By Mark Hyatt, President and CEO
As most of you know, in the grim aftermath of December’s horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, President Obama appointed Vice President Biden to oversee an accelerated fact-finding mission on the subjects of gun laws, school safety, access to mental health care, and potential policies or practices that may help schools identify and mitigate unreasonable risks. In early January, I was honored to be invited to the White House to contribute to this important effort and to represent the national character education community in addressing this thorny but vital national security issue.
As a former Air Force fighter pilot squadron commander, I am no stranger to lethal weaponry. But as a former k-12 public school superintendent, I also know how critically important it is for our children to have safe, supportive school environments in which they can learn and grow without fear or intimidation.
With that in mind, this month I have written both Vice President Biden and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to ask that, as part of our national response to Newtown, they consider increasing resources to help U.S. schools to develop supportive cultures and character-conscious social climates conducive to trust among staff, faculty and students. It is my deeply held belief that such caring communities—where our young people learn to feel safe, valued and respected—will also create safer schools where communication is so fluid that everyone has the awareness and the courage to take action if and when life/safety threats are perceived.
As a combat-ready veteran, I have come to realize that heroism and honor are by no means confined to the battlefield. On the contrary, I have probably seen just as many examples since I left the military as I had in my 29 years wearing the uniform. Today, I feel just as inspired looking at the selfless and compassionate efforts of parents, teachers, administrators and even volunteers who serve this great nation by laboring with little fanfare to educate a next generation that will make America proud.
However, even though the State of our Union remains strong, it is still troubled and future generations are still at risk. With this in mind, I know that the U.S. Department of Education will continue to advocate for programs which contribute to healthy school climate such as Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS). And certainly that is a good thing. But I have also urged the White House to consider a broader array of evidenced-based and time-proven methods for improving school culture, climate and character education. As the oft-quoted African proverb so eloquently observes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” At CEP, we, too, believe that there are many ways to achieve the same goals. One size does not fit all.
For this reason, I have strongly recommended that the Dept. of Education relax its funding guidelines and allow schools and communities to choose from a wide menu of character-building techniques and social and emotional learning methods that may serve the common good equally as well, or often even better, than PBIS alone. In fact, CEP already is working to develop integrated approaches for a variety of situations that incorporate aspects from PBIS with those most compatible from our ‘11 Principles of Character Education’.
For now, as we await definitive next steps from the White House and Congress, take heart and be encouraged by the simple fact that CEP is an integral part of this long-overdue national conversation. Hopefully, the dialogue will stay open—and civil—this spring and for the foreseeable future. And I pray that the results, when they do come, will be a blessing to all of us. As history insists on repeatedly and sometimes brutally teaching us, tragedy often leads to opportunity. May we seize this chance to forge actual progress from the crucible of Newtown.
