Why Every Parent and Grandparent Should Watch The Miseducation of America

For many families today, something about education feels unsettled. Parents sense it. Grandparents feel it deeply. School does not look like it once did. The goals feel different. The lessons sound unfamiliar.

Many parents are concerned, but grandparents are often shocked. What they see happening in schools feels nothing like the education they remember. I hear this often from grandparents. They look at what their grandchildren are learning and say, “This is not the school I knew.”

That concern is one reason Pete Hegseth’s video series, The Miseducation of America, matters so much right now. The series asks a simple but important question: What is education really meant to do?

My own questions about education began about ten years ago when I read The Vanishing American Adult by Ben Sasse. I was not trying to challenge schools. I was trying to understand why so many young people seemed unprepared for adult life. Sasse explained that America’s struggle was not only about academics. It was about formation. Expectations had been lowered. Responsibility had been delayed. Education had slowly shifted away from shaping strong, capable adults. That idea stayed with me and has become increasingly pertinent in the AI age we live in.

Later, I read Battle for the American Mind by Pete Hegseth. It helped connect the dots. It showed how ideas shape education and influence what children learn and believe. It also explained why we were seeing lower academic results alongside growing confusion about values and purpose. When The Miseducation of America was released, it felt like a gift. In six clear episodes, it brought years of reading and reflection together in a way parents and grandparents could easily understand.

Grandparents bring a long view to this conversation. They remember schools that focused on reading, writing, math, and history. They remember learning right from wrong. They remember being challenged, not protected from discomfort. When they compare that experience to what their grandchildren face today, the difference feels sharp. Many grandparents are not just concerned. They are worried. They see lower academic expectations. They see confusion around truth and values. They see schools shaping beliefs instead of skills. 

The Miseducation of America helps explain how these changes happened slowly over time. Because the shift was gradual, many families did not notice it right away.

One message in the series stands out clearly. Education shapes more than what children know. It shapes who they become. What children read matters. What teachers praise matters. What ideas are repeated day after day matter.

For generations, education aimed to shape wisdom and character. Students learned to think clearly, speak well, and live with purpose. That is the education many grandparents remember and hope for their grandchildren. Parents and grandparents often share the same hope, even if they express it differently.

Some families worry that watching this series will feel negative or angry. That was not my experience. The Miseducation of America does not attack teachers or families. It helps explain ideas and invites honest reflection. It encourages parents and grandparents to talk together instead of past each other.

At Christian Crossroads Academy, families often tell us the same thing. They want education that helps children know God, grow in wisdom, and live with purpose. Grandparents often add, “We want our grandchildren to have the kind of education that once served our country so well.” That hope is not about going backward. It is about holding onto what works. 

The Miseducation of America speaks to that shared hope. It helps families across generations understand what is at stake and why education matters so deeply.

If this resonates with you, we invite you to explore Christian Crossroads Academy. Our mission is to partner with families who believe in forming children with truth, wisdom, and courage for the future. You are not alone—and we would be honored to walk with you. ~ Danita Bye

Danita Bye is a Leadership Futurist, Author, and Founding Board Member of Christian Crossroads Academy. She’s committed to restoring virtue-centered formation in education. Her work focuses on empowering leaders in an age of rapid technological change, where wisdom and discernment matter more than ever.

She partners with Christian leaders across education, business, and civic life who believe character ultimately determines impact. Danita serves on many boards in North Dakota and nationally that are focused on leadership and ethics. She is the author of Millennials Matter and the forthcoming Character Mandate, and a TEDx speaker passionate about forming leaders rooted in truth, courage, and faith.

Danita has a master’s in transformational leadership from Bethel University, MN. She currently lives near the TTT Ranch, in Stanley, North Dakota, where she grew up. She’s been married for 42 years and has six grandchildren.