What is Community of Caring?
Community of Caring is an environment where……..
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
Caring
Respect



Trust
Family and
Responsibility
Are lived and taught.

The Greek Philosopher Aristotle said,
“ Good character is a life of right conduct in relation to other people and in relation to oneself.”
Good character requires us to be in control of ourselves, our wants, our passions and to do right by others.
Good character is-
Know the good
Desire the good
Do the good

Lifelong learner and critical thinker
Diligent and capable performer
Socially and emotionally skilled person
Ethical thinker
Respectful and responsible moral agent
Self-disciplined person who pursues a healthy lifestyle
Contributing community member and democratic citizen
A person engaged in crafting a life of noble purpose

Excellence/performance character diligence a strong work ethic a positive attitude perseverance
The work of excellence is transformational. Once a student sees that he or she is capable of excellence, that student is never quite the same. There is a new selfimage, a new notion of possibility. After students have had a taste of excellence, they’re never quite satisfied with less.
Ron Berger, An Ethic of Excellence

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Integrity
Respect
Cooperation
Justice
Responsibility
The good-to-great companies place greater weight on character attributes than on specific educational background, practical skills, specialized knowledge, or work experience.
Jim Collins, Good to Great

Engagement
To take part
To participate
To be committed to one’s own education, school and community.

The Good News
Excellence/Performance
Indicators
– Achievement Gap
Higher achievement for all ethnic and racial groups.
– Graduation Rates
Graduation rates rose significantly in the 20 th century.
The Bad News
Excellence/Performance
Indicators
– Achievement Gap
Despite various reform efforts, gaps in school achievement have been persistent among ethnic and racial groups.
– Graduation Rates
30% of freshman never graduate.
In many schools it’s as high as 50%.
.

The Good News
Ethical / Moral Indicators
– Academic Honesty
When high schools have an honor code, students are significantly less likely to cheat.
– Violence
Most violence-related behaviors among high school students decreased from 1991-2003.
– Suicide
Suicides have begun to decline since tripling between 1960 and 1991.
– Drugs, Tobacco & Alcohol
Among 8 th , 10 th & 12 th grade students there has been a broad decline in illicit drug use.
– Sexual Activity
In 2001 students who said they had never had sexual intercourse became a majority (57%) for the first time in 25 years.
The Bad News
Ethical / Moral Indicators
– Academic Honesty
Data shows that cheating has steadily increased at every education level in recent decades.
– Violence
One in three high school students has been involved in a physical fight.
– Suicide
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for
15 to 24 year-olds.
– Drugs, Tobacco & Alcohol
One quarter of 12 th graders are smokers.
77% have consumed alcohol
– Sexual Activity
U.S teen birth rate remains one of the highest among developed nations.

Resume fraud by job-seekers at every level – from
CEO’s on down – has soared over the past decade. An estimated half of current resumes contain lies.
Tax evasion has gotten worse in recent years, costing the U.S. Treasury at least $250 billion a year.
Computer technology has facilitated the large-scale theft of copyrighted materials including music, cable and satellite TV.
An unprecedented number of cases of plagiarism.
Perpetrators include best-selling authors and star reporters.

Think about a teacher who had a significant impact on you, the teacher who, in your life, was most memorable.
What did he or she do that was so memorable?

If we lived alone, we wouldn’t need the virtues of fairness and compassion.
If children could raise themselves, we wouldn’t need the family values of commitment and fidelity.
If wealth could simply be found, we wouldn’t need the virtues of initiative and industry to create and sustain wealth.
If our society were homogeneous, we wouldn’t need the virtues of tolerance and respect for legitimate differences.
If our political institutions were authoritarian and a few of us were fit to direct the lives of the rest of us, we wouldn’t need the virtues of personal responsibility and active citizenry.
The facts of our social life give us the broad contours of a conception of good character. It is the character required for a democratic society.
- William Galston, University of Maryland, Professor of Public Affairs