What part should schools play in the personal development of our
children? Most parents naturally expect teachers and
administrative staff to assist their children in learning
important skills like reading, writing, and arithmetic, but we
now know a child’s development goes far beyond the basics at
school. Upon closer inspection, most parents recognize that
schools often teach children additional skills, such as how to
interact with others, follow rules, think critically, and in
many cases, develop career aspirations for what their Mom’s and
Dad’s hope will be a bright and happy future. All this
instruction is positive and benefits our children. However,
there is more still that students will learn. If we pull out the
microscope of reality and aim it at the classrooms of America,
we will see that teachers and school staff are now modeling and
teaching ethical and moral values to our children as well.
Teachers model ethical values they support and then hold them up
as important, as well as the social issues th