sounds simple and as American as motherhood , apple pie and baseball , but somewhere along the way many of our schools lost track of the concept . It encompasses the values that attract many to private school . Gilroy Unified School District has recognized this problem and is doing something about it .

For the 2009-2010 school year , all schools in the Gilroy Unified School District ( GUSD ) will implement the Character

Counts program . In the past Las Animas and Glen View elementary schools implemented the program . Christopher High School committed to the program before they opened their doors and now all schools in the District are committed to the program .

Character Counts got its start in 1992 when the Southern California nonprofit Josephson Institute of Ethics hosted a group of experts in ethics and character education . Their goal was to identify ways to work together by developing a common language of core ethical values that transcend religious , political and socioeconomic differences .

The conference , held in Aspen , Colorado , produced the Aspen Declaration on Character Education , which identified the values now known as the Six Pillars of Character :

Trustworthiness Respect Responsibility Fairness Caring Citizenship

To advance the goals of the Aspen Declaration , the Josephson Institute in 1993 launched Character Counts . GUSD Superintendent Debra Flores had seen the effectiveness of the program when she worked in the Santa Barbara area . Glen View Principal Scott Otteson had been involved with the program in his previous position and was quick to bring it to Glen View . Las Animas Principal Sylvia Reyes saw the benefits and adopted the program .

Students are taught to recognize and value the six pillars .

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FALL 2009 GILROY TODAY