Written Testimonials
The Allen Elementary School Story
At Allen Elementary School, an inner-city school in Dayton, Ohio, more than 60% of its students lived in single parent families and more than 70% in families received public assistance.
When Rudy Bernardo became principal, Allen was 28th out of Dayton's 33 elementary schools in test scores. "Teachers couldn't teach," he says, "because the constant discipline problems." Teacher Absenteeism was one of the cities highest.
With the approval of the School Board, Principal Bernardo began to work with his teachers to develop a character education program, centered on the "Word of the Week". Each week promoted a different value. Values for the first half of the year included: Respect, Tolerance, Cleanliness, Honesty, Citizenship, Thrift, Self-Control, Patience, Courage, Helpfulness, Responsibility, Loyalty, Courtesy, Punctuality, Cheerfulness, Self-Reliance, Kindness, Sportsmanship.
The "Word of the Week" was defined on Monday, and students in each classroom brainstormed examples. The next three days featured short homeroom discussions of the trait.
Teachers also tried to connect classroom activities to the traits theme. Students were often sent to the Principal's office for compliments when they behaved in exemplary ways.
A "Parent's Page" was sent home with specific suggestions such as topics for discussion and bedtime stories that families could use to promote the week's value. On Friday, at the school assembly one class presented a story or skit that showed the virtue of living by that week's value. Cafeteria placemats featured the word and two of Dayton's TV stations ran a thirty-second spot each day promoting the "Word of the Week".
Teachers also improved their own relationships through staff development workshops on trust-building, working by consensus, and by working in teams. Principal Bernardo held summer orientation sessions for parents to help them understand the new attitude of discipline and mutual responsibility that would govern the school. Parents who didn't attend the orientations were asked to meet with Mr. Bernardo one-on-one.
In the first two years of Allen's new program, students' respect and other behavior improved markedly. Suspensions dropped dramatically, teacher absenteeism ceased to be a problem, and PTA fundraising increased. Three years after the program began, Allen had risen from twenty-eighth to fifth in test scores in the city of Dayton and after five years, it was first.
Rudy Bernardo
Other Written Testimonials
"These two men will tell you that they don't coach football, they coach boys with the purpose of making men out of them. Coach Parker has commented that he has never had a player come back to him and say, 'Coach, I want to thank you for teaching me how to throw that football or make that tackle, it changed my life.' But he has had many come back and say to him, 'Coach, remember that story you told and the values you taught me? They changed my life and made me a better person.' Coaching to Change Lives will do the same thing for the young athletes and students in your school. I can't overstate the importance of having these concepts instilled in the minds of young people in this society."
Lou Holtz
"Coaching to Change Lives will have a very positive impact upon the coaching profession and most importantly, a life-changing impact on our athletes. This 'character curriculum' written by D.W. Rutledge and Dennis Parker will be a great resource for those coaches who truly want to 'coach to change lives.'"
The Late Jim Wacker
I was fortunate enough to have Gary Halvorson as a football coach, an educator, as well as a friend. He implemented this program within our football agenda and teaching curriculum. I can honestly say that the system has changed my life. Changing Lives was first introduced to me when I was a sophomore in high school. I was not the best athlete in the world nor the most intelligent student around. I rarely played on the football team and held a 2.2 grade point average. I was a bit skeptical about the system at first but then the stories and lessons flipped a switch within me. I began to actually care about who I was, who I wanted to be, and where I was going.
Changing Lives was my road map to success. By the end of my senior year I was all-conference in football as well as track and I held over a 3.0 grade point average. I'm in college now pursuing an education and coaching career and I will be using Changing Lives in my classroom. I guess what I'm trying to say is simply Thank You!
Lane Swansson
"The excitement level from the staff was unbelievable. One teacher told me that was the best in-service he had attended in his twenty-four years of teaching. There is no doubt in my mind that the success we have enjoyed in our athletic teams this year is due to the Changing Lives program."
Brad Nemecc CAA, Athletic Director, Somerset School District
The Coaching to Change Lives program brought our team closer together, changed our attitudes, improved communication among teammates and coaches, and contained not only lessons on football, but life lessons as well. The curriculum brought more of a family type atmosphere to our football team and made my senior year one to remember!
Paul Martin, Senior Captain, All Metro/All State Wide Receiver
"You're doing this to build better people, to reinforce some good ideas that somehow drifted away from people."
Bruce Larson; Somerset Football Coach
I have always tried to teach "character" and "integrity" to my athletes, but realize now that it was "preaching" and NOT "teaching". I have always reminded my players they had to have goals, but realize now why many of those goals were never reached. I don't mean to say that I never reached ANY of my athletes, I have, but I could have reached many more had I been aware fo the valuable resources of "Changing Lives".
Joe Gutilla, Sophomore Dean and Football Coach
The football program at Pampa High School has the best attitude of any year that I recall.
Dennis Cavalier, Athletic Director/Head Football Coach
I don't think I will ever coach again without using the curriculum. My staff, myself, our athletic director and superintendent firmly believe in it.
Dave Traurig, Head Football Coach
I can't tell you how great the seminar was and how much I appreciate the message. It was a dream come true for me personally to bring this great message to our community. In my opinion, it could not have come off better. On top of the fact the content was better than I even could have imagined our volunteers really stepped to the plate. Hopefully, this is only the start of great things to come. It was gratifying to see some the people in our area who really need help in shaping attitudes (especially theirs) were there. I know my personal coaching will be greatly enhanced as I share with my players the great motivational information I received.
Thanks again. Please let me know if I can do anything to help promote your future seminars.
Gordy
"The chief challenge facing character education today is to get school administrators, teachers, students, the community and even the media all working together to foster the character development of young people. Rudy Bernardo's... experience shows that this is not an impossible dream; it provides the vision and tools for getting the job done."
Thomas Lickona, Director The Center for the 4th and 5th Rs
"Rudy Bernardo's Character Education program... aims at instilling in the young the virtues... and ideas they need to live their lives well and be contributing members of their society... it is within the reach of every school system -- rich or poor, urban, suburban or rural, in the country."
Kevin Ryan, Professor and Director Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character Boston University
"We have a crisis of character in America today. (This story) tells how a school principal with vision and moral commitment faced up to that crisis and accomplished a dramatic turnaround in both behavior and academic performance by creating a moral and caring environment in the school."
Sanford McDonnell, Chairman Emeritus McDonnell Douglas Corporation