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BENNETT, WILLIAM J. 1943-

SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, 1985-1989, CHAIRMAN
OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANI-TIES,
1981-1984

No Stranger to Controversy

William J. Bennett began his public education career at the University of Texas and Boston University; later he became president of the National Humanities Center near Raleigh, North Carolina. From 1981 to 1984 he was chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. His outspoken attacks on spending for cultural events that were "damaging to America's well-being" earned him recognition by conservatives. In 1985 Secretary of Education Terrei Bell re-signed because of frustrations in trying to implement President Reagan's plans to shut down the Department of Education, and Bennett was tapped to take his place. Whereas Bell's demeanor was conciliatory, Bennett's was combative. He sought opportunities to debate issues rather than merely conduct department business, and soon Bennett became a familiar figure on the nightly news, arguing for his version of educational reforms.

Bennett's 3 C's

Although the 3 R's were important, Bennett argued, the 3 C's—content, character, and choice—were in desperate need of attention in the 1980s. In explaining the need for more content in curriculum, Education Secretary Bennett issued this often-quoted directive:

Every student should know how mountains are made, and that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. They should know who said 'I am the state and who said 'I have a dream.' They should know about subjects and predicates, about isosceles triangles and ellipses. They should know where the Amazon flows, and what the First Amendment means. They should know about the Donner party and slavery, and Shylock, Hercules, and Abigail Adams, where Ethiopia is, and why there is a Berlin Wall. They should know a little of how a poem works, how a plant works, and what it means to remark If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.' They should know the place of the Milky Way and DNA in the unfolding of the universe. They should know something about the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and about the conventions of good behavior. They should know a little of what the Sistine Chapel looks like and what great music sounds like.

Bennett emphasized that these were things that all students should know; he often complained that schools held some students to lesser goals, pushing them into "educational backwaters while everyone else is advancing upstream." He appealed to teachers to adapt good material to the level of the student and to vary the pedagogy for lower students without losing the substance.

The Second C: Character

Bennett thought that Americans have always believed that in education the development of intellect and character go hand in hand. He defined character as "strength of mind, individuality, independence, thoughtfulness, fidelity, kindness, honesty, respect for law and standards of right and wrong, diligence, fairness and self-discipline." He castigated educators for overintellectualizing moral development while underintellectualizing the rest of the curriculum. He dismissed the "values education" movement as a trend that would accomplish nothing. "It is habit which develops virtues, habit shaped by precept and example," he argued. "You cannot teach morality without being committed to morality yourself," Bennett said, and "you cannot be committed to morality yourself without holding that some things are right and others wrong." Bennett insisted that America must have principals and teachers who know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, and who themselves exemplify high moral purpose.

The Third C: Choice

Bennett reasoned that if children are to be taught challenging material, and if children are to benefit from strong moral examples set by their teachers, then parents must have the choice to send their children to the school that they trust will provide this education. Since parents are ultimately responsible for their children's learning, they must have instruments of choice within public education and between public and private education. All parents, not only the affluent, Bennett vowed, must be able to exercise greater choice in what, where, and how their children learn.

Bennett's Agenda

Although Bennett campaigned widely on other issues, including curtailing both student drug use and student loans, it was his tireless advocacy on behalf of the three C's that was his most lasting effect on the education agenda in the 1980s. As one of the most controversial figures of the decade, he invigorated the national debate about curriculum and values education. Much of Bennett's agenda became popular with many Americans. The 1987 Gallup poll of the public's attitudes toward the public schools reflected widespread support for increased parental choice; for greater accountability; for higher and more rigorous academic standards; for schools' role in the formation of character, and for emphasis on the basic subjects of math, English, history, and science.