[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 16, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H4347-H4348]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          CHARACTER EDUCATION

  (Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

[[Page H4348]]

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on this House to 
pass a new investment in character education. As the former 
superintendent of my State schools, I know firsthand that character 
education can make a difference in teaching our children values and to 
make sure our children are well rounded and prepared to become good 
citizens.
  Across my Congressional District, school leaders have developed 
character education initiatives that can make a difference in strong 
schools and better communities. In Wake County, North Carolina, they 
have become a leader through an innovative effort called ``Uniting for 
Character.'' In Johnston County, the principal of Selma Elementary 
School attributes 59 fewer suspensions between the '95 and '96 school 
years due to their character education program. And CBS News recently 
profiled a successful character education program in the Nash-Rocky 
Mount school system.
  Mr. Speaker, character education works because it teaches our 
children to see the world through a moral lens. Children learn that 
actions have consequences. Teachers work with parents and the entire 
community to instill the spirit of shared responsibility. Character 
education emphasizes values such as character, good judgment, 
integrity, kindness, perseverance, respect, and self-discipline. This 
Congress needs to act on this and act now.

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