Long Island Parent Calls for Schools to Grade Kindness

What if schools measured kindness the same way they measure test scores?

Victor Caliman of Kings Park is asking Long Island schools to consider exactly that. In a letter to Newsday, he suggests that districts famous for academic excellence need to match that rigor when teaching students how to treat each other with respect.

The timing matters. As students returned to classrooms this September, many carried anxiety about fitting in and facing bullying alongside their excitement about seeing friends. For some kids, those social worries overshadow everything else about school.

Long Island has a puzzling problem. Some districts with the highest test scores also report the most bullying incidents. Anti-bullying programs exist, and New York State has the Dignity for All Students Act, but harassment persists in hallways and online.

Caliman points to a quote often attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt: "To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society." That might sound dramatic, but his point resonates with parents who have watched their children suffer.

His proposal is straightforward. Schools already know how to create excellent academic programs and hold students accountable for learning. Why not apply that same energy and measurement to developing good citizenship and compassion?

Why This Inspires

This idea recognizes something important: schools shape more than just students' knowledge. They shape character, community values, and how young people treat each other for the rest of their lives.

Communities pour resources into raising math and reading scores because they matter. Caliman is simply asking: doesn't how we treat each other matter just as much? When schools measure what they value, they send a clear message to students about priorities.

Long Island districts have proven they can achieve excellence when they commit to it. Applying that same commitment to fostering kindness and respect could transform school culture for thousands of students who currently dread walking through their school doors.

The conversation is just beginning, but it starts with a simple truth: our children deserve schools that care as much about their hearts as their minds.