Education Week - October 21, 2020 - 18

What the Election Says
About Character Education
And what schools should do about it

oe Biden wants to make this election about character. And why not? Even The Wall Street Journal
editorial board recently opined that "Mr. Trump
can't win a character contest with Mr. Biden."
Character has been a hallmark of national
elections ever since 1800 when a newspaper
editor supporting Thomas Jefferson attacked
the "hideous hermaphroditical character" of President
John Adams. Yet this year feels different. Never in
our nation's history has there been a presidential
election where the virtues of honesty, empathy, taking
responsibility, and norms of conduct are such hot-button
issues for voters.
Character is having its moment.
But not when it comes to either party's platform.
While the preamble in the Democratic platform repeats
Biden's refrain, "Character is on the ballot in this
election," there is nothing in the party's platform about
character or how schools and communities can foster the
character strengths of honesty, compassion, or decency.
The platform does mention the mental-health needs
of students and support for social-emotional learning,
but if Democrats believe character is critical, why isn't
character development-the moral, behavioral, civic,
and intellectual aspects of who we are and how we
grow-part of their platform?
The Republicans fare no better. The party punted
on publishing a 2020 platform, choosing instead to
release a set of core priorities. One of those priorities
includes a statement that our nation's schools should
teach "American Exceptionalism." Inspired by Alexis
de Tocqueville's description of American society in the
1830s, this term has traditionally included the animating
idea of self-rule, the notion that the best form of
government is that which teaches us to govern ourselves.
Or as Benjamin Franklin put it, "Only a virtuous people
are capable of freedom." But again, the Republicans do
not explicitly mention character development.
A pox on both their houses. Collectively, we're
devaluing the virtues of kindness, fairness, honesty, and

18 | EDUCATION WEEK | October 21, 2020 | www.edweek.org/go/opinion

respect at a rapid pace, and individuals are no longer
striving for them.
New York Times columnist David Brooks recently
argued that these character strengths, among others,
are in danger of being replaced by "mean world values."
He asks us to imagine a future where our leaders,
media, and cultural influencers have convinced us that
all people are inherently manipulative, selfish, and
petty. Acts of compassion are for losers. And worst of
all, a nation where fellow citizens do not trust each
other because we have been taught that everyone is
an unscrupulous liar or cheat who cares only about
themselves. While it sometimes feels like we are on the
path Brooks describes, it doesn't have to be this way.
Most schools, in ways large and small, serve as
bulwarks against this trend. Teachers and school
leaders have always believed their professional mission
extends far beyond teaching a child to write a sentence
or multiply. My own children, now adults, have recently
shared with me that so many of their teachers tried their
best to model and foster honesty, caring, and curiosity in
their classrooms.
But let's not kid ourselves. By the time most students
get to high school, they have learned that getting good
grades (or just getting by) is far more important than
goodness-in-action. Recent research on academic
dishonesty reflects a disturbing "it's all about me" youth
culture. It's OK to lie, steal, or cheat to get a good grade
or stay out of trouble. It's just how the game is played.
Moreover, this level of dishonest behavior doesn't end
when students graduate from high school or college.
Lying, stealing, and cheating in the workplace is also a
rampant problem.
Character education is not easy. First, we can never
forget that parents and families are a child's first
character educator. Children learn about kindness,
taking responsibility, and fairness within the context of
their family. Second, unlike social-emotional learning,
the character strengths are not just tools and skills
teachers can easily teach. There is growing research

suggesting that during the teen years, young people need
to form their own moral compass, a set of principles that
transcend religious, cultural, or ethnic differences. At
some point, students need to answer the question "why
be good" in a way that gets beyond the fear of getting
in trouble or letting their parents down. High school
students need to "own" their character.
My own research focuses on moral courage during
adolescence. I study the dynamics that enable a teenager
to stand up and speak out when everyone else is sitting
down or staying silent. Courage is what Winston
Churchill called the "first of human qualities because, as
has been said, it is the quality which guarantees all the
others." The courage to live our values (such as fairness
and justice) fuels our civic character. The courage our
kids need today to resist the increasing pressure to be
cynical about our democracy, or worse, a nihilist.
Our nation needs to invest more in the character
development of our children and teenagers. We need
leadership at the federal, state, and local levels. Every
school should identify a set of core values that reflects
the school's highest priorities and establishes a common
language to teach, model, and integrate these character
strengths into all aspects of school life. We need civic
leaders who encourage coaches to focus more on the
virtues of sportsmanship and teamwork than wins and
losses. We also need employers and workplace leaders
who embrace the expression: "Hire for character. Train
for skill."
I agree with Joe Biden that character should be on the
ballot. But I wonder whether both candidates believe,
as I do, that the soul of our nation reflects the collective
character of our citizens. If so, both parties need to tell
the nation how they will serve as a fierce advocate for
character development in our schools and communities. n

By Arthur Schwartz
SCHWARTZ is the president of Character.org, a
national character-development organization.

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OPINION

http://www.Character.org http://www.edweek.org/go/opinion

Education Week - October 21, 2020

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