In Part Two of Humankind’s look at South Carroll high school, four mothers describe what they see as essential to educating America’s students today. The answers may surprise you. Hear how they, along with South Carroll’s administrators, have come to believe in character education, how it should be taught, why they feel it’s become necessary, and what kind of future it has in the public schools. An engaging look at education in America.

Themes

• Should schools be teaching values like compassion and tolerance, or is this a job only for parents?
• What benefits do children receive from participating in community service activities?
• How can teachers impart values like respect, to students? And what are the challenges that teachers face when they attempt to teach such values? Do they need to be role models for students?
• What’s expected of parents in such a system?

In the long run, I’m not sure that it matters if a student learns Algebra, but I know that it matters if a student learns right from wrong. I know that it matters if a person learns that in this world we have to help each other. I don’t see how we get around that. “

—George Booz, former principal at South Carroll High School