This week we’ve been looking at new legislation that will impact the day-to-day operation of your school. Let’s finish the week on a positive note—the new bill that makes character education mandatory.
This one is HB 1026. It requires the State Board to integrate certain positive character traits into the TEKS. The law previously permitted this, and identified nine traits. Now it’s mandatory and there are ten: gratitude made the list! The ten are:
- Courage.
- Trustworthiness, including honesty, reliability, punctuality, and loyalty.
- Integrity.
- Respect and courtesy.
- Responsibility, including accountability, diligence, perseverance, and self-control.
- Fairness, including justice and freedom from prejudice.
- Caring, including kindness, empathy, compassion, consideration, patience, generosity, and charity.
- Good citizenship, including patriotism, concern for the common good and the community, and respect for authority and the law.
- School pride.
- Gratitude.
As a concerned citizen, the Dawg is delighted to see this emphasis on good character. The ten traits are a good place to start. When the State Board “integrates” these into the TEKS, we think they may need to add some more specific indicators.
For example, the trait of RESPECT AND COURTESY might be displayed in the following ways: 1) using the turn signal; 2) putting that purse under the seat in front of you instead of clogging up the overhead bin; 3) if it says “12 items or fewer” don’t get in the line with 13. Sheesh.
Got other suggestions, Readers? Send ‘em to me at jwalsh@wabsa.com. HB 1026 will be located at Texas Education Code 29.906. It goes into effect with the 2019-20 school year.
DAWG BONE: HOW COME HUMILITY DID NOT MAKE THE LIST? BECAUSE WE ARE TEXAS????
The Dawg barks again next week, Readers. See you then.