Kevin C. wrote on Jan 18, 2008 11:08 AM:This article about character education leaves me greatly concerned. It's statements repeat much of character education myth. The truth is that character education is not at all it's cracked up to be.

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.

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! Their dissensions 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.

To his credit, Michael Josephson, founder and head of Character Counts!, admits in personal correspondence that I may be right on these points, because... well, who really knows?

Sure, on the surface 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, instead? Anyone well read in this area understands that he best academic minds in the business recommend focusing on an even playing field for all people by correcting antagonistic factors in the social structure; and in the case of students, offer a fair, well-funded educational environment, provide solid, verifiable facts, train in the critical thinking skills to separate the "angles" and hype from the truth, and then let them decide for themselves what kind of society they will create for themselves.

In sum, character education sure sounds good - if only it worked. 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 ...
Anthologized in "Taking Sides: Issues in Educational Practice", 2008 McGraw-Hill/CLS

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"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."
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How Children Fail, John Holt

What is Character these days? wrote on Jan 18, 2008 1:47 PM:In a time when CEO's steal and lie from stockholders, athletes take steroids and lie, politicians phony up information, lie, and cheat the taxpayers...what the hell is called Character these days? Did Duke Cunningham have character?

Character is Built wrote on Jan 18, 2008 6:01 PM:Character is something that is built over time; Not taught through a lesson plan or lecture! Character requires role models, and re-enforcement of positive characteristics along with appropriate levels of discouragement (punishment) for negative characteristics. You can talk all day about what is good, bad, acceptable, unacceptable, etc. But, without active role models, clearly defined expectations, and consequences for not measuring up, you will never see any significant results from your hours of lecturing. Character is built through experience, and not by simply reading a book or going to a lecture. Yes, this program is nothing more than a bunch of “feel good” fluff, and a waste of taxpayer money at the expense of our children.

Observer wrote on Jan 18, 2008 8:17 PM:says, this program appears to do what the home used to do years ago. Teach respect, admirable, forward looking ambitions, and sucess over failure.

Rachel wrote on Jun 11, 2008 12:18 AM:As a part of the character leadership class I am disturbed by some of your comments! We have worked hard all year long as a class working to better our school and the community. I agree that sitting and learning what good character is doesn't accomplish that much but our class did so much more than that. In fact it wasn't just our class, we got other students on campus involved. We did service learning projects and one imparticular raised over $1000 for a shelter in our community! I know that me being in the class gives me a bias but you should know what goes on within the classroom. We do discussions on how difficult doing the right thing may be and we grew closer as a class. We shared our own experiences and connected to one another and realized we are not alone. So maybe this class didn't change the world but it did change my life and I know that it is slowly changing the attitude on campus!

Gracious wrote on Jun 12, 2008 9:31 PM:Rachel - Thank you for sharing the actual things that you and your peers are doing. It helps for us adults to be educated by what you are doing. Remember that you do make a difference. The people who write negative reviews do not know what is going on or the true crux of anything outside their small worlds. Your program sounds like you are the ones who will be teaching us old foggies about right and wrong. Kudos to you, your teachers and the schools involved. I wish my city had this program!