THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 5, 1996 TAG: 9611050268
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 64 lines
The issue of character education attracted nearly 300 of the region's educators, city leaders and business people to a Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce breakfast Monday - a turn-out that illustrated the topic's resonance as well as its growing popularity.
All South Hampton Roads school districts are exploring character education, which, generally speaking, refers to instruction in basic values such as respect and honesty.
Norfolk and Portsmouth will start districtwide character education programs next semester. Selected character traits - 16 in Norfolk, nine in Portsmouth - will be integrated in regular lessons.
Some critics say character education is another example of educators latching on to something that has little to do with academics.
But Frederick P. Close, education director at the Washington-based Ethics Resource Center and Monday's guest speaker, reminded the audience that schools have long transferred values to students as part of their socialization.
For example, educators send students signals in the way they handle something as common as a fight, said Close, whose center works with individuals and organizations ``to improve ethical practices.''
But schools, he said, should beef up their efforts and take a more-structured approach to character education - given the negative media images to which children are often exposed and the decreased role that families and religious institutions play in many youngsters' lives.
``Our schools may not be helping us as much as they used to help us,'' Close said, referring to ``direct'' moral instruction found in public schools in the 19th century.
Public schools must again fully embrace the concept to help stem problems ranging from unruliness in the classroom to violence in society, he said.
But he emphasized that schools can't change societal problems by themselves. Close urged educators to seek input from many community representatives when crafting character ed plans.
He also said educators themselves must model behavior they want students to emulate, and look for ways to make the issues real for students.
At times, he seemed to be preaching to the choir.
``This is not an issue that can be resolved by schools alone,'' Chesapeake Superintendent W. Randolph Nichols said.
Don Campbell, education committee chairman for the chamber's Portsmouth division, later said the topic interests the business community because industry wants responsible and conscientious workers.
The regional chamber organized Monday's meeting to generate more dialogue on character education.
Not everyone has been sold on it.
Laurence Steinberg, a Temple University psychology professor and author, says schools already have their hands full.
``I don't believe that schools have the resources - or that their personnel have the training - to do the other kinds of things,'' he said in a telephone interview Monday.
His new book, ``Beyond The Classroom: Why School Reform Has Failed and What Parents Need to Do,'' looks at factors outside of school that influence students' behavior and achievement.
``There are alternatives to taking these responsibilities and shifting them to schools,'' he said, referring to character ed initiatives.
``Why not see what can be done to strengthen institutions that historically have played more of a major role in these aspects of children's socialization?''
KEYWORDS: EDUCATION CHARACTER VALUES by CNB