Dive Brief:

• Charter network KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) is known for its character education model that assesses students on their capacity for grit, curiosity, and zest, among other things — but The New Republic's Jeffery Aaron Snyder isn't buying it.  
• Synder warms up to his bigger arguments by pointing out flaws in KIPP's decision to teach grit, contending that it has been linked to“conscientiousness," which is a Big Five personality trait deemed hereditary by psychologists.  
• Snyder calls the character education model problematic for three reasons: We don't know how to teach character, it pushes an unscrupulous and "looking out for number one" mentality, and it places far too much focus on college and career readiness, limiting the goals of education.  

Dive Insight:

Regardless of whether you side with Snyder's point of view, it is probably helpful to read his article to get a better understanding of the full-spectrum of debate surrounding character education. Many schools have attempted to build on KIPP's character report cards, so the article can be seen as more than representative of a potential personal agenda against KIPP — it's a takedown of the character education zeitgeist as a whole.  

Recommended Reading:

The New Republic: Teaching Kids 'Grit' is All the Rage. Here's What's Wrong With It.