Psychiatrist: Kids can succeed

Proclaiming that "all children can succeed at a high level," Yale University psychiatrist James Comer spoke Thursday about how society can improve the performance of disadvantaged children in school. Comer, a professor at Yale's Child Study Center and School of Medicine, gave the inaugural Constance E. Clayton lecture to a packed Rainey Auditorium in the University Museum. In 1992, Comer received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Penn. According to Comer, whose lecture focused on themes raised in his most recent book, Waiting for a Miracle: Why Schools Can't Solve Our Problems and How We Can, children must have a positive home life in order to do well in the classroom. "The difference is the developmental experience," he said. "All children need a very supportive community around them to do well in school." Comer stressed the importance of such rituals as families eating dinner together and reading to each other, pointing to himself as an example. Although neither of his parents had more than a sixth-grade education, they made sure that he kept up with his studies and behaved responsibly. Since he believed that it would be impossible to make each home a positive environment for children, Comer embarked on a school-restructuring program in 1968 -- which continues today -- to create a supportive atmosphere in schools. "Teachers are out on the front lines everyday with all kinds of problems," Comer said, adding that teachers and administrators need better training to understand and deal with the situations of disadvantaged children. "And there's nobody out there to support them with those problems." He added that many poor children, especially those of minority background, are "intimidated by mainstream [educational] institutions," and must be guided through until they adjust. The audience's reaction was positive and enthusiastic, as Comer had to pause mid-speech several times because of applause. Especially pleased was Constance Clayton, in whose honor this lecture series devoted to urban education is named. "I don't think we could have had a better speaker," said Clayton, who was superintendent of the Philadelphia school system from 1982 to 1993 and who also received her doctorate in education from Penn in 1981. "Dr. Comer is committed to children. He's a model for what he espouses, and I think school districts would do well to incorporate and embrace his model." Norman Newberg, a senior fellow at Penn's Graduate School of Education, called Comer "a visionary." "He's made a deep commitment to children," Newberg said. "He understands human behavior and what it means to be a victim." Hurrying for the exit so he could get a chance to speak with Comer after the lecture, Robert Tate, dean of students at George C. Thomas Middle School in South Philadelphia, offered only one sentence: "Everyone interested in children should have been here today to hear the knowledge."