Leavenworth USD 453’s Anthony, David Brewer elementary schools honored

Two Kansas schools have been designated 2019 National Schools of Character, Character.org announced Friday, May 10, in Washington, D.C.

Character.org, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the advancement of character development in communities, schools and workplaces, designated 88 schools and three districts in 24 states as this year’s National Schools of Character. The organization also selected for the first time a China school – Jinling Primary School – as a China School of Character.

The two Kansas schools selected as National Schools of Character are Anthony Elementary School and David Brewer Elementary School, both in Leavenworth Unified School District 453.

The two schools become part of a network of Schools of Character that serve as models and mentors to other educators. Each school holds the designation for five years.

Each year, Character.org certifies schools and districts at the state and national level that demonstrate a dedicated focus on character development that has a positive effect on academic achievement, student behavior and school climate.

The two Leavenworth schools, as well as 12 Kansas schools and five districts, also were honored Wednesday, May 1, at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka for character education. The May 1 ceremony honored Anthony and David Brewer elementary schools as State Schools of Character as certified by Character.org. State Schools of Character are then considered for Character.org’s highest distinction – National School of Character.

Criteria for selection are based on Character.org’s “The Eleven Principals of Effective Character Education,” which include providing students with opportunities for moral action, fostering shared leadership and engaging families and communities as partners in the character-building effort.

Previous Kansas schools named National Schools of Character are (2014) Circle High School, Circle Public Schools Unified School District 375; (2015) Complete Maize High School, Maize USD 266; (2015) Pittsburg High School, Pittsburg USD 250; Valley Center Intermediate School, Valley Center USD 262 (2016); Lincoln Elementary School, Clay County USD 379 (2016); Kiowa County Elementary and Junior High School, Kiowa County USD 422 (2016); McClure Elementary School, Topeka USD 501 (2017); Beloit Junior-Senior High School, Beloit USD 273 (2018); and Nemaha Central Elementary and Middle School, Nemaha Central USD 115 (2018).

David Brewer Elementary School also is taking part in the Kansans Can School Redesign Project: Gemini I. The Kansans Can School Redesign Project was launched in 2017 by KSDE and the Kansas State Board of Education. The project was developed in support of Kansas’ vision for education - Kansas leads the world in the success of each student. There are currently four phases of the redesign project: Mercury 7, Gemini I, Gemini II and Apollo.

Character.org will honor National Schools of Character at the 2019 National Forum scheduled for  Oct 24-27, 2019, in Washington, DC.

More information on Kansas’ Social, Emotional and Character Development Standards, which the state adopted in 2012, can be found at http://www.ksde.org/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/Career-Standards-and-Assessment-Services/Content-Area-M-Z/School-Counseling/Social-Emotional-and-Character-Development. The Eleven Principals of Effective Character Education by Character.org can be found at www.character.org.