, Dennis McCuistion, to discuss education are guests:

• Linus Wright: Former Undersecretary of Education under President Reagan
• Forrest E. Hoglund: Founder and President, The Hoglund Foundation and Co-Vice Chairman of Reasoning Minds

Left to Right: Linus Wright and Forrest E. Hoglund

Only 17% of those graduating from high school are qualified for a career in STEM related jobs. Only 7% of students reach an 8th grade math level. The just released Center for Education Reform (CER) 2014 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, History, Geography, and Civics scores, President, Kara Kerwin, states: “In U.S. history, just 18 percent of students are at or above proficient, with 27 percent at or above proficient in geography and 23 percent at or above proficient in civics.” She says, “It’s astounding that not even one third of our nation’s eighth graders are proficient in subjects that are vital to our nation’s founding and democracy.”

In Math, the Sciences, History and Geography, scores have remained stagnant since 2010. Math coaches, math remediation, extra teachers, psychologists, more money, nothing seems to be helping. What does it take for the U.S. education system to become competitive?

According to Linus Wright, one answer is to  have to have the strongest curriculum in the world and we need to make learning fun. Our education system’s teachers are also very important as more than ever they need to be prepared to work with children of various backgrounds and socio-economic levels, values and proficiencies.

Forrest E. Hoglund talks about potential solutions, one of which is Reasoning Minds. Reasoning Minds help kids learn conceptually while having fun. The system remembers what has been accomplished and tracks progress; so the students using it cannot move forward if they have not learned the present lesson. Reasoning Mind presently has 90,000 kids enrolled in 9 states. Texas and California have approved it as part of their curriculum.We view a Reasoning Mind project started at the Momentous school, which primarily consists of disadvantaged kids. Implementing a vigorous program has consistently brought grades up. Kids get rewarded for accuracy and time on task. They can establish their own pace which helps them learn more effectively. In standard classrooms, time on task is often at 50% so kids are bored and eagerly wait for the school bell to release them.All students can learn, albeit not at the same level.  Solutions include re-engineering, all the way back to the poverty level. Perhaps learning needs to start at 3 years of age. At ages 0-8 our brains improve at 700 neurons a second. Nurturing in the home, exposure to reading and language, loving “parents” are all critical factors. Without this kids come into the school system already behind and don’t catch up.

Kids can learn and teachers can teach if they have the modern tools to do so. We need transformational solutions and to look at education as neuroscience, teaching the way the brain processes. The good news is when children learn in a way that helps them learn and retain knowledge; it builds in them a confidence to learn even more.