Civic pride abounds in West Hartford, Connecticut, an affluent suburb of Hartford that was named by Money magazine as one of the nation’s “best places to live.” Home to three colleges, the town is justly proud of its public schools that Connecticut Magazine ranked #1 in the state. The largest of the town’s 11 elementary schools is Duffy Elementary. Louise Duffy believed that education should teach “the art of living together,” and the school named in her honor has aimed to fulfill that vision through character education. After a year-long study by the school’s Action Team on Character Education, the Site-Based Planning Committee decided in May 1998 to implement character education. The school did so by adopting Character Counts and Responsive Classroom, developing a Community Character Handbook, and establishing a Character Education Center for character resources. A few years later, a new principal added Love and Logic to the mix and helped train staff, parents, and other schools in its philosophy. With the addition of Second Step, Duffy has put the finishing touches on a program that places strong reliance on making wise choices and accountability. Using its unique blend of character education programs as a foundation, the school’s dedicated faculty consistently develops confident, responsible, respectful students who are academically well prepared.

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