The Country School is an independent, coeducational, Pre-K through 8 school founded in 1934.
News
Honesty & Honor Codes
As we focus this month on the value “honesty,” my mind returned to a New York Times piece that appeared last spring. Written by Middlebury College student Jessica Cheung, “The Fading Honor Code” discussed a student survey that found that 35% of Middlebury respondents “admitted to violating the honor code at least once in the 2012-13 academic year” and that 63% “would feel neutral about, or not report, cheating.” A campus-wide debate ensued about this hallmark underpinning of a Middlebury education. Middlebury’s honor code purportedly promotes peer proctoring and prohibits professors “from being in the exam room without the permission of the dean.” It also “morally obligates” student witnesses to report cheating.
As a result of the discussion, for the first time in the history of the school’s honor code, professors in the economics department (currently the most popular major) successfully petitioned the administration to proctor exams for seven courses. Leung maintains that the administration quickly conceded that the concept of student-monitored tests was outmoded. Even the college’s president was quoted as saying, “If exams are proctored, it wouldn’t be a big loss.”
Yet Leung eloquently argues that instead of watering down the honor code, efforts should have been made to enhance student honesty. By abandoning the loftier human expectations embodied in the code, the university undermines the expectation of integrity, which, Leung believes, it should be championing.
Leung writes that “ethical judgment… has been supplanted by our need to succeed. The pressure that got us into an elite college still dogs us; now the goal is a high-paying job or graduate school.” Furthermore, she holds that “a culture that is tolerant of bad behavior will not only doom students to continued complacency, but ultimately rationalize more severe acts of deceit. The real point of an education is to teach us to be more critical of ourselves… Learning from our mistakes is, after all, why we’re here.”
This dilemma resonates even at the elementary and middle school level. From the earliest ages, students need to learn that honesty is almost always “the best policy” and that it inspires trustworthiness, one of the fundamental building blocks of human connection. Children need adult help to learn that character is defined by “what we do when no one is looking,” and that by acting honestly towards others and oneself, they are doing the right thing. Ultimately, it is as Leung observes, “honesty, personal responsibility, learning for the right reason, choosing right in a moment of temptation. These are the very deepest and most literal things we ask a school to teach us.” At The Country School, we are dedicated to these ideals right from the start. But we know that part of starting right is recognizing that these lessons maintain lifelong relevance.
Recent News
List of 5 news stories.
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Kindergarten Students Serving Others!
Kindergarteners have been participating in a 3 part HOHO (Helping Others; Helping Ourselves) project lead by Ferris and Laura Butler. Students packed boxes to be shipped to veterans and their families. The boxeswere filled with child friendly, donated items. Also in the boxes were handwritten letters from the students along with a handmade American flag craft. The Butlers carefully orchestrated this project, and we are very grateful for their time and efforts. -
Spring Athletic Award Winners
Congratulations to all our spring athletics award winners and to all our Cougar athletes who participated in sports and clubs! This spring, TCS offered Boys’ and Girls’ Lacrosse, Pickleball Club, Running Club, and Volleyball Club. Providing so many athletic opportunities took a village—thank you to our amazing coaches, volunteers, and parent drivers for making it all possible! And thank you to our students for setting an example of dedication and sportsmanship!Read More -
Summer Trips for Upper School Students in 2025
It is with great excitement that The Country School announces the addition of 2025 summer trips for our Upper School students!Read More -
The Country School Celebrates 90 Years and Installs Jay Parker
Read MoreThe Country School is proud to be celebrating its 90th school year. This milestone year also marks the beginning of a new chapter with the appointment of Jay Parker as the 7th Head of School. -
Conversation & Homecoming - Saturday, February 24, 2024
Read MoreThe Country School, Talbot County Free Library, and the Avalon Foundation, sponsors, join with fourteen other community organizations to present Conversation & Homecoming with Carole Boston Weatherford and her son, Jeffery Boston Weatherford, a program free and open to all.
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