1999CRH4347F CHARACTER EDUCATION
no...@house.gov
[Congressional Record: June 16, 1999 (House)]
[Page H4347-H4348]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr16jn99-90]
CHARACTER EDUCATION
(Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to address the House
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
[[Page H4348]]
Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on this House to
pass a new investment in character education. As the former
superintendent of my State schools, I know firsthand that character
education can make a difference in teaching our children values and to
make sure our children are well rounded and prepared to become good
citizens.
Across my Congressional District, school leaders have developed
character education initiatives that can make a difference in strong
schools and better communities. In Wake County, North Carolina, they
have become a leader through an innovative effort called ``Uniting for
Character.'' In Johnston County, the principal of Selma Elementary
School attributes 59 fewer suspensions between the '95 and '96 school
years due to their character education program. And CBS News recently
profiled a successful character education program in the Nash-Rocky
Mount school system.
Mr. Speaker, character education works because it teaches our
children to see the world through a moral lens. Children learn that
actions have consequences. Teachers work with parents and the entire
community to instill the spirit of shared responsibility. Character
education emphasizes values such as character, good judgment,
integrity, kindness, perseverance, respect, and self-discipline. This
Congress needs to act on this and act now.
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