Pete Domenici must be spinning in his grave

25 years ago, US Sen Pete Domenici became a Founding Father in Character Counts!. He brought the character education model and $30K in federal grant money to the APS school board.

It became a flagship program and in the few years it flourished in the APS, Domenici must have been quite proud.

Last week, the APS School Board voted unanimously to lower APS standards of conduct by removing from them; the Pillars of Character Counts! and, worse still, to close the door on character education in general in the APS.

Currently, there is no district-wide effort whatsoever, to help students develop and maintain their good character.

Because, and only because, the APS Board of education cannot summon individually or collectively, the character and the courage to show students what honest to God accountability to higher standards of conduct looks like.

If we want students to grow into adults who embrace character and courage and honor, someone is going to have to show them what those look like.

They're called role models.

Still, even in the face of hiring the senior-most administrative role model, none of this is “newsworthy”