2000 Summit Highlights:

Dr. Susan Tave Zelman, Superintendent of Public Instruction for Ohio, joined Governor Taft in kicking off the day-long Character Education Summit attended by an estimated 325 teachers, administrators and school officials from around the state. The superintendent urged educators to "link character education with student success" and said teaching basic curriculum topics and good behavior doesn't have to be an either-or proposition. 

Governor Taft, whose last executive budget earmarked $2 million for character education grants to schools over two years, said like it or not, children learn about more than just the three R's while they're in school. "We're talking about character traits that all Ohioans can agree are important," he said.

The governor noted that 58 schools have taken advantage of the grants, which range from $7,000 to $50,000. Participating schools are working with 15 districts that received $1 million for similar initiatives through the four-year federal pilot program that launched the Ohio Partners in Character Education. OPCE teamed with the Ohio Department of Education and the Council for Ethics in Economics to sponsor the summit.

Among the speakers for breakout sessions at the event was Rudy Bernardo, director of the Dayton-based Institute for the Development of Character and Community. Mr. Bernardo said he led efforts to begin a character initiative at Dayton's Allen Classical Traditional Academy in 1989 while serving as principal of the school. Having viewed similar initiatives in several countries and states, Mr. Bernardo said Ohio is seeing more attention paid to character development since its statewide push started in recent years. "There are some states that are ahead of Ohio," he said. "We are in the middle of the pack."

Dr. Zelman said schools can take a leading role in helping communities embrace character education. "When you match high expectations for behavior with high character expectations, children will succeed," she said. "Schools can help families

Presented by the Ohio Department of Education in partnership with The Council for Ethics in Economics and Ohio Partners in Character Education.