Pubdate: Wed, 16 Aug 2000
Source: Longview News-Journal (TX)
Copyright: 2000 Cox Interactive Media
Contact:  P.O. Box 1792, Longview, TX 75605
Fax: 903.757.3742
Website: http://www.news-journal.com/index.html
Note: This article is about a new Texas school program which may replace DARE.
Author: Eduardo Vento

CHARACTER IS THE ISSUE

Fewer discipline problems and greater student participation are the hopeful 
results of a new character-building program coming to the Longview 
Independent School district this year.

"Building Good Citizens for Texas," is part of LISD's character development 
program and was adopted at a school board meeting on Monday night.

"I think it's going to be a real good program," said board president Ted 
Beard. "With the direction that the board and district are taking, this 
would fall right in line with that in preparing our students for today's 
... world."

The program is divided into several steps.

For each month in the school year, LISD students from pre-kindergarten 
through 12th grade will learn traits that educators think will help provide 
a strong character foundation.

Each individual campus will be free to tailor the curriculum to its 
particular needs. In September, the district will focus on honesty. Lessons 
on responsibility, compassion, perseverance, loyalty, justice, 
self-reliance, self-discipline and integrity will follow.

"Character is the heart of education," said Sally Gossett Barron, 
supervisor of student support services for LISD. "We feel like it is 
critical for our learners to have strong character and integrity, because 
without it we won't have citizens who are productive and successful."

The program is one of the first of its kind implemented districtwide in 
LISD and is one that the district hopes will address some of the issues 
that the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program focused on.

With the possibility that DARE will be dropped from LISD programs for the 
2000-2001 school year, the character development programs likely will take 
on added importance.

Beard said that he thinks DARE encompassed some of the same lessons that 
"Building Good Citizens for Texas" focuses on.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart