By Mark Hyatt
President & CEO
Character Education Partnership
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.
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Dear CEP Family—
On behalf of the entire CEP staff and Board of Directors, I wish you all a wonderful Holiday Season and New Year.
Like most of America in these uncharacteristically somber days, we at CEP are filled with great sadness as the K-12 community from coast to coast goes takes its winter break and bids farewell to 2012. We are sad because we know that too many young people are still suffering in our society, due to many factors, not the least of which is violence in schools and surrounding neighborhoods.
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by Mark Hyatt
Executive Director and CEO
Character Education Partnership
Whether or not you consider the scandal that caused CIA Director David Petraeus to resign to be a character failure, most feel that the celebrated General’s ability to lead the intelligence agency had been irreparably compromised. To many of us—especially those with military experience—David Petraeus is a great American public servant and one of the most respected military leaders in modern times. In fact, on a recent trip to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, I stayed in the Thayer Hotel. Across the hall from my room was “The David Petraeus Suite.”
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From the prism of parent, veteran school administrator, and nonprofit leader, I agree with Paul Tough’s findings and recommendations. There is indeed a better way to prepare young people for success in school and in life. We should heed his advice and allow kids to experience and learn from failures and mistakes. We should also look beyond cognitive skills when judging a young person’s potential. Finally, we should bring back character development in our schools.
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Character demands consistency. We reap what we sow. So, our priorities and our goals need to be consistent with our values. And the adults, and especially school administrators, need to remember that the school of life is always in session.
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