All adult members of the school community influence the character development of young people.
Successful character education initiatives engage families and community members as partners in the character building effort.
Schools that reach out to families and community members and include them as partners in the character building effort benefits not only the school, but also the well-being of the entire community. These schools understand the value of communicating the purpose and plan for character education, and work to engage families and community members in conversation about the school’s character education effort. Schools of Character recognize that all adult members of the school community influence the character development of young people, and they actively recruit the help of the wider community (e.g., businesses, service organizations, municipalities, and the media) in supporting the character building effort. Principle 10 shows that schools advance their character education initiatives by forging partnerships with their families and the wider community.
Forging partnerships with parents and community requires three parts:
Engage
Communicate
Recruit
School Examples
Virgil Grissom
Virgil Grissom in Old Bridge, New Jersey works diligently to engage families and community members as partners in the character education initiatives in conjunction with a district committed to serving the community. Communication strengthens those partnerships through open houses, PTA, Grissom Gazette (the school newspaper), Parent Universities, the school website, instant alert system, parent portal, virtual backpack and Class DoJo which keeps teachers, parent and students connected at all times. The school has seen an eighty-eight percent increase in parental support.
Pryor Junior High School
Any school in Pryor, Oklahoma, but especially, Pryor Junior High School, you can hear the common language in city council meetings as the mayor and city government has encouraged the participation of Pryor students. You can hear it in churches as faith leaders mention the “7 Habits” during their youth programs to reinforce what students are learning in the school. Volunteer organizations, local businesses, and local leaders use the language of core values and 7 Habits in a variety of ways. It is evident that the community serves the school and the school serves the community.
Harrison Elementary School
Harrison Elementary School in Roselle, New Jersey involves parents and the community at-large in bigger ways every school year. The iLead program is an excellent example. There are many facets to the program, but iLead mentors (some of whom are parents, some community volunteers) line the driveway every morning for student drop-off and greet them face-to-face; a wonderful start to the day. These volunteers also take on various roles including individually mentoring students who need a little extra attention, teaching lessons with small groups of students or whole classes, and helping students coordinate service learning projects.
Districts
Districts engage the spectrum of the community with particular focus on involvement of appropriate local government agencies, youth-serving organizations, and the business community.
Mantua Township Public Schools in Mantua, New Jersey uses a variety of methods to engage the entire community. Dr. Robert Fisciaro and his team are particularly fond of the Parents as Partner events. At the Parents as Partners events, two-way collaboration occurs. Insight and strategies that will help support the social and
emotional growth of children are presented and discussed at these well-attended gatherings. The virtue lessons are shared to help them guide their children through difficult life situations while adhering to our core values. Some helpful parenting strategies included in these meetings are Collaborative Proactive Solutions, the Nurtured Heart Approach, and the Jesse Lewis Foundation “Choose Love” lessons.
Author Spreads Message of Love to Mantua Township Elementary School
Self-Reflection Questions
How involved are the parents in your school? Do they feel welcome? How do you individually and as a school communicate with students’ families and vice versa? What strategies and activities involve families in character education? What other ways might you consider trying to involve families?
What efforts are already under way to involve community members in your character initiative and in your school? What resources might your community members offer? What obstacles do you face engaging community members in your work and how can they be overcome?
Check for Understanding
1. Principal Jones was concerned about the lack of parent involvement in the school’s character initiative. He met with his staff to discuss his concern and create a plan for improvement in this area. Which of the following ways will best help his school to move forward?
2. Hayward Middle School’s Character Education Team was reviewing their character initiative using Character.org’s 11 Principles of Effective Character Education. Their lowest rubric scores tended to be areas where the greater community should be involved. This was their list of ideas for community involvement in their initiative. Which one of these should they delete as they move to action?
Research that Supports Principle 10
“How to teach kids the eight indispensable skills: self-confidence, self-awareness, communication, problem solving, getting along, goal setting, perseverance, and empathy—they’ll need for living confident, happy, and productive lives.”
“With concrete examples drawn from the many families Dr. Lickona has worked with over the years, the book How to Raise Kind Kids will help you give and get respect, hold family meetings to tackle persistent problems, discipline in a way that builds character, and improve the dynamic of your relationship with your children while putting them on the path to a happier and more fulfilling life.”
Authored by Lori Soifer
