Cultivating Cultures of Character: What I Saw at Two Alabama Schools

This week, I had the privilege of joining KPCEL (Kern Partners for Character and Educational Leadership) on Character Walks at two remarkable schools - Edgewood Elementary in Homewood, AL, and Pizitz Middle School in Vestavia Hills, AL.

For those unfamiliar, Character Walks are intentional school visits where educators and leaders tour campuses to observe how character is embedded into the daily culture of a school. These walks are about more than what you see, they’re about what you feel. The goal is to notice how values are lived out in classrooms, hallways, and everyday interactions.

Members of the KPCEL Character Walk at Edgewood Elementary (Photo Credit: Homewood City Schools)

Pizitz Middle School has earned recognition as a National School of Character by Character.org, while Edgewood Elementary has been named a Promising Practice school for its innovative approaches to character development. Both schools left me deeply inspired.

Walking through the halls, I was struck not just by the positive energy but by the intentionality behind everything I saw and heard. Their core values weren’t just written on a wall or tucked away in a handbook. They were alive - woven into conversations, classroom routines, and even how students treated one another in the cafeteria and on the playground.

Visiting Edgewood Elementary (Photo Credit: Homewood City Schools)

It reminded me that culture doesn’t happen by accident. A culture of character is cultivated when leaders, teachers, and students alike commit to living out values every day, in and out of the classroom.

Members of Hope Institute at Pizitz Middle School

At Edgewood Elementary, I saw teachers seamlessly connect lessons back to the school’s values, helping students not just learn content but also grow as people. At Pizitz Middle School, students spoke with pride about their shared responsibility in upholding the community’s standards of their core values as well as their creed of character, excellence, and family.

(I was familiar with the principal at Pizitz Middle School, Alicia Hunsberger, as I had interviewed her on the Communities of Character podcast. You can listen to the interview HERE.)

As I experienced these Character Walks, I thought back to my last two years as principal at Hoover High School. During that time, our school community - students, staff, and families - identified our core values and began the important work of weaving them into all aspects of school life. Seeing students at Edgewood and Pizitz living out their schools’ values reminded me of the power of that work and affirmed the direction we had taken at Hoover.

After stepping away from the principalship this summer to help care for my parents, I’ve been grateful to return to the Hope Institute as a Senior Character Coach. This new chapter has given me the opportunity to visit schools like Edgewood and Pizitz, where I get to witness the powerful impact of character education in action.

Members of the Hope Institute at Edgewood Elementary

What inspires me most is knowing that schools like these are modeling what’s possible. They remind us that when character is prioritized, students thrive - not only academically, but also as leaders, friends, and citizens.

To every educator working to build a culture of character: your work matters more than you know. It’s not always easy, and it certainly takes intentional effort, but the results are transformational.

Leaving Edgewood and Pizitz, I felt renewed hope for the future. Because if our schools can shape not just smarter students, but kinder and more compassionate human beings, then we’re shaping a better world.

Pizitz Principal, Alicia Hunsberger, reminds us of the importance of love in all we do.

Question for Reflection:

What would it look like in your school or organization if your core values were truly alive in every classroom, hallway, and interaction?

I’d love to hear from you—share your thoughts in the comments or join me over on Twitter/X.