By PAT NEWMAN
pnewman@thecitizennews.com

Respect for authority, especially in school, was never questioned 50 years ago. Today, it is considered a character trait to be taught.

Respect is joined by words like dependability, compassion, cooperation, fairness, self-control and responsibility in curriculums prepared to instill values in new-century students.

The Fayette County School System's character education program has been in place for years at the elementary and middle school level. Counselors and teachers have worked to incorporate desirable traits and life skills into the framework of their daily lessons, recognizing students who successfully modeled these behaviors.

Honors like “Star Student” for third, fourth and fifth graders and “life-skill” awards for middle schoolers have made values a desired commodity, school officials say.

Character education is now a requirement in all Georgia public schools. As of July 1, the state Department of Education mandates 27 terms relating to character education that must be taught.

“Character education is linked to better discipline,” Stuart Bennett, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said at a recent Board of Education meeting. “I've never been a fan of legislation regulating curriculum, but this is truly a good thing.”

It is up to individual school systems to develop their own curriculums or purchase “canned” programs. Currently, Fayette County uses Second Step, a multilevel curriculum that teaches young children how to solve problems in a socially appropriate manner using words instead of fists. The program also emphasizes impulse control techniques and helps children manage their anger.

Teaching materials include posters, videos and puppets. Middle school lessons are more abstract and focus on identifying feelings, ways to handle stressful emotions and developing good communication skills.

Karen Spangler, the school district's coordinator for CARE (Children At Risk in Education) and a social worker, said Second Step is a violence prevention program that promotes conflict resolution. Students develop skills through role modelling, reinforcement and practice. The lessons are introduced in a number of ways, sometimes during circle time in the lower grades and other times, interwoven in social studies or health classes, she explained.

Until now, there was no prepared format for character education at the high school level. Starting this school year, each of the county's four secondary schools will tailor-make their own, based on a successful program launched at Troup County's Comprehensive High School.

Bennett described it as a “hands-on” character education program that brought Troup's number of disciplinary incidents down 70 percent during the 1999-2000 school year. The school's motto is: “Troup County High School, where character is first.”

Lessons are brief, usually between 10 and 15 minutes, and are most often conducted during home room. A student reward program recognizes students who exemplify the “life skill” of the month, a question-and-answer segment gets students thinking about the particular core value being discussed, and community volunteer projects and school improvement projects link students with adult leaders in a common goal.

Appropriate quotes from famous inventors, statesmen and philosophers are integrated into the lessons. The curriculum calls for a school-wide emphasis on positive character.

Bennett also presented a sampling of books that will be available to Fayette County's teachers, supporting character education.

These include “Books that Build Character,” a guide to teaching your child moral values through stories; “Education for Character,” how our schools can teach respect and responsibility, by Thomas Lickona and others.

The Troup County curriculum, plus the Second Step program for grades pre-kindergarten through eight and the resource books are available for review by the public in the meeting room of the Fayette County Board of Education during office hours.