American Education Week event features James Comer

A speech by school reformer James Comer, a professor of child psychiatry at Yale University, will cap American Education Week activities sponsored by the School of Education.

Comer will speak on “Waiting for a Miracle: Why Schools Alone Can’t Solve Our Problems and How We Can” in Memorial Union Theater at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18. The free lecture is open to the public.

An expert on reforming troubled schools, Comer is the father of the “Comer Process,” which is based on the idea that all stakeholders in a school, including parents, should have a say in how it is run. The process has been adopted by more than 250 schools in 18 states and has been credited with helping to raise test scores, increase school attendance, and reduce disciplinary problems.

In his latest book, “Waiting for a Miracle,” Comer shares his belief that the problems facing American’s schools reflect the entire culture and society. He maintains that “rampant individualism and racism” have created a social failure to commit to families, communities, and educational institutions.

A graduate of Indiana University, Comer earned his M.D. from Howard University and trained in psychiatry at Yale. He has written more than 500 articles and chapters about education, child development, and race relations. Comer has served as a consultant to the Children’s Television Workshop.

Other UW–Madison American Education Week activities Nov. 15-19 include a luncheon address on community-based arts education, an evening discussion of popular children’s book series character Harry Potter, and an instructional technology fair. For information on Comer’s speech or other activities, call (608) 262-0054.