1. NATIONAL FORUM OF TEACHER EDUCATION JOURNAL
VOLUME 18 NUMBER 3, 2008
The Real Philadelphia Experiment:
How Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues can
Save a School from Itself
Misti M. Morgan William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
PhD Student in Educational Leadership Professor and Faculty Mentor
The Whitlowe R. Green College of Education PhD Program in Educational Leadership
Prairie View A & M University The Whitlowe R. Green College of Education
Prairie View, Texas Prairie View A&M University
Assistant Principal Prairie View, Texas
Houston Independent School District Member of the Texas A&M University System
Houston, Texas Visiting Lecturer
Oxford Round Table
University of Oxford, Oxford, England
Distinguished Alumnus
Central Washington University
College of Educational and Professional Studies
ABSTRACT
With a decline in public confidence in schools, principals must work to ensure that
teachers and students on their campuses strive for continuous self development. A
model for the implementation of Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues as a professional
development tool for teachers and character education program for students will
provide both teacher and student stakeholders with a framework for self
examination and self improvement. The school’s long-term commitment to the
implementation of the 13 Virtues will communicate a school’s willingness and ability
to improve and ultimately increase community support for public school initiatives.
Introduction
The profession of teaching is under attack. In what has become an all too familiar
scene, teachers are arrested and accused of moral turpitude and lewd acts, exposed for a
lack of credentials, and charged with the crime of robbing America’s youth of a quality
education. Worse yet, top levels of administration have not fared much better. Financial
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mismanagement, bureaucracy, and declining test scores have contributed to a lack of
confidence in some of our nation’s public school districts. In a recent survey conducted
by the Phi Delta Kappan to determine the public’s opinion of the state of public school
education, the following findings were recorded:
• Only 21% of persons polled classified their child’s school as earning an A or B
rating
• Of teachers exiting the profession, 89% of those polled cited lack of respect for
the teaching profession as one of their primary reasons for leaving
• A majority of respondents concluded that students in their local schools do not
work hard enough during school hours or on homework outside of school
• Perhaps the most significant finding is that 37% of respondents say that the No
Child Left Behind Act has made no difference in the performance of schools in
the community. Twenty-one percent say the law has hurt schools, and only 26%
say it has helped. (Rose & Gallup, 2006, p. 41)
With over 51 million students nationwide enrolled in public schools (The
National Center for Education Reform, 2008), the task of educating America’s youth is
one which we cannot fail. As a high school principal, it is incumbent upon me to develop
a response to the recent negative publicity that education has garnered. As a campus, we
will develop a model of continuous improvement based upon the examination and
implementation of Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues.
Purpose of the Article
The purpose of this article is to outline a teacher-centered professional
development model for implementation of Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues that would
serve as a framework for a student-centered character education program for use with
high school students through Adult Advocacy. Critical questions for examination would
include:
• How would our faculty utilize the study of the 13 Virtues to inform our practice
of teaching and learning?
• Is there a link between implementation of the 13 Virtues (as a character education
program) and student performance (academic and social)?
• What relevance does Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues have to modern educational
philosophy? (To establish justification for its implementation)
• How would we as a faculty communicate our progress to the public?

3. MISTI M. MORGAN AND WILLIAM ALLAN KRITSONIS
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Administrative Considerations
Prior to any major implementation or paradigm shift within a school, the principal
must undertake a careful analysis of the material that he or she will soon expect a faculty
to “buy into”, or embrace. By examining Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues from a
philosophical standpoint, an educational litmus test can be applied:
1) How will a study of Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues address our faculty
and student needs from an ethical standpoint?
Implementation of the 13 Virtues would encourage morally right living by
compelling the subject (teacher or student) to examine their current habits and
eschew negative or poor moral conduct.
2) How will a study of Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues address our faculty
and student needs from a logical standpoint?
The 13 Virtues are written in a progressive succession, designed to gradually
moderate and improve the life of the subject. Further, the 13 Virtues require
introspection and reflection, a key to effective thinking and decision making.
3) How will a study of Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues address our faculty
and student needs from an epistemological standpoint?
The use of faculty groups throughout the study would permit teachers to not
only reflect critically upon their experience with each virtue, but would also
expose them to various viewpoints of knowledge and reflection, in turn
creating new meanings for each of the participants.
4) How will a study of Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues address our faculty
and student needs from a metaphysical standpoint?
The 13 Virtues enable us as a group to explore our very nature and perhaps
the purpose that lies behind each of our actions. By delving into each virtue,
teachers can examine who they are, why they behave or adopt certain
characteristics, and how their metaphysical being can be altered or
transformed at will.
5) How will a study of Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues address our faculty
and student needs from an axiological standpoint?
As educators, the 13 Virtues represent a return to our values system. A moral
slippage has occurred within the profession, and a resurgence of “proper
conduct” is needed to restore dignity to the educational craft (Kritsonis, 2002,
p. 100).

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Building the Case for Change
With any new idea or concept that is introduced to a diverse group of people
designed to improve them in some way, skepticism will abound, particularly if the group
is the last to realize that change is actually needed. In my professional opinion, educators
could be one of the most difficult groups to sway, as constant “innovation” without long-
term implementation has left many of us jaded and cynical. The North Wind Theory of
Management posits that “the idea of resistance to a particular change can be reduced or
avoided by creating a desire for that change” (Hook, 2000, p. 31). As a precursor to the
13 Virtues professional development, teachers would engage in a close examination of
education-related current events, with an emphasis on the negative attention public
schools have most recently received. Teachers would be asked to reflect on the public
perception of their craft, and more specifically what we as a campus could do to enhance
our professional image. Further, a parallel would be drawn between the image of our
student population and how, in reshaping our image as educators, we can work to
inculcate a values system in our students. The introduction of Benjamin Franklin’s 13
Virtues would provide a format for a cycle of improvement, beginning with teacher
personal reflection and culminating with a corresponding student character education unit
delivered through Adult Advocacy.
Figure 1
Morgan & Kritsonis Model for Implementation of Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues for
Professional Development
Teacher and Faculty Learning
Student Groups:
Reflections on Reflective
Virtue Journaling and
Implementation Group
Discussion
Character
Education
Lesson
Development

5. MISTI M. MORGAN AND WILLIAM ALLAN KRITSONIS
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As teachers develop the capacity for change, the 13 Virtues Professional
Development series unfolds into a specific protocol. Dependent upon the size of the
faculty, teachers would be divided into “faculty groups” consisting of 3-5 participants
using random selection (to encourage new working relationships and divergent thinking).
The concept of faculty groups would serve to greater personalize the change experience
for teachers, as a full faculty exercise may disengage some teachers. Campus
administration would also participate in teacher groups. As principal, I would lead the
faculty groups in an examination of each stated virtue by using the following protocol:
• Faculty groups would examine the stated virtue and “share out” with their peers
what the virtue means to them (beginning of the week).
• During the week, teachers document their progress with the virtue throughout the
process.
• At the close of each week, faculty groups share with their peers on how they each
implemented the stated virtue. A reflection journal must be maintained throughout
the weekly process.
• As a part of the weekly debriefing, faculty groups develop a character education
lesson centered on the (previously acquired) virtue for implementation with the
students during Adult Advocacy time. Teachers are encouraged to share personal
reflections with students to build trust among teachers and students.
• Administration monitors character education implementation and maintains data
to examine potential links between professional development application and
student progress.
Long-Term Evidence of Change
At the close of the weekly study of the 13 Virtues, principals must identify a
culminating activity or activities to not only validate the work of the teachers and
students, but to also establish a sense of permanency for the newly-adopted virtues. The
following are a sample of activities that schools can undertake to communicate their
commitment to change:
• Creation of a personal project – Advocacy teachers and students would
collaborate to create a visual record of learning for campus wide display
• Realignment of campus mission, vision, and goals statement (using the 13
Virtues)
• Incorporation of 13 Virtues into school improvement planning (all future
decision making would be aligned to 13 Virtues)
• Additional professional development exploring the 13 Virtues more in-depth
• Data reporting – The link between implementation of the 13 Virtues and student
improvement (academic and social) could be documented and supported with
evidence

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By demonstrating a serious commitment to sustainable improvement, each of these
strategies could be shared with the external stakeholders (parents, community members,
taxpayers, school district supervisors) to improve support and confidence in public
schools.
Concluding Remarks
In conclusion, the 13 Virtues of Benjamin Franklin possess the potential to
improve a campus through self-reflection and purposeful change. Principals must be
mindful to lay a foundation for change and maintain the constancy of purpose for the
remainder of the school year and beyond. In doing so, schools can create a positive image
from within, empowering its key stakeholders (teachers and students) with the critical
attributes of self-reflection and change.
References
Rose, L. C., & Gallup, A. M. (2006). The 38th annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the
public’s attitudes toward the public schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 88(1), 41-56.
Retrieved February 12, 2008, from ProQuest database.
The Center for Education Reform (2008). K-12 facts. Retrieved February 12, 2008,
from The National Center for Education Reform Website:
http://www.edreform.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=section&pSectionID=15&cSect
ionID=97
Kritsonis, W. A. (2002). On schooling. Mansfield, OH: BookMasters, Incorporated.
Hook, H. S. (2000). Model-netics, the lifetime learning tool. Houston, TX: Main Event
Management Corporation.
Formatted by Dr. Mary Alice Kritsonis, National Research and Manuscript Preparation
Editor, National FORUM Journals, Houston, Texas www.nationalforum.com