Section One

IntroductionLogo/MissionAcknowledgements 1Overview and History 2-4Linkages 5The Big Picture 6SIP Action Plan Samples 7-10

Commitment to Character creates an environment that is saturated with the character traits of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, and

Self-Motivation with a focus on social and academic goals.

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Acknowledgements

This Handbook is the result of the hard work of many individuals over 5 years of development. If anyone is accidentally left off this list of key writers, we sincerely apologize.

Donna Baldwin, Teacher, Tarpon Springs Middle SchoolSally Baynard, Gifted Teacher, Area IIIJanie Blaine, Teacher, Eisenhower ElementaryLeslie Black, Kindergarten Teacher, Bay Vista Fundamental ElementaryDr. Jay Black, University of South FloridaAnn Bowman, Social Skills SpecialistJanine Brown, Teacher, Walsingham ElementaryCarol Byrd, Student Assistant Counselor, Fitzgerald Middle SchoolDonita Clayton, Violence Prevention Specialist, Area IIColleen Fontana, Teacher, Eisenhower ElementaryDr. Patricia Fagan, University of South FloridaClaudia Hunter, Social Skills SpecialistDebra Jackson, Teacher, Maximo ElementaryLinda Jones, Supervisor, Safe and Drug Free SchoolsAmy Kaczynski, Teacher, Coachman Fundamental Middle SchoolAlice Hall, Social Skills SpecialistLillian MacPherson, Guidance Counselor, Gulfport ElementaryJeanne Maynard, Teacher, Rawlins ElementaryJeannette Modlin, Teacher, St. Petersburg High SchoolCharlotte Moore, Prevention Specialist, Safe and Drug Free SchoolsGeorgianne Mustra, Teacher, Forest Lakes ElementaryMe-Me Panzarella, Teacher, Largo High SchoolTony Plesh, Gifted Teacher, Sexton ElementaryDianne Profitt, Resource Teacher, Pre-K ProgramAlice Roberts, Prevention Specialist, Safe and Drug Free SchoolsKatri Saari, Art Teacher, Clearwater Discovery SchoolGeorge Sherman, Behavior Specialist, Walsingham ElementarySusan Spaulding, Florida Council on Economics EducationValerie Stauderman, Guidance Counselor, Walsingham Elementary

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Overview and History

This is the community we can choose to build and these are the standards we can choose to live by.

Each school can implement these ideas into their

School Improvement Plans in unique and creative ways.

The way each teacher participates

in thiscampaign will be

as different as the teachersthemselves.

The goal of the campaign is to provide

a comprehensive, conscious and intentional integrationof character concepts and lessons

in as much ofthe current curricula as possible

without interfering with normal teaching plan.

This is the ambitious goal the original members of the Commitment to Character Task Force set for themselves during the very first meetings. We gathered together at the request of Gus Stavros, prominent businessman, Dr. Howard Hinseley, Superintendent of Pinellas County Schools, and Dean William Heller of the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg Campus to address the difficult task of teaching civic ethics to our students.

What followed was an exciting and intense development period in which one of the leading character education programs in the United States today was written, piloted, and refined. This handbook is the culmination of five years of effort.

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Making it Teacher Friendly

The book is divided into sections to make it teacher friendly. If you need in depth background from the literature, Chapter 2 is for you. If you just need an example of Intermediate Lesson Plans, jump to Chapter 7. There are lists of literature you can use in the classroom, school wide implementation ideas, classroom ideas, and a wealth of resources you can use. Use the handbook however it works best for you.

Building an Ethical Model

At the beginning of the 1995/96 school year, a number of dedicated teachers volunteered to meet as a task force with researchers and philosphers from the University of South Florida Ethics Center to design a plan for a character education program to be implemented in the Pinellas County School system. Originally, the thought was that the program would focus on the Fifth Graders as they prepared for Enterprise Village. While most of the original participants were fifth grade teachers, the word spread quickly and others soon joined, including teachers from private schools, graduate students from the USF College of Education, interested members of the community, and kindergarten teachers who saw character education as naturally appropriate for their students' age group. The Task Force spent much of September and October in lively debate, discussing what did not work with young people and why. The teachers reported being invigorated by the discussion and the opportunity to address in a positive manner what they viewed as a major problem.

Selecting the Traits

It soon became clear that, even among this focused group, character education was a volatile issue. The meanings and nuances of ethical language were explored and debated as the team struggled to reach consensus. Finally, the Task Force broke down into small groups to debate which character traits each group felt were most important as a focus for our program. We found certain character traits had either negative connotations or ambiguous meaning. We also found, however, that there were very easily a group of character traits that had a universal appeal. The discussion was so positive in helping the group understand the issues involved in character, we decided to listen to the entire community as they moved through the same process. We sent one thousand postcard surveys to community groups throughout Pinellas County. A postcard went to every PTA and SAC, all social and civic organizations listed in the Yellow Pages, churches and other religion-based centers, government offices, businesses and other groups to survey their opinions about the most important character traits in school age children. The results of the survey confirmed that there are a core group of character traits that are positive.

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*Respect * *Responsibility* *Honesty* *Self- Motivation*

These are the core traits around which the program is built. The teachers on the committee gave the program a very strong classroom focus, avoiding a prescribed curriculum or restrictive program. Commitment to Character offers a menu of strategies easily integrated into any teacher's already established style and pace. It does not increase time demands upon the teacher, nor does it require additional resources or funds. The program reflects the personality of the teacher and the students, is respectful of their environmental demands, and enhances rather than supplants any existing behavior or discipline plans. Commitment to Character focuses the efforts of the entire school on the task of building character: from the Principal, to the teachers, to the plant operators, to the cafeteria staff, to the parents, to the bus drivers, to the students themselves.

Where Are We Now?

Today, Commitment to Character is the official character education program for Pinellas County Schools. The School Board has placed Commitment to Character into the District Strategic Plan. Nearly every elementary school has teachers, guidance counselors, or administrators trained in Commitment to Character. We are beginning to introduce character education into our secondary schools. This handbook is our effort to reach out to every member of Pinellas County Schools to give them the information and support they need to give our students the Commitment to Character traits they will need to be successful graduates.

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