Chapter 5
The Morning Announcements
Pedagogy of Personal Leadership &
Character Development
EXAMPLE #1
This chapter tells the true story of Lynnda Crowder-Eagle—a former principal at Kincaid Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia (metro Atlanta) USA.
I first visited Kincaid as a substitute teacher in May 2009. In the midst of the morning announcements that day, students stood to repeat the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States' flag.
There was nothing unusual about that.
At the conclusion of the pledge, however, students remained standing and repeated, in unison, the following mantra:
WORK HARD,
DO THE RIGHT THING,
LEARN SOMETHING EVERY DAY.
As soon as I heard this, I immediately comprehended two (2) things about Kincaid Elementary School.
First, there was a proactive leader (or leader) in charge at the school. And second, leaders at Kincaid valued Pedagogies of Personal Leadership and Character Education (PPLCD).
I was impressed!
At the end of the school day, before returning home, I walked around the school and observed additional evidence of Kincaid's focus on SAL-oriented character education. For example, I noticed a character wall displaying nine (9) different character traits the school had been covering that year. These topics included: compassion, respect, citizenship, integrity, accomplishment, resilience, commitment, tolerance, and responsibility.
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For example:
Week 1: Self-Respect.......................Pride and belief in one's self and in the achievement of one's potential.
Week 2: Respect for Others............Concern for and motivation to act for the welfare of others.
Week 3: Respect for Authority.......Respect for those individuals who are in positions of responsibility.
Week 4: Respect for Learning and Punctuality..........Appreciation for the importance of and effort involved in acquiring knowledge. Showing high regard for the wroth of promptness.
Outside of Kincaid, the morning mantra was etched in large letters on the exterior facade of the school itself.
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The more I learned and observed, the more curious I became about the leader who had originally spearheaded such a positive character-centric culture, which clearly permeated the entire school.
After visiting with one of the teachers, I learned that the original visionary was a woman named Lynnda Crowder-Eagle—who had previously served as Principal of the school from 1997-2002. I immediately recognized her name because she was serving as a member of the Cobb Country School Board at the time (2009).
What impressed me the most about Crowder-Eagle's legacy was that seven (7) years after she had left Kincaid, the school continued to be deeply influenced by the culture she had established—so much so that the morning mantra was still deeply imbedded in the school's day-to-day operations.
Lynnda Crowder-Eagle Interview
Shortly after my substitute teaching experience at Kincaid, I sought out an opportunity to interview Lynnda Crowder-Eagle herself—a Cobb County School Board member at the time—and was privileged when she granted me a phone interview to learn more about the personal leadership and character education initiatives she championed during her time as Principal of Kincaid Elementary School.
The same year that Crowder-Eagle was named Principal at Kincaid (1997), the Georgia State Legislature passed the following mandate:
"The State Board of Education shall develop ... a comprehensive character education program for levels K-12 ... [to] focus on the students' development of the following character traits: courage, patriotism, citizenship, honesty, fairness, respect for others, kindness, cooperation, self-respect, self-control, courtesy, compassion, tolerance, diligence, generosity, punctuality, cleanliness, cheerfulness, school pride, respect for the environment, respect for the creator, patience, creativity, sportsmanship, loyalty, perseverance, and virtue. Such programs shall also address ... methods of discouraging bullying and violent acts against fellow students. Local boards shall ... provide opportunities for parental involvement in establishing expected outcomes of the character education program."
Lynnda Crowder-Eagle was more than merely aware of this legislation; she was personally passionate about it.
In her own words:
"I was so excited about the legislation that I volunteered to be part of the first Character Education Steering Committees in Cobb County. My personal interest in this, along with the mandated requirement for a CE [character education] program, provided the impetus for me to go forward with a program at Kincaid."
Principal Crowder-Eagle's leadership philosophy was founded on several core beliefs, as follows...
- Kids (and adults) really do want to do the right thing.
- It's important for the school leader to set the tone and serve as a model of expectations by consistently doing the right things herself.
- The leader needs to get everyone on board with her vision.
- The team should share responsibility for developing the plan, as well as celebrating whatever positive results come from properly executing the plan.
- Adult educators should treat children (students) with respect—and should model respect themselves—at all times.
- Reasonable consequences will follow wrong choices.
- Everyone is part of determining the cultural climate at the school
"There was some data available I was able to look at, including behavioral reports we had to send each month to the central office. These reports detailed a significant decrease in discipline referrals. Our school climate surveys from teachers and parents were among some of the highest in the district. I had a group from SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) come in for a review and one reviewer wrote, 'Enjoyed visiting your wonderful school. The environment you've established there is visible.' I certainly don't take sole credit for this. The credit goes to the staff because they learned to treat each other respectfully, to the students who learned that manners are important, that speaking to adults is important, and who care about their school and its cleanliness."
"I believe it has to be important to the school leader. Character education is more than just a term; it's more than just posting a 'Word-of-the-Week,' etc. It is a way of living and learning with students, staff, and parents. It's about being consistent with what you expect, and it involves truly caring about the welfare of others."
- What short-term impacts do you think leaders like Principal Lynnda Crowder-Eagle have on teachers, staff, and students?
- What do you think the long-term effects of Principal Lynnda Crowder-Eagle's leadership will be in the lives of her faculty, staff, and students?
- Do you think that politicians and other leaders have a responsibility to promote, support, and/or mandate Pedagogies of Personal Leadership and Character Education in homes, schools, communities, states, and nations? Why or why not?
- What can YOU do in your own home, school, organization, community, state, or nation to actively support and/or promote leaders who are trying to implement Pedagogies of Personal Leadership and Character Development?
—Dr. JJ
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