CHARACTER IS THE ISSUE

Fewer discipline problems and greater student participation are the hopeful
results of a new character-building program coming to the Longview
Independent School district this year.

"Building Good Citizens for Texas," is part of LISD's character development
program and was adopted at a school board meeting on Monday night.

"I think it's going to be a real good program," said board president Ted
Beard. "With the direction that the board and district are taking, this
would fall right in line with that in preparing our students for today's
... world."

The program is divided into several steps.

For each month in the school year, LISD students from pre-kindergarten
through 12th grade will learn traits that educators think will help provide
a strong character foundation.

Each individual campus will be free to tailor the curriculum to its
particular needs. In September, the district will focus on honesty. Lessons
on responsibility, compassion, perseverance, loyalty, justice,
self-reliance, self-discipline and integrity will follow.

"Character is the heart of education," said Sally Gossett Barron,
supervisor of student support services for LISD. "We feel like it is
critical for our learners to have strong character and integrity, because
without it we won't have citizens who are productive and successful."

The program is one of the first of its kind implemented districtwide in
LISD and is one that the district hopes will address some of the issues
that the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program focused on.

With the possibility that DARE will be dropped from LISD programs for the
2000-2001 school year, the character development programs likely will take
on added importance.

Beard said that he thinks DARE encompassed some of the same lessons that
"Building Good Citizens for Texas" focuses on.