|
March 2010
Let me give you some examples. In Chicago, a school superintendent brazenly used his taxpayer-funded credit cards for personal expenses and doled out cash advances to his sister and girlfriend, whom he placed on his payroll. A school administrator in Michigan was charged with making numerous cash advances and credit card purchases that were of a "purely personal nature." They included using his office-issued credit card to buy nearly $800 in plane tickets for his children to travel to Mississippi, where his mother lived. He also allegedly charged thousands of dollars at expensive restaurants and for car rentals and limousine services. In Michigan, an assistant principal was arrested on drug charges. In San Diego, a school administrator was charged with molesting a child for six years. I mean, the list goes on and on. A Google search revealed thousands of examples of school administrators and teachers who have been charged with every inappropriate behavior you can imagine. What in the world is going on here? And I don't accept the theory that those things "used to happen, but we just have more news coverage now." Trust me: Lack of character is becoming more evident in our schools. Surely common sense tells us that character, morals, integrity and virtues should be essential in the lives of those who teach our children. John Wooden, in his book "They Call Me Coach," said that a person with character "is one who considers the rights of others before his own feelings, and the feelings of others before his own rights. You should care more about your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are. Your reputation is only what people think about you." I've always felt that education today must consist of more than just the academics. The best teachers, the most effective administrators and the most influential individuals in my life have been those who framed their lives with such qualities. I remember a group of us in school once jokingly told a teacher that "we want a teacher, not a preacher." That teacher/preacher, however, remains one of the most influential people in my life. When we would procrastinate, she would say, "Time and tide wait for no man" and "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today." She often reminded us: "One bad apple spoils the barrel," "birds of a feather flock together," and "practice makes perfect." And her favorite: "Where there's a will, there's a way." This belief of mine was recently reinforced when I read a statement made by the English philosopher Herbert Spencer, who wrote, "Not education, but character, is man's greatest need and man's greatest safeguard." Yes, in order to safeguard our schools, they must be filled with educators who have character. It simply is not enough to have only the academic knowledge. More important is how we respond to situations, how we treat others and the choices we make in life. To sum it up in one word, that is "character." If only all of those who have been removed from office would have heeded the words of one of our nation's greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, who said: "Ability may get you to the top, but it is character that will keep you there." RINEY JORDAN, whose best-selling book, "All the Difference," is now in its sixth printing, is an international speaker and humorist. He can be reached at riney@htcomp.net or by visiting www.rineyjordan.com |
I don't know about you, but it breaks my heart to read of school personnel who have lost character and moral responsibility.