THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2000
Counting the ways character adds up
By Cathy Willoughby
Staff Writer
FOSTORIA -- Three societal beliefs are said to be the foundation of who we are and what we will become.
Fostoria Community School personnel, from the superintendent to the custodians, are learning how to incorporate ethics in their lives, and to extend them to their students and the community.
They took part in all-day training Wednesday on the "Character Counts'' program. It is based on six "Pillars of Character:'' trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
Presenting the substance of the program was Gary Smit, superintendent of the Lombard School District in the Chicago area and spokesman for the nationwide program.
Those three societal beliefs, Smit said, are:
1) Children learn best when they learn the six pillars of character.
2) Children may not always listen to what we say, but they will believe what we do.
3) A community will be a great place to live, work and learn when those pillars are respected and are highly recognizable to businesses, organizations and community members.
Smit said he does not argue that character education should be taught in the home.
"We are so confused by our roles,'' he said. "It is first and foremost the responsibility of the family. Yet it can be effectively enhanced, improved, expanded and engaged when the community is involved. If we want our children to make sound moral judgments, each of us has an obligation to produce a caring environment.
"And we have an obligation to reinforce an ethnically based code upon which we judge ourselves. A change in attitude leads to a change in behavior,'' he added.
He said everyone attending makes a difference in the lives of children. "You can't teach them the ABCs of schooling until the ABCs of life are addressed, of attitude, behavior and character,'' Smit said. "Theodore Roosevelt said, 'To educate a person in the mind but not the morals is to educate a menace to society.' ''
He cited a 1998 survey by the Character Counts Coalition, which polled more than 20,000 middle and high school students.
"Nearly half -- 47 percent -- of high school students admitted stealing from a local store in the past year. Seven in 10 high school students reported cheating on an exam within the previous 12 months, up from 64 percent in 1996,'' he said. "I talked to a teacher who was convinced that the students cheating are the 'A' and 'B' students. They need all of the opportunities they can get to get to a college of their choice.
"He added that the majority of the valedictorians cheated during their senior year," Smit said. "The very top students believe that they have to perform, or they will be left behind, and it's getting worse.''
Despite these flaws, the students know that what they are doing is wrong, Smit said.
"One-third of them said it was all right to cheat on a resume to get a good job. However, they say it's not worth it to lie or cheat, because it hurts their character.''
"Ninety-seven percent say it's important to be a person with good character,'' he added. "Ninety-five percent say it's important for people to trust them. They know that what they are doing is wrong. There is an inconsistency in what they believe and how they act.''
A generation is being raised that can be described as "I Deserve It,'' according to Smit. They are preoccupied by personal needs, wants, rights and entitlements. This leads to a world view that ignores ethical restraints in pursuit of their own personal goals.
He asked audience members to chat with people next to them, to arrive at a person that influenced their lives as a source of character. Neighbors, parents, grandparents, coaches, teachers and the church were all mentioned.
"Kids really need a board of directors table, a circle of people who can influence them in a positive way,'' Smit said. "They need people in those chairs that are influencing them to make ethical decisions.''
He responded to the questions they may receive from the community.
"A couple of things may happen,'' Smit said. "People will ask, 'Whose values are you going to be teaching? I don't know if your teachers should be teaching values to my child.' ''
His response was that no one could argue that these six should be a part of the child's education.
"Ethics is the moral right and wrong,'' Smit said. "Good teachers have always taught the six pillars, each and every day -- even the bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers. We will be making a more conscious effort to incorporate these in everything we do. It's challenging, and not always easy.''
He mentioned the old method of "values clarification,'' in which the child was not told if something they did was right or wrong.
"We were so afraid of putting ourselves out there,'' Smit said. "Now we are trying to restore those ethical values. It's about action, putting those principles you believe in, into action.''
Smit said, "One of our challenges is the 'drug with a plug,' television. Kids see things on TV today that even a generation ago they wouldn't have seen. Look at WWF wrestling. How do we expect them to go out on the playgrounds and respect each other?''
He asked which of the pillars would raise objections.
"Trustworthiness, am I worthy of someone else's trust in me?'' he said. "We are talking about a personal trait. Do the students and their parents trust you, do you have integrity, do you act honestly, keep promises and loyalty. It's contrary to the 'I deserve it' philosophy.''
Respect means being respectful to all people, even if they can't do anything for you. Responsibility means duty, accountability, the pursuit of excellence and fairness based on procedures in place.
"Teachers would have more time to teach if they followed the six pillars,'' Smit said. "When I made that statement at a community meeting once, a man said that we shouldn't be teaching anything other than reading, writing and arithmetic, the basics.
"Then a student stood up, and said that some students disrupt the class so much that they are hurting the learning process. And that even if just a few more students were respectful and honest, they would have more time to learn, and his teacher would have more time to teach.''