Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

Too Soon for a ‘Judgment Call’ on Character Education

November 12, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

Education Week‘s Oct. 27, 2010, Report Roundup summary on character education (“Study Finds Few Benefits in Character Education”) was very upsetting. As I read how a federal study did not find that character education programs produce any improvements, for the most part, in student behavior or academic performance, I became enraged. I do not feel that we have spent enough time researching, following, and adapting these types of programs to make any type of judgment call on this new study.

We, as educators, need to be reminded of the theorists, who, through trial and error, developed what we know today as the study of human development. Without study after study and new knowledge and advancement in different areas of human development, we would not know how the mind works and the effects the environment has upon human growth.

We, as educators, cannot stop trying and searching to find a way to reach and teach every student. It is our job to provide the youth of today, tomorrow, and the future with the best education possible. If we fail to see that by not pursuing our quest to ultimately find a more effective way to reach our students, then we are giving up on education, our students, and society.

We must push on, we must not give up, and we must not forget that education is not what it once was, and in order to gain success, we must not stop reaching out in every way possible.

Stephanie Wachman

New York, N.Y.

A version of this article appeared in the November 17, 2010 edition of Education Week as Too Soon for a ‘Judgment Call’ on Character Education

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz What Lowers Teacher Turnover? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz Which State Is About to Pass a ‘Science of Reading’ Law? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz What is a Project 2025 Author Doing at the Education Department? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: June 11, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
5 min read