Bullying, tattling, cursing and, at times, hitting all go on in the classrooms and hallways of Jenkins White Elementary School, Principal Marva Tutt said.
Augusta's Call to Character, a nonprofit organization that aims to reboot character education in Richmond County schools, could change the daily grind at Jenkins White, Dr. Tutt said.
"Sometimes we don't make time to put character in place in the curriculum, but they need it," said Dr. Tutt, whose 400 pupils in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade start class today. "This is going to be a lifelong building of respect, responsibility and determination."
Jenkins White, Southside, Terrace Manor, Barton Chapel and Lamar elementary schools will offer the character education program this fall. Tom Warenzak, the president of Augusta's Call to Character, wants to go beyond the state-mandated anti-bullying lessons and the integration of 27 character traits in class instruction. Funding and community support will determine what Mr. Warenzak will be able to do with character education at the five schools.
"We're taking those character words, and we're building lesson plans around them," he said. "A major challenge will be getting schools to embrace this in a climate where most everything is centered around students passing the CRCTs (Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests)."
In Richmond County, 53 percent of the pupils passed the retest for the Georgia standardized test this summer. Mr. Warenzak said character education could be a driving force in improving the county's test scores.
Character-education programs have resulted in improved academic achievement, a reduction in office referrals and a decrease in truancy at schools nationwide, said Merle Schwartz, the director of education and research for the Character Education Partnership in Washington, D.C. The programs are mandated in 17 states, but few have financial support through the school systems, Dr. Schwartz said.
"They're putting very little money in it, but if the community gets the chance to understand what it's all about, they can make it happen," she said. "Schools writing grants and local sponsors are what keep these programs going."
Money to fund Augusta's Call to Character, which would go toward training sessions for faculty, character coaches for pupils, character movie nights and an essay contest, has come in the form of donations from Platt's Funeral Home, R.W. Allen Construction, the Medical Alliance of the CSRA and other donors, Mr. Warenzak said.
The donations brought in about $5,000 this summer, but much more is needed.
"Everything is contingent on what we receive," he said. "We've had some grants; we've applied for money. We want to reinvigorate the efforts, but it's all pending on funding."
Superintendent Dana Bedden is working on a grant to fund the program, Mr. Warenzak said. He has also assembled a board of directors and advisers that will set up adopt-a-school relationships with businesses and attract volunteers.
Mr. Warenzak said he hopes raising awareness about his program will garner the additional financial support it needs.
Ben Motley, the principal of Lamar Elementary, where the program was introduced in March, said systemwide support would be one way to raise more awareness about character education.
Mr. Warenzak conducted sessions with Lamar pupils on some of the 27 character traits, had a kickoff dinner with parents and invited guest speakers to talk to the students about character.
"He was able to really concentrate deeply on the topics," Mr. Motley said. "I think the students started to realize that their manners were not right. When they realize what they're doing is not the norm, they will follow the norm. You have to change their mind-set."
Dr. Tutt said she's hoping she can see the same results at her school.
"It's important for these students to have these virtues here and at home," she said. "When they go to other schools and other places, they'll have good discipline and good character."
Richmond County schools have also used a program called "Character First!" but its use has waned in many schools as teachers spent more time on the demands of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation.
Reach Stephanie Toone at (706) 823-3215 or stephanie.toone@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
Character is more then a stack of words to be referenced at specific times. It's a way of life, an attitude that is demonstrated as well as taught. A single person in authority demonstrating a lack of character can undo all of the "character teaching" by a dozen teachers. I hope the Call to Character has more substance then the "self esteem" effort.
I think it does have more substance; "character teaching" tends to deal mostly with how you treat others, whereas "self-esteem" teaching seems to be more about how you feel others should treat you. The former is about the Golden Rule, the latter leans towards narcissism. In the past I have noticed changes in young people and even their parents when they were exposed to new concepts like "good manners" and "pardoning" (which is tolerance in the form of forgiveness) and "honesty and integrity" and "virtue". If it works I hope the program remains. Many of these youngsters need good examples of good character.
bring the paddle back...
Bus them over to the First Tee
Character education need not interfere with NCLB demands, As a matter of fact, vendors of character education materials should be able to provide items which would interest and be reading-level-appropriate for students involved in CHARED at each of the several elementary, middle and secondary grade-levels. Furthermore, the use of such reading materials in character education should contribute not only to successful character education but also should encourage the attainment of NCLB objectives (benchmarks, goals and whatever other new and different buzzwords are used to describe student learning) by promoting self-discipline, the work ethic, and the postponement of gratification. See Schwarz's(sp) comments above.
This article about character education reinforces much of character education myth.
I am continually baffled at how character education - which on the surface of it sounds great - can win funding and accolades while never demonstrating evidence of either need or results. Is all that is required for adoption is a slick marketing campaign to the politicians and school boards in order to acquire popular support (complete with entreaties to emotional and fear issues and a healthy dose of language from pop psychology and a wink to Christian religion) and then you are done? Who could object to "character education", right?
Moreover, the phrase functions wonderfully as political catchword. Yet, even President Bush, asks that "the adoption of public programs should be results-based". In that view, the adoption of character education in our community should be seriously questioned.
[Continued from above]
Research on the subject has yet to turn up one peer-reviewed study demonstrating any scientifically validated need for or result from character education programs. On the other hand, flaws in the "research" showing "correlations" are well documented. There is really no excuse for a reputable study to not have been conducted at this point - especially, when considering that character education has no basis in accepted educational theory in the first place. Such a dearth of validity makes it hard to just give it the benefit of the doubt.
What's worse, the actual peer reviewed studies that have been done, show character education programs to be not only ineffectual, but "negatively correlated" with results!
Today's character education would seem to fall right in line with a string of similarly flawed and famously failed school programs: "religious education", "moral education", "values education"... However, not to be deterred by lack of results, character education programs abound, forging ahead – each trotting out entirely different lists of politically-entangled core values and means for implementing them!
[Continued from above]
The dissensions of CE programs from one another's goals and criticisms of each other is enlightening.
Certainly, it is unfortunate for the entire field that there is no valid psychological definition of "character". The term has no clinical meaning; which probably also explains why there can be no way to measure if an individual has a deficit of it, or if a school program can improve it. If there was anything quantifiable, one might be able to judge the benefit of one approach over the other - or any benefit at all.
It is telling, perhaps, that the one thing these competing programs all agree on is that the end goal is the child or employee's compliance with authority and conformity with conservative values. Is that how we wish to define the greatness of America's "national character" these days? What about the spirit of inquiry, independence and innovation that defines the true character of a great nation? On the much-lauded "Magic School Bus" TV show, the class slogan is "Take Chances, Make Mistakes. Get Messy!", just the opposite of the stated goals on character education lists.
[Continued from above] Sure, on the face of it, who wouldn't be in favor of something as grand sounding as character education? Yet, slick marketing aside, that is not enough to justify exposing our children to such an unknown, ideologically-driven quantity. As far as the schools go, even if character education could be proven to achieve its conservative aims, public education has no business taking the culture wars to children.
What should schools be focusing on as root causes, instead? The best academic minds in the business recommend focusing on creating an even playing field by correcting antagonistic factors in the social structure; ensuring a fair, well-funded educational environment, providing solid, verifiable facts; developing the critical thinking skills to separate the "angles" and hype from the truth; and then let students decide for themselves what kind of society they will create for themselves.
In sum, character education sure sounds good - if only it worked.
[Continued from above] Isn't it time for some real investigative reporting into the claims of character education, instead of all the cheerleading?
For essays and references, please see http://members.cox.net/patriotismforall/character_ed_links.html
Anthologized in "Taking Sides: Issues in Educational Practice", 2008 McGraw-Hill/CLS
--
"Teachers and schools tend to mistake good behavior for good character. What they prize is docility, suggestibility; the child who will do what he is told; or even better, the child who will do what is wanted without even having to be told. They value most in children what children least value in themselves. small wonder that their effort to build character is such a failure; they don't know it when they see it."
--
How Children Fail, John Holt
lets see, hitting, cussing, bullying all going on in an elementary school?!?!?!?!?!?...gee elementary school in front of a project...GEE GOOD MANNERS START AT HOME AND IF THE CHILDREN CAN'T OR WON'T ACT RIGHT JUST DROP THEM OFF BACK TO THE PROJECTS WHERE THEY BELONG AND LET THEIR PARENT OR PARENTS DEAL WITH THEM...HOW CAN ANY ONE LEARN WHEN THE TEACHER SPENDS MORE TIME BABYSITTING THAN TEACHING...teaching and/or building character starts in the home and is enhanced in the school or society...another PROGRAM no matter how well intentioned can't teach character to children who are not at least exposed to it in the home
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
