[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 26 (Thursday, February 29, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1465-S1466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CHARACTER COUNTS WEEK

 Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, in my home State of Connecticut 
and across the Nation, something very positive is happening. Every day 
we hear about crime and violence committed by youth, teenage pregnancy, 
falling test scores and a host of other indications that the fabric of 
our society is fraying. These are problems that certainly need to be 
addressed. But today I would like to talk about Character Counts, a 
program that has committed itself to the children of this Nation in an 
affirmative way that conveys the faith and optimism we have in our 
youth and the high expectations we have for them. I am very proud to be 
a part of this growing endeavor.
  On yesterday, I joined with my colleagues in the introduction of a 
resolution to designate October 13-19, 1996 as this year's National 
Character Counts Week. Character Counts Week will focus attention on 
the importance of character education and mobilize participation in the 
program. Last year in Connecticut, almost 3,000 students and teachers 
from 75 towns attended a rally in Hartford kicking off Character Counts 
Week, and I know many other States have had an equally enthusiastic 
response to the promise of character education. I invite all Americans 
to join us in taking part in the character education of our young 
people as it is everyone's duty.
  Character Counts emphasizes six values--trustworthiness, respect, 
responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. These are values 
that we all hold in common; these values transcend religions, cultures, 
socio-economics, and generations. But these values need to be 
explicitly taught to our children and reinforced and reflected in the 
way we live and in the way we shape our society. Character Counts does 
exactly 

[[Page S1466]]
this--the program encourages participating schools to infuse their 
regular curriculum with the six core values. There is no set 
curriculum--schools create individualized programs to fit their needs. 
Character education can be quite simple--as one Connecticut educator 
commented, ``Any good teacher or good coach is probably doing it 
anyway.'' Character Counts spotlights and inspires these efforts.
  A 1992 survey of 9,000 high school and college students conducted by 
the Josephson Institute of Ethics revealed that 65 percent felt that 
values should be taught in school because some parents fail to do so in 
the home, and 45 percent felt that character education should begin as 
early as kindergarten. This tells me that kids not only need guidance, 
because it is often not received at home, but that they want guidance. 
A responsible society will work together to fulfill this obligation.
  Schools participating in the program have experienced a dramatic 
improvement in their behavioral problems. The Devereux Glenholme School 
in northwest Connecticut, the first school in the State to adopt 
Character Counts, saw a 50-percent drop in behavioral problems. And I 
know of at least three children in Connecticut who found sums of money, 
and instead of keeping it, turned it into the authorities. These 
children attributed Character Counts with helping them make the 
decision to turn in the money.
  I believe that our youth reflect the broader society as it is 
revealed to them by adults and that they will rise to our expectations. 
If expectations of ourselves and of our children are low, then kids 
will fulfill those low expectations. If we communicate to our youth 
that they are bad kids, then they will be bad kids. If we recognize 
their potential for being good kids and then show them and teach them 
what it means to have character, then they will grow up to be adults of 
character, and it is our obligation to see that this happens. Character 
Counts helps us meet that charge.

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