The students at Clairemont Elementary are thrilled when their principal, Jan Goodloe, pops in to their classroom to read them a story. They don’t realize she carefully chooses books that illustrate themes in the Decatur, Ga., school’s character education program.

Amazing Grace, for example, is about a young budding actress who longs to play Peter Pan. She doesn’t look like the Peter Pan found in books, though; she’s African-American. The story teaches about diversity and inclusion. The Quiltmaker’s Gift is about an artisan who will only make a quilt for the king if he gives away his possessions. Goodloe loves the message about service and compassion. And the Dr. Seuss classic Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! “talks about having wonderful ideas,” Goodloe says, “and fits in nicely with the character trait creativity.”

Deirdre Reilly, Clairemont Elementary’s PTA copresident, says the group happily earmarks some of the organization’s dollars for the character education program. She likes that the school weaves character education into the curriculum, the way a parent sneaks steamed cauliflower into a picky child’s diet by mixing it with mashed potatoes.

“She really looks for books that emphasize the character traits,” says Reilly, whose son, Jack, is in 1st grade.

Reilly keeps up with the character education program through the school newsletter so she can emphasize the traits at home. Parents often drop in during Clairemont’s daily assembly, where character traits such as honesty, curiosity, and sense of humor are discussed. She says it’s only natural that the PTA would support character education, a program so strongly connected to home life.

Character Growth

Across the country, schools are instilling in their students values they hope will help mold them into good citizens. Character education took off big in the 1990s, and some states, such as Georgia, passed laws requiring it in all public classrooms. But many school leaders and parents say they would support character education regardless of mandates.

“I do think parents see that a well-rounded education is more than just the academic subjects,” says Mike Hightower, principal of Red Oak Elementary in Stockbridge, Ga. “We need to teach them more than just the things that will be on a standardized test.”

Hightower found his character education program in an unlikely place: from one of his corporate partners, Chick-fil-A. The company sponsors Core Essentials, a program that’s built around attributes including peace, kindness, and orderliness.

Dozens of organizations have developed programs around positive character traits. Some popular options include Project Wisdom, which encourages students to make good choices; Character First, which began in a business setting and was later adapted for schools; and Character Counts, which emphasizes six “pillars” as its centerpiece.

The goal of character education is not to usurp the parents’ role in teaching values. Rather, most emphasize universally respected traits like patience, gratitude, and courage. Programs differ in how they are structured and how much training they provide.

There are many ways for parent groups to get involved in character education. Some buy posters and banners to display around the school. Others purchase small prizes to give to students who demonstrate positive character traits. A parent group can also jump in with a special event or guest speaker tied directly or indirectly to character education. Or parents might organize a community service project that ties in with a specific character trait.

PTOs are rarely called upon to pay for an entire character program. Often, additional funds are available through district allotments for staff development or programs for safe schools or drug prevention.

At Colvin Run Elementary in Vienna, Va., the PTO supports all aspects of an intensive character education program. In addition to funding the purchase of books that connect with selected character traits, parents pay for posters and sponsor guest speakers. The organization also pays shipping costs to send goods to Iraq for a service-learning project tied to character education.

When Colvin Run opened five years ago, teachers and administrators didn’t look to an outside organization for a character education program. Instead, with input from parents, they created their own based on compassion, honesty, responsibility, and respect. They call it “Character Shapes the Future”; each concept is represented by a different shape.

“Our character education program isn’t a standalone thing,” says principal Sandra Furick. “‘Program’ is probably a misnomer. It really is woven into everything we do.”

Furick couldn’t imagine the PTO not being involved in something so central to Colvin Run Elementary. Community service project ideas often come from parents, and the PTO has a character education committee that recruits guest speakers and keeps parents informed about the character education program.

She loves hearing parents use the language, such as when they ask their child “Are you showing me respect?” She’s even more thrilled when kids use the language themselves in conver?sations with their parents. “When we get these common words used,” Furick says, “good things come out of it.”

Parent Group Participation

At Rio Hondo Elementary in Downey, Calif., southeast of Los Angeles, school officials wanted to find a program that was already developed and opted for Character Counts. The PTA is instrumental in making the school’s character education component a success, says principal Dolores Goble. The group runs the school store and stocks supplies that state the six pillars: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

“When they saw how the kids reacted to it, they wanted to jump on the bandwagon,” Goble says. “They asked, ‘Can we buy you a banner? Can we paint you a mural?’ ”

She emphasizes that character education need not be an expensive line item in a parent group’s budget. It’s more important for parents to model good character. For example, the Rio Hondo PTA organizes monthly food drives where kids bring in canned goods. “They’re providing food for the needy,” Goble says. “It’s not costing the PTA any money; it’s just their time and energy.”

Rosana Valdez, PTA president at Rio Hondo, says parents who belong to such organizations are modeling good character by being involved with the school and the community. The PTA is working with the district to create a mural on the school’s handball court reflecting the six pillars. “This will remind the kids to have good character on the playground,” says Valdez, whose son, Eric, is in 3rd grade at Rio Hondo.

At Bernardo Heights Middle School in San Diego, the budget for character education is small but participation is big, says principal Elaine Johnson. And this year, the PTSA board increased funding for character education from $200 to $500. The money will go toward materials that will help students gain a deeper understanding of what they’re learning.

“It’s not just posters around campus; we want a stronger tie-in with literature,” Johnson says. For example, 7th graders are reading The Revealers, a novel that deals with bullying. Teachers talk with students about how the values and traits they’re studying apply to characters in the book.

The PTSA has jumped at the opportunity to be involved in character education. “It’s something they seem to rally around,” Johnson says. “They see the value in exposing the students to good character.”

Jennifer Zaheer, whose sons attend Sunset Hills Elementary in San Diego, serves as the Character Counts liaison for the Palomar Council PTA, the umbrella organization for more than 30 PTAs in the Poway Unified School District. She has seen many of the parent groups embrace character education and encourage parents to reinforce it at home, such as by referencing it during family discussions. One way PTAs get involved is by giving “character awards.” That way, children are being praised for what they do right rather than put down for what they do wrong, Zaheer says.

“Parents love it,” she says. “I have yet to hear any parent complaints. The parents in my district are very discerning, so that says a lot.”