The Comer Intervention Model and School Reform in Chicago

Abstract

An analysis of twopublic reform efforts: the Comer intervention by mutual cooperation and political mobilization in Chicago.

Contestation or Collaboration? A Comparative Study of Home–School Relations

“…We believe that Payne (1991) was correct that returning to the "language of relationships" is important to successful school change. As our work shows, it is in the daily process of school community members interacting-compromising, misunderstanding, accommodating, and butting heads-that relationships are built and school communities shaped.…”

“…Though many interactions between home and school are structured and formal (e.g., back-to-school night), here we are most interested in the unstructured and informal-that is, the everyday interactions that are the substance of home-school relations. It is these daily school practices that limit or encourage parent-school collaboration (Banks and McGee 1993;Eccles and Harold 1993;Epstein 1990;Epstein and Dauber 1991;Lightfoot 1978;Payne 1991;Swap 1993). As Lightfoot states, "chance, daily interactions certainly [have] weightier significance than the vacuous, ritualistic PTA meetings scheduled by the school" (1978: 11).…”

“…-Metro Elementary director to Metro parents Too often in discussions of schools we talk in the language of accountability, management, and training rather than the "language of relationships" (Payne 1991). The idea that a school's success is at least partially dependent upon the existence of strong relationships among members of a school's community is not new (Eccles and Harold 1996;Swap 1993).…”

Bringing Community Organizing into the School Reform Picture

“…Such schools build social trust by treating parents as assets rather than liabilities (Payne, 1991). Finally, research on Chicago's democratic decentralization, in which parents and community members have an equal role with educators in school decision making, demonstrates the contribution of such participation to improving curriculum and instruction and raising student achievement (Bryk, Sebring, Kerbow, Rollow, & Easton, 1998;Moore, 1998).…”

“…Comer's school model includes mechanisms for parental involvement at three levels: as representatives involved in collaborative decision making, as active participants in the daily life of the school, and as regular supporters of their children's education. Such schools build social trust by treating parents as assets rather than liabilities (Payne, 1991). Finally, research on Chicago's democratic decentralization, in which parents and community members have an equal role with educators in school decision making, demonstrates the contribution of such participation to improving curriculum and instruction and raising student achievement (Bryk, Sebring, Kerbow, Rollow, & Easton, 1998;Moore, 1998).…”