After an emotional outburst during advanced Algebra class at Wheeling High School in May, Sara Bowsher worried that the unfortunate incident might affect her final grade.
She offered an apology for swearing and managed to smooth things over with her teacher.
But when classes at Arlington Heights-based School District 214 resume later this month, such incidents aren’t likely to pass without stern action by teachers and school district officials. A new district policy enables a student’s grades to be lowered if a pupil’s attitude or behavior leaves something to be desired.
The findings of a Chicago Tribune poll suggest policies like this one might be what’s needed to bring back the old-fashioned concepts of building character and maintaining good behavior in the classroom. These concepts top the list of what residents of the northwest suburbs would like to see changed about their schools, according the poll.
Also needing more emphasis, according to 30 percent of the 700 respondents, is the amount of preparation non-college-bound students receive. About one-fourth of the respondents added that basic skills, including reading, writing, math and science aren’t being stressed enough.
Like many parents, scholars suggest the poll’s findings expose a weak spot in American public education.
“In general, the public wants the schools to take a much stronger, more proactive stance in helping kids acquire good habits,” said Kevin Ryan, director of the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character at Boston University.
“On the other hand, teachers who haven’t been trained, and in a way have been told to stay away from controversial issues of values, are hesitant to do it. A lot of us think this is a freight train smashup about to happen.”
Ryan pointed to the burgeoning interest in nontraditional charter schools and voucher plans as proof that the public is ready for a change.
“It’s primarily because people want a new school system with a better ethical, moral environment for children,” he said.
There remains a public hunger for schools to deal with morality. It’s a movement that is routinely thrust into pubic debate by what many consider to be a breakdown in ethics across all segments of society.
But even with President Clinton endorsing character education in his State of the Union address in February, ethics and morals are tricky issues for many schools to juggle. Public schools are prohibited from promoting any specific religious concepts.
Still, those most directly affected by the calls for morality and character in the schools suggest the debate might be misplaced.
“Morals and ethics should be coming from the home more than the schools because everyone has different morals and different views,” said Sara Bowsher, who will be a senior at Wheeling. `It’s not the school’s job.”
But if morals aren’t coming from the home, does that mean the school steps in? And if so, whose values does the school teach? These age-old questions are fiercely debated by groups that include religious organizations, educators and politicians.
One solution schools see as viable is character education. It focuses on teaching positive attributes such as responsibility, integrity and perseverance.
At the International Center for Leadership in Education in Schenectady, N.Y., teachers are trained how to incorporate these values into their teaching. An English teacher, for example, might have the students read “To Kill a Mockingbird” and talk about justice and courage in everyday life. The Pledge of Allegiance could be a springboard for a discussion about loyalty to friends and family.
“Character education is as old as education itself, but it’s undergoing a renaissance,” said Martin Marrazo, clinical psychologist at the center. “It has become a national issue.”
Experts like Ryan and Marrazo say character education and academic success go hand-in-hand. Students who are orderly, respectful and cooperative in school turn in much higher performances, resulting in a “win-win” situation.
“Most parents are more concerned with raising good children than high SAT scores,” said Ryan. “The school district or state that does not help teachers or parents address the issue is making a great mistake and, I think, will be punished.”
Sandy McMillen, who acknowledges that her 13-year-old son’s behavior is far from perfect, has had several run-ins with officials at Keller Junior High in Schaumburg.
“They don’t handle issues,” she said. “They just make kids sign all these little contracts, and if they don’t adhere to the rules, they’re in trouble. More classes should be required so teachers know how to deal with children and treat them just like everyone else.”
McMillen won’t necessarily believe a teacher’s version of a story over her son’s, either. “I can tell when my son is lying,” she said.
It’s this situation that frustrates many educators.
“Teachers are not in control of discipline,” said Schaumburg High School teacher Dave McCoy. “If the community wanted it enforced, parents would tell the administration to go ahead and punish the child (who misbehaves).”
Christine Lemke, a mother of two in Elk Grove Village, agreed.
“It seems like the teachers who have the bad rap are the ones who reprimand children,” said Lemke, 42, who favors morals and ethics being stressed in schools.
“Personally it drives me nuts, because that’s what they need. Not a beating over the head with a ruler, but if a teacher is strict and then parents complain, that is sad.”
