\doc\web\97\07\chared.txt From: family Subject: Prof. ED Hirsch on Character Education Character Education in our Schools July, 1997 by Leah Vukmir PRESS Organization (Check out the PRESS homepage on the WWW) Milwaukee, Wisconsin In June of this year, I was honored to represent PRESS at the Fourth Annual Conference on Character Building co-hosted by the White House and the U.S. Congress. Our nation's capitol was the site of this three day event sponsored by the Communitarian Network and The George Washington University Institute for Communitarian Policy Studies. Over 300 teachers, administrators, school board members, parents and concerned citizens from the United States, as well as nations abroad, were in attendance to hear a diverse group of assembled experts discuss the topic of character education for children. While most agreed that molding children into moral beings is critical for the good of our greater society, finding agreement on the actual means to that end is likely to prove a difficult task, indeed. Having only noble intentions in mind, I wondered if the organizers of this event had envisioned any potential unintended consequences of their lofty goals, consequences that left at least this conference participant with an uneasy feeling as I boarded my plane for home. Who among us would argue against teaching children the values of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, justice, fairness, integrity, and caring? Seemingly innocent, these values are shared across a variety of ethnic and religious groups in our society. What could possibly be wrong with teaching these principles? In the quiet darkness of the conference auditorium, I listened to one speaker after another extol the virtues of teaching virtues to our children...my children and your children. I closed my eyes and imagined the scenario of character education playing out in our own communities and school districts back home in Wisconsin. How would the parents and teachers react to this idea in Wauwatosa, Waupaca, Eau Claire and Milwaukee? Would they agree on basic definitions of "good character?" Would they willingly work together to develop guidelines, policies, and curricula? Would they agree on methods of implementation? How WOULD character education be taught? As I tried to answer these questions, the cushioned chair that had initially induced my errant daydreaming suddenly felt cold and rigid. With each new question that popped in my head I squirmed in my seat in search of comfort. It eluded me. All that remained was a growing pessimism about what was beginning to look like the latest panacea for our educational woes. I held my breath to avoid more discomfort but it was inevitable for I could now see the entire process unfolding before my eyes. The vision was not a pretty one. Like so many other educational fads and reforms, the very notion of teaching character immediately pits parent against establishment. On the one side, I saw a group of parents outraged at the thought of schools taking on yet another of their primary responsibilities. On the other side, I saw teachers and administrators scolding parents for not teaching these values in the first place, therefore necessitating a school program to "aid the greater society." Both sides have merit. Who is right? The voices on each side continued to nag me. My chair was now becoming even more intolerable. . . Schools: "Shouldn't schools have some role in teaching or modeling respect, responsibility, and honesty?" Parents: "How will these people teach my children responsibilitySS.they don't even hold them accountable for their homework!" Schools: "How could anyone be against these values? They must be a bunch of right wing wackos!" Parents: "I wonder what academic discipline these educrats will eliminate from the school day to make room for this new fad? Will my children be graded on character?" How will we ever bridge this divide? We've had little success with other polarizing issues such as the teaching of reading. What made the conference sponsors think this would be less controversial? Yet, the endless parade of speakers continued to urge the audience to return to their communities and commit to developing character education programs all across the land. Among the notable speakers were Vice President Al Gore, NEA president Bob Chase, AFT president Sandra Feldman, U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Yale University's Dr. James Comer. Just when it seemed as though I would not be able to listen to one more word, a steady hushed voice rose above the cacophony that had numbed my ability to think coherently. I opened my eyes to see University of Virginia Professor E.D. Hirsch addressing the audience. Not surprisingly, his clear message began to cut through the din of dissenting voices that were swirling in my mind. As I leaned forward in my chair, which suddenly seemed more bearable, I heard the only common sense approach to the teaching of character education. Hirsch, the highly regarded author of the book series entitled "What Your First Through Sixth Grader Needs to Know," and founder of the Core Knowledge Foundation, provided a simple answer to the question of character education. As a longtime student of Plato, Hirsch believes the study of Plato focuses attention on the important role the arts play in the development of moral character. "Teaching Plato makes you a believer that teaching songs, stories and fables is essential to building character," stated Hirsch. Stories create characters that are thrilling and interesting to the vivid imaginations of young children. Through these stories, children learn some of the most important lessons in life. Citing the legend of George Washington cutting down the cherry tree, Hirsch explained that even myths have an incredible ability to teach children. Generations of children have learned the virtue of honesty through the power of this lore. "In many ways, fictional models work on the thinking of a greater number of kids. Myths are far more powerful than trying to merely teach children about abstract virtues, " explained Hirsch. Other examples mentioned by Hirsch include Aesop's Fables, classic fairy tales and a myriad of childhood stories which have fallen out of favor in today's politically correct world. Hirsch urged teachers to provide today's children with the best examples of stories that "tug at the deepest part of the soul" enabling children to identify and emulate even simple characters like the three little pigs. In closing he stated, "The stories we tell our children are pivotal in determining the health of our society." Those final words played over and over in my head as I traded in my auditorium chair for an austere airplane seat and my return flight to Wisconsin. As I watched the breathtaking view of George Washington's Monument recede from my sight, I marveled at the similarity between the monument's striking simplicity and the clarity of Hirsch's message. I wondered if we in Wisconsin would be able to agree on a common sense approach to teaching our children the essence of good character, or would we find ourselves in yet another battle of words. I strained to catch one final glimpse of the now shrinking obelisk.