The other problem is similar to the emphasis on standardized tests in math and reading: character education of this stripe reduces education to “college- and career-readiness.” On the surface, this is an admirable goal, but when student agency and autonomy is lost in the process, not only are we preparing them poorly for the rigors of college, where resilience is not going to be enforced by teachers, we are closing off other arenas where these admirable character traits may be on display.
