Uniting close to 12,000 students and 1,000 staff members into one caring family is no easy task. This district, the largest in Jefferson County, Missouri, has achieved that transformation. It also inspires its students to reach great academic heights in their character journey. Creating a “wonderful character initiative” was not magical; it required shared leadership, effective professional development, and thoughtful implementation. With 19 buildings, Superintendent Dr. Dianne Brown saw the necessity of listening to many voices when, as assistant superintendent in 2001, she sought to establish a district-wide character education program. The past eight years have seen a blossoming of the initiative. Kristen Pelster, principal of Ridgewood Middle School (a 2006 NSOC) and a leader on the District Character Education Team, says that all schools have their own character committees which help them to address individual school concerns, but there is a great deal of sharing. “The walls have come down between buildings,” says Pelster.

Read more about Fox in the 2009 NSOC book: “Inspiring Students to Do Their Best“

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