Character building making schools safer, Central Jersey teachers say

By CHAD HEMENWAY – Staff Writer

School districts throughout the state have adopted various character-education programs to teach students respect, responsibility and integrity in an effort to make schools better — and safer — learning environments.

Just a dream? Not according to administrators and teachers in Central Jersey, who say their respective programs have changed the dynamic of the learning experience.

“I really believe this stuff,” said Peter Karycki, principal of Hunterdon Central Regional High School. “I see it working every day.”

“The culture has changed completely,” said Tamika Bauknight, assistant principal of North Plainfield high and middle schools. “Especially in the last two years, you can really see that the kids have pride in their school.”

In the 2005-2006 school year, incidents of violence, weapons possession, vandalism and substance abuse increased in 35 Central Jersey school districts, according to newly released state Department of Education data.

The North Plainfield School District saw a rise in violent incidents in the 2005-06 school year with 72 reported. But during the current year, the numbers have plummeted, with only 14 reported violent incidents this year.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Robert Rich credits character education, and other Central Jersey school administrators agree that the concept works.

“Lessons in these programs are reinforced constantly through numerous mediums,” said Dr. Philip Brown, a Rutgers University psychology professor. “You begin to see students reinforcing the lessons to their friends. When a new kid comes in the middle of the year and acts up, he quickly learns, ‘Hey, that’s not the way we do things around here.’ ”

Shift in Attitude

Fundamentally, the attitude 10 to 15 years ago was that there were good kids and bad kids , grouped privately by teachers and administrators, said Brown, director of the Center for Character Education at Rutgers University. Set up through a federal grant, the center provides research on character-education programs and consults districts on programs that can work for its specific needs.

In the past, not much could be done for the bad kids except for disciplining them when they misbehaved, he said. They weren’t getting the guidance or taught the lessons at home, and teachers felt helpless.

“The attitude shifted when we found out that by the entire school getting involved in the cause, teachers found it easy to teach in the classroom,” Brown said.

Susan Haynes, principal of Vanderveer School, an elementary school in Somerville, said it is the responsibility of the school district to guide children.

“They are kids. They are going to get emotional and make poor choices, taking out frustration in the wrong ways,” Haynes said. “It’s our responsibility to tell them there are better ways to solve problems.”

The issue is everyone’s concern, said Dr. Susan Furrer of the the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Furrer is the executive director of the Positive Student Discipline Reform Demonstration Project, used in the Bound Brook School District.

“When a different, less-traditional approach is taken, there is a subtle change which may be harder to quantify, but the teachers can see it,” she said. “That’s what makes it all worthwhile. That’s what gets people excited.”

The Team Approach

Every administrator, teacher and school resource officer asked about character education said it can only succeed with a commitment from the entire district.

“It doesn’t do much good to teach the lesson in elementary school and have them break down at the next level because it isn’t reinforced,” said Dr. Marilyn Birnbaum, schools superintendent in North Plainfield.

In some schools focusing on character education, teachers center lessons around different aspects of the principle in the classroom, decorated with posters containing messages that reinforce the attitude. A principal also may read an inspirational quote from an influential person such as Martin Luther King Jr. over the loud speaker during morning homeroom.

“They do hit home,” said Hunterdon Central’s Karycki of his weekly readings, called, “Wisdom Wednesdays,” on the school’s television broadcast.

In Somerville’s Vanderveer School, the team approach involves a full-time psychologist, Dr. Tanya McDonald, and social worker, Karen Tori-Jones, who are available to get the heart of an issue.

Simply put: “Why did you do that?”

“We work together to get to emotional issues which have prompted the child to act out the way he did,” Haynes said. “We get a better understanding, and we’re able to help. The next time they come across something that makes them frustrated, they might take a deep breath first and think about things.”

A Metaphoric Pat on the Back

Instead of waiting until a child does something bad enough to warrant a punishment, schools are beginning to recognize acts of kindness.

“When you look at character education, I think you have to look at building empathy as a cornerstone,” Brown said. “If I don’t care about you as a human being, how are things going to get better?”

This idea — essentially a “do-unto-others” philosophy — is hard-wired in all of us, he added.

“The schools that do best have kids that care about each other on levels they don’t necessarily recognize but are there,” Brown said.

At Vanderveer, children are awarded with 21st century gold stars called “character tags.” Teachers are encouraged to recognize random acts of kindness and praise students who act unselfishly.

“For instance, a child who stops to help another student who just dropped his books,” Haynes said. “It sends a message that we’re all on the same team. It’s just the way we are. We treat each other with respect and kindness.”

Acts of kindness can result in a catered picnic at Hunterdon Central Regional High School for students recommended to be recognized as kind. Teachers at the high school fill out “praise referrals” when they see a student doing a nice deed, Karycki said.

“It’s a reversal of the old saying, ‘Quick to criticize — Slow to encourage.’ Everyone likes to know when they’ve done well. We’re trying to make sure students realize we appreciate it,” Karycki said.

Having an Impact

Administrators said schools are always going to have incidents that require serious attention. Not every fight can be prevented even after years of positive reinforcement and conflict management.

But they say data and actions in the halls show that programs that encourage pillars of character education such as citizenship, responsibility and respect while focusing on why rules are in place, work.

“They begin not to think about it at all,” said Haynes, adding that she has the statistics to suggest children are better behaved. “Our expectations become the expectations of each other.”

At UMDNJ, Furrer helps districts develop a general code on conduct. This year, she is accumulating data that suggest implementation of the program is working in Bound Brook.

And high-school Principal Dan Gallagher knows it’s true.

“This isn’t the same school — from top to bottom,” he said. “Everyone has worked so hard, and it’s paid off. The teachers notice. We’re headed in the right direction.”

Success at Hunterdon Central breeds excitement, said Karycki, and as teachers see that the work is producing results they become more committed.

“We’ve created a comfortable environment to learn,” he said. “You have to. Without that, all the technology and all the curriculum isn’t worth anything.”

– Chad Hemenway