And the Winner is…
Adrian (Community of Peace) Originally published November 2003In the spring of last year, Dr. Karen Rusthoven, the founder and principal of our school, the Community of Peace Academy, got a call. With a committee of teachers, Dr. Rusthoven had applied months earlier for the National Schools of Character Award. And, after years of hard work, CPA had won.
Dr. Rusthoven visited a journalism class at CPA to speak about the award, her current goals for the school, and what she still hopes to achieve. She told us what sets Community of Peace Academy apart from public schools and why our philosophy is not wholly based on test scores. Dr. Rusthoven first talked about how the government is pushing for higher test scores with its “no child left behind” legislation, and how she disagrees with that way of thinking. She said, “Character doesn’t seem to be as important as testing. We need to pay more attention to character-building such as CPA is doing. Kids will do better academically as well.” It seems that the site-visitors who came last spring, Mathew Davidson and Barbara Luther agree. When asked about the goals for the school, Dr. Rusthoven said, “When the majority of the students here graduate as whole people, having found peace inside and found direction for life’s happiness, that would be my goal.” It seems she’s well on her way — at least the National Schools of Character organization think so.
“When the majority of the students here graduate as whole people, having found peace inside and found direction for life’s happiness, that would be my goal.” -Dr. Karen Rusthoven, founder and Principal, Community for Peace Academy
School of Character is an annual awards program that recognizes K-12 schools demonstrating exemplary character education initiatives and yielding positive results in student behavior, school climate and academic performance. The program is sponsored by the Character Education Partnership (CEP), a national nonprofit coalition based in Washington, DC CEP administers the program in collaboration with Boston University’s Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character. CEP is not affiliated with any party or creed. Its members hold that core ethical values such as respect, responsibility, and honesty can both be a matter of consensus and a model for our youth. They are committed to the practical implementation of character education throughout the learning process.