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Culver Campaign: Outlines Plan to Strengthen Character Development, Discipline in Iowa Schools
10/9/2006

(Johnston) Speaking to Johnston High School seniors today, Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver outlined his plan to strengthen character development and discipline in Iowa schools.

“As a teacher and a coach, I demanded respect, discipline, and responsibility from my students and my players,” Culver said. “When we promote character development for students, our kids learn more, our teachers can focus on teaching, and our schools are safer and more successful.”

Culver was a teacher and coach at Roosevelt and Hoover High Schools in Des Moines before being elected Secretary of State.

Culver’s plan includes expanding character development programs to every Iowa school.

As Governor, Chet Culver will create Iowa Character Education Grants for schools wishing to develop or expand existing Character Counts or other individual character development programs at the local level. Those grants will be evaluated for effectiveness, and a task force will be assigned to design a model statewide program based on individual grant projects that demonstrate results.

Many Iowa schools currently use the Character Counts program, a nationally recognized model for character development that focuses student work on shared beliefs and consensus values referred to as the “Six Pillars of Character.” Those pillars are Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.

Through the Character Counts program, public schools form partnerships with the community, linking with businesses, organizations and families that share the goal of improving the quality of life in Iowa communities, and growing tighter, more lasting bonds in those communities.

As a coach at Hoover High School, Chet Culver also learned how important it is to teach sportsmanship and character in competition to student athletes. A portion of Iowa Character Education Grants each year will be set aside for programs at the local level that are designed to teach athletic participants the principles of good sportsmanship and appropriate conduct on and off the field.

Culver will also provide state support to help grow the Iowa Character Outreach Network (ICON). ICON enhances communication between Iowa’s Institute for Character Development, a nonprofit organization, and schools, organizations and communities who are participating in character development initiatives by sharing implementation strategies and activities.

“Restoring discipline and character to our schools is key to making sure that our teachers can teach and our students can learn,” said Culver. “I know how effective programs like Character Counts were in the classrooms where I taught. I will work to ensure that all of Iowa’s schools, teachers, and students have the opportunity to benefit from these programs.”


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