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SDP Newsline                                   

January 2013 
In This Issue
Comer: Kudos to Prince George's County Public Schools for Leadership Legacy
Dr. James P. Comer Awarded 48th Honorary Degree
Dr. James P. Comer Addresses Chinese University Leaders about Education Innovation
What's Next for National Education Policy?


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Dr. Comer Comes Full Circle in Ann Arbor, Michigan
By Cynthia R. Savo
Dr. Pat Green and Dr. James P. Comer
Dr. Patricia Green and Dr. James P. Comer
When Dr. Patricia Green became the superintendent of the Ann Arbor Public Schools in 2011, Dr. James P. Comer sent a note congratulating her. In her response Dr. Green said "I have been talking about you for years to everyone I can and I have all your books on display in my office. After I get things going here I would like to come to New Haven to talk with you, and then I would like for you to come to Ann Arbor." That plan brought Dr. Comer full circle in Ann Arbor.

 

Recently reflecting on their meeting Dr. Comer said, "Ann Arbor and Pat Green represent a significant circle in my life's work. In May 1964, I received an M.P.H. from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. In his commencement address President Lyndon B. Johnson first announced his plans for a 'Great Society' to end poverty and racial injustice. He encouraged us to use all our talents to help solve the problems of poverty. I felt as though he was speaking directly to me. Thus, it was in Ann Arbor, and to some extent that speech, that tilted me away from returning to my hometown of East Chicago, Indiana and becoming a general practitioner of medicine and toward something else. I was not sure what at that point." His contribution to Green's work was an important part of that "something else."

 

When Dr. Green and Dr. Comer reconnected in May 2012 at the Yale Child Study Center, they reminisced about the early days of the School Development Program in Prince George's County, Maryland where she began her career as an educator. In 1985 a chance encounter brought Dr. Comer together with the late Dr. John Murphy, the then superintendent of the Prince George's County Public Schools. Dr. Murphy invited Dr. Comer to come to the district to work with the ten elementary schools identified as the "most difficult to desegregate" in the landmark Milliken v. Bradley II case.

 

Dr. Comer said that "John has been credited with being the first superintendent in the country to disaggregate student achievement data and identify a gap between African-American and white students. Prince George's County was a great place for us to field test our ideas."

 

At the invitation of Dr. Murphy, Dr. Comer spoke at a district administrators' retreat in 1985. In attendance that day was Patricia Green who was in her second year as the principal of Columbia Park, an elementary school facing many of the same challenges as the two New Haven schools Dr. Comer and his colleagues began working with in 1967. She had recently received a Master's degree from the Institute for Child Study in the Department of Human Development at the University of Maryland. The centrality of child and adolescent development in Dr. Comer's comprehensive school transformation model galvanized her. "I was transfixed by Dr. Comer's powerful presentation about the Developmental Pathways and his background," said Green.

 

By the end of the retreat she was convinced that Dr. Comer's child-centered model and philosophy would turn around the situation at Columbia Park. She persuaded Dr. Murphy to allow Columbia Park to become a Comer School even though it was not in the Milliken II cohort. Murphy agreed and Green began implementing the School Development Program model with support from Dr. Comer and his staff at the Yale Child Study Center and Jan Stocklinski, the first District Comer Facilitator in the Prince George's County Public Schools.

 

In a May 2012 interview Dr. Green said that "over the years I learned about the power of the model and the importance of consensus on the teams. Communication, collaboration, and coordination became ingrained in what we were doing. We focused on the social and emotional development of our students, bringing the families into the schools, bringing the school into the community, breaking down some of the barriers. It was a very exciting time."

  

Dr Green said "the results at my school were staggering. Columbia Park went from being one of the lowest achieving schools in the district with a high number of suspensions and no PTA to a school that in 1988 received one of the first National Blue Ribbon Awards. Child Magazine  recognized Columbia Park as one of the ten best elementary schools in the country."

  

Dr. Green noted that during that time there was a much greater emphasis on social skills than there is today. A reporter told her how impressed she was by the way everyone in the school interacted with one another. "All of that came from Dr. Comer. When I think back on those early days, the emotional high for me was being the principal of Columbia Park and being involved with the School Development Program."

 

After six years as the principal of Columbia Park, Dr. Green became the Assistant Superintendent for Student Services and "Comerized" the way the district supported students with special needs and other challenges. She then served as the superintendent of the North Allegheny School District in Pennsylvania before becoming the superintendent of the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

 

Back to the Future

In October 2012 Dr. Comer spent two days in Ann Arbor. Dr. Green brought him to the PTO Council's 5th Annual Launch Party at Allen Elementary School. He talked about the importance of the home-school connection because "it is the relationships children have with adults--at home, at school, and in the community--that motivates them to learn."

 

Dr. Comer spoke to the administrators in the district at an Instructional Council meeting. "He truly connected with them regarding the developmental issues," said Dr. Green. He also met with Dr. Green and several members of the school board.   

 

Dr. Cathy Reischl, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Education, joined Dr. Green and Dr. Comer during their visits to Mitchell Elementary and Scarlett Middle School. The two adjacent schools are part of the University of Michigan/Ann Arbor Public Schools Teaching and Learning Collaborative. School-university partnerships have played an important role in the dissemination of the Comer School Development Program which began as a partnership between the Yale University and the New Haven Public Schools. 
Dr. Comer and Lauryn Comer
Lauryn Comer and Dr. Comer

The high point of his visit was meeting and talking with students in the Rising Scholars program at Pioneer High School. One of the students is his grandniece, Lauryn Comer, who recently was named a Freedom Fund Scholar by the Ann Arbor Branch of the NAACP.

 

"I was delighted to see Lauryn, and I am very proud oher. I was impressed with the Rising Scholars Program. They have put their finger on the important thing you've got to do with minority kids. You've got to help them develop a personal and racial identity that is positive and promotes academic excellence as an historic part of the African-American experience and as a continued goal and commitment. You have to establish that early on and I saw that in the Rising Scholars Program."

  

Lauryn said that the "Rising Scholars program uses a good support system to help students successfully get through high school. I was, and still am, very honored and proud that MY great uncle was able to come all the way to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to give a wonderfully inspirational speech. I admire his commitment and perseverance in ensuring that everyone gets an equal opportunity to be educated, and it makes me and my peers feel lucky that we are getting the type of education that he wants everyone to get." 

 

To read "Comer: LBJ Changed My Life," click here.

Comer: Kudos to Prince George's County Public Schools for Leadership Legacy

By Cynthia R. Savo

Each fall for the past 27 years, the Prince George's County Public Schools has hosted the Annual Comer School Development Program Team Retreat. Sheila Jackson, the supervisor of the district's Office of School Improvement, coordinated the event with the support of more than 60 volunteers. She described the high-energy event that was held at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland on October 27, 2012 as "a specialized in-service training opportunity for central office staff, teachers, school administrators, support staff, students, parents, community members, and business partners." 

Sheila JPC and Doug
L to R: Dwight Benjamin, Dr. Comer, 
Sheila Jackson and Doug Anthony

Photo: Duane Johnson
Maryland's Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown gave a personal testimony of the transformational power of the Comer Process. He described how a "web of support" between his family and his daughter's school had helped her when she was having difficulties. Brown commended Dr. Comer for his work and the Prince George's County Public Schools for their long-term commitment to his School Development Program principles.

 

Jan Stocklinski, who led the implementation of the Comer SDP in Prince George's County from 1985 until she retired from the district in 1998, introduced Dr. Comer. He thanked the participants for all they have done to sustain his comprehensive school transformation model in the Prince George's County Public Schools for nearly thirty year. He talked about the impact of the leadership and human capital development of staff and parents, pointing out that numerous teachers in Comer schools progressed through the system to become principals, central office leaders, and beyond, often taking the SDP model with them.

Sheila Jackson's kids
Back row L to R:  "Comer Kids" Imhotep, Sakisha, Hekima and Nyanda Jackson with
cousins Amaya and Shayla Gray 
Photo: Franklin Jackson
Dr. Comer pointed out that Sheila Jackson began her involvement with the Comer SDP as a parent volunteer. She and her husband, Franklin, were active in the schools attended by their four children, the original "Comer Kids" who are now highly educated, successful adults. In 1991 Jan Stocklinski hired Sheila as a Comer facilitator. When Jan retired in 1998 Sheila took on the Comer leadership position in the Prince George's County Public Schools.

 

Dr. Comer acknowledged the presence of Molly McCloskey, a former Comer SDP facilitator in the Prince George's County Public Schools, who is now the managing director of Whole Child Programs at ASCD, a national education membership organization that has been a major driver of the whole-child movement. Dr. Comer worked with Molly when he served on the ACSD Commission on the Whole Child.

Molly Jan and Sheila
L to R: Molly McCloskey, Jan Stocklinski, and
Sheila Jackson

Photo: Franklin Jackson

Dr. Comer talked about his recent visit with Dr. Patricia Green, the superintendent of the Ann Arbor (MI) Public Schools. In 1985 Dr. Green was one of the first principals in Prince George's County to embrace his philosophy and framework for school transformation. She and her staff used the Comer Process to turn around Columbia Park Elementary School.  (See "Dr. Comer Comes Full Circle in Ann Arbor, Michigan" above.) 

 

The "Comerization" of Douglas W. Anthony

In his keynote presentation, Douglas W. Anthony, the district's acting Chief Human Resources Officer, talked about Dr. Comer's influence on him personally and professionally. Doug first became involved with the Comer Process in 1992 as a classroom teacher at Charles Carroll Middle School. From the beginning of his education career, he learned about the critical importance of positive relationships and human development that are the foundation of the Comer Process.

 

"Having a good understanding of relationship theory is not about holding hands and singing Kumbaya. It's really about knowing that when we work together in the best interests of children, we can rely on the strength of our positive relationships to push us through when times get bumpy. Some people think that's the soft stuff. As the acting Chief Human Resources Officer I can tell you from experience that that's all the stuff."

 

Doug talked about the importance of the three Comer Guiding Principles of consensus decision making, collaboration, and no-fault problem solving. "The Guiding Principles are at the heart of how we communicate and work with one another in the Comer Process. It's embedded, indoctrinated, and it's just been a part of everything I do to support my staff in the district."

 

The depth of Doug's "Comerization" was evident in a photo he showed of him and his wife, LaNika, at their wedding. On each of the tables were signs with the three Comer Guiding Principles. He saw the value of using the Guiding Principles in all of his relationships.

 

After serving as a Comer facilitator on Sheila Jackson's team, Doug became the assistant principal and then the principal of Arrowhead Elementary, a Comer school. He said he learned so much as an administrator by thinking about children from a developmental perspective. He gave the example of how they changed the way they conducted whole-school assemblies.

 

"If I didn't have the Comer background I would have called kindergarten and pre-K down first, which is actually what you don't want to do. If you have the pre-K students wait for everybody else they're going to be bouncing along and dancing and need to go to the bathroom before you can even get started. Having that understanding of development is really important. If I went into the classroom right now I would probably be the best teacher I ever could be because of the experience I've had with the Comer Process. Nothing has impacted my life as an educator more than the Comer Process hands down."

 

To view the video of Dr. Comer talking about the history and significance of the 27-year implementation of the Yale School Development Program in the Prince George's County Public Schools, click here

 

Sheila Jackson and Jan Stocklinski contributed to this article. 

Dr. James P. Comer Awarded 48th Honorary Degree 
JPC at Coker College 12-15-12
Dr. Comer and Dr. Wyatt

Photo: Norah Wofford

By Cynthia R. Savo

Dr. James P. Comer gave the winter commencement address at Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina on December 15, 2012 and was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters, his 48th honorary degree. Coker College President Dr. Robert Wyatt said that Dr. Comer's life "vividly exemplifies the connections between scholarship, creative problem solving, and service to others."

 

Dr. Wyatt said that "since the Darlington County School District began implementing the Comer School Development Program in 2011, Dr. Comer has been an integral part of our community." Dr. Wyatt played a major role in the Comer SDP becoming a key component of Partners for Unparalleled Local Scholastic Excellence (PULSE), a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership involving the Darlington County School District, the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, Coker College, Yale University, and Sonoco. The five-year, $5 million initiative is funded by Sonoco and is administered by the TEACH Foundation.

 

TEACH Foundation chairman Charlie Hupfer applauded Dr. Comer's successes. "Four of our elementary schools are in the second year of piloting the Comer School Development Program, which is designed to help students achieve academic excellence. We appreciate all Dr. Comer does to help us create an educational environment that develops and educates the whole child," Hupfer said.

 

In his commencement address Dr. Comer urged the graduates to harness what he called "the power of one." He shared the story of his upbringing in East Chicago, Indiana and his parents' commitment to educating him and his four siblings. Among them they have earned 13 degrees.

 

Dr. Comer said his mother's perseverance and determination "illustrates what one determined, tenacious person, like most of you, can do. My mother often said, 'They put me on the lower rung of life, but they couldn't keep me there.' She used her power of one to make something good happen for her herself and her children and by doing so many other people will be better for it."

 

He urged the graduates to "contribute something of worth and value to those around you and to our society, to challenge for justice, promote opportunity and peace, and to make a positive difference. Your mission, if you accept it, is to take the power of one that you have gained through your experiences here and elsewhere, and live life with a purpose, with caring and with passion."

Dr. James P. Comer Addresses Chinese University Leaders about Education Innovation 
By Cynthia R. Savo

Dr. James P. Comer addressed a delegation of university administrators from China about how the School Development Program began as a new idea and became an institutional asset at Yale University. Dr. Comer's presentation on November 30, 2012 was part of a study tour organized by Daniel W. Gregg, the director of international programs at the Connecticut Association of Schools, with support from the Connecticut State Department of Education, the China Education Association for International Exchange of the Ministry of Education, and J. Patrick Howley, a member of the SDP National Faculty.

JPC and China delegation
"The delegation was fascinated by Dr. Comer's presentation," said Gregg. "They recognized him as a great thinker and one of America's greatest educators. They were intrigued by how his innovative research, informed by his tight-knit family structure, led to the development of a nationally recognized school improvement model. The family as the foundation of society is deeply embedded in Chinese culture, so what resonated most was the value Dr. Comer places on human relationships and the importance of the family, school, and community connection. I think that with adaptation Chinese educators would be interested in Dr. Comer's school improvement model."
What's Next for National Education Policy?

By Cynthia R. Savo 

Dr. James P. Comer was on the panel, What's Next? Responses to the 2012 Election?, to discuss the future of national education policy with Pedro Noguera, the Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University, and Warren Simmons, the executive director of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform (AISR) at Brown University
 
The public event at The Met School in Providence, Rhode Island on November 9, 2012 was co-sponsored by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform was part of the Coalition of Essential Schools' annual Fall Forum and was co-sponsored by AISR and The Forum for Education and Democracy.   
 

George Wood, the executive director of the Forum for Education and Democracy, moderated the panel. He said that "many of you know Jim Comer for developing schools that are incredibly child-centered and developmentally appropriate places where kids are treated with the respect and decency they need so they can develop into their full human potential." 

 

Dr. Comer described a brief interaction he had with President Obama two years ago in which he expressed his concern about the direction of the administration's education policy. "He heard me and I appreciated that. In essence he said to get the people who think like me to make more noise. Our task and our challenge is to put pressure on the President and his administration to pay attention to what kids really need to grow, develop, and be able to perform in school and as adults."

 

To watch the panel, click here.

To learn more about the
Comer School Development Program, go to:  

 www.schooldevelopmentprogram.org  

 


Our Mission

The School Development Program is committed to the total development of all children by creating learning environments that support children's physical, cognitive, psychological, language, social, and ethical development.


Our Vision 
Our vision is to help create a just and fair society in which all  children have the educational and personal opportunities that will allow them to become successful and satisfied participants in family and civic life.

WILIS cover

What I Learned in School: Reflections on Race, Child Development, and School Reform

By James P. Comer, M.D., M.P.H. 

What I Learned in School highlights, in one volume, the major contributions of world-renowned scholar Dr. James P. Comer, whose visionary work has dramatically shaped the fields of school reform, child development, psychology, and race. This small collection of Dr. Comer's work is beautifully arranged and includes an introduction and engaging updates from the author. These works paint a remarkable picture of what we've all learned so far, and what we all must learn going forward.


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Cynthia R. Savo
Editor
[email protected]