The battle over Character Counts!

Background;

The phrase "Character Counts!" can mean a number of things. First source; the national headquarters for the Character Counts! movement. link

My perspective;

If your interest is to address the most of problems that face educators everyday, and in a proactive way, Character Counts! is far and away the best plan that I have ever seen.

I am a Character Counts! trainer. I was among the first group of teachers who were trained to be trainers of school staffs all over the district. I did dozens of well received trainings in schools and in the community.

I was trained personally, by the founder of the Character Counts! movement; Michael Josephson.

United States Senator Pete Domenici is a founding father too.


I will never forget a moment during the three day training. Micheal Josephson had just stated that Character Counts! would emerge as a grass roots movement.

Students would inspire their teachers to embrace character.
Teachers would inspire their principals,
principals would inspire superintendents, and
superintendents would inspire the members of the board
hold themselves accountable to a higher standard of conduct.

Apples, were to going to fall up.



Every generation expects the next generation,
to be the first generation to hold itself honestly accountable
to meaningful standards of conduct.

Succeeding generations almost always fall short of the expectation.

They almost never fall short of the example that is set for them.

No one will hold themselves accountable to a higher standard of conduct than their boss, or teacher, or parent. Moral authority is earned by setting a personal example. There is no equivalent gesture.

If the members of the board of education do not model honest accountability to meaningful standards of conduct and competence, they forfeit the moral authority to demand that the superintendent meet those standards, who forfeits moral authority over principals, who forfeit moral authority over teachers, who forfeit moral authority over students.

We have forfeited moral authority over students.
We cannot demand that they hold themselves accountable
to a higher standard of conduct than their role models.

When the leadership of the Albuquerque Public Schools struck;

In no case shall the standard of conduct for an adult
be lower than the standard of conduct for students.

from the standards for their own conduct,

they forfeited their authority to demand that students hold themselves accountable to any standard of conduct at all.

The leadership of the APS refuses to role model the most fundamental higher standard of conduct of them all;

Telling the truth.

Sometime, someday, somewhere, they must sit and answer legitimate questions; candidly, forthrightly, and honestly.

Sometime, someday, somewhere, they must simply tell the truth.

Sometime, someday, somewhere, the good ol' boys will have to defend their self-exception to the rules. Their defense will be rejected, and the reign of the good ol' boys will end once and for all.


We are not going to inspire the good ol' boys into holding themselves honestly accountable to meaningful standards of conduct and competence.

We will have to drag them to it, kicking and screaming.



All that is necessary for evil to prevail in the world
is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke

You pick a side when you don't pick a side. unk