David R. Carlin

Supporters of the “character education” movement contend that moral values should be taught in public schools. In the following viewpoint, David R. Carlin maintains that U.S. schools cannot effectively teach moral values. Because American society encompasses groups of people that support widely varying value systems, schools are unable to teach values without alienating some sector of the public. Carlin is a columnist for Commonweal, a biweekly Catholic periodical.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Carlin, what do parents usually mean when they ask schools to teach moral values"

2. How can the teaching of abstract principles such as fairness become a problem, in the author’s opinion"

3. In what way can values rooted in the U.S. Constitution become divisive, in Carlin’s...