Rallying the Whole Village: The Comer Process for Reforming Education

Rallying the Whole Village: The Comer Process for Reforming Education, edited by James P. Comer, Norris M. Haynes, Edward T. Joyner, and Michael Ben-Avie. New York: Teachers College Press, 1996. 185 pp. 21. 95 paper. Reviewed by Donna Y. Ford, The University of Virginia. As its name implies, Rallying the Whole Village addresses the role and responsibility of the educational community, the neighborhood community, the business community, and families in promoting the academic, psychological, social, ethical, and physical well-being of students. In rallying these various communities, the editors and authors also highlight the importance of focusing on the whole child. They further recognize that effective teaching is a multidimensional enterprise that must be grounded in a holistic educational philosophy. The primary objectives of this book are to close the gap between theory and practice, and to guide educators, parents, and decision-makers through the process of developing educationally relevant and sound programs for minority and economically disadvantaged students. The authors encourage readers to stop finger-pointing and share the responsibility of helping all children reach their optimal potential. Their overarching perspective is that consensus, collaboration, and no-fault philosophies promote healthy learning environments for students, which in turn lead to success in the academic, psychological, social, ethical, and physical realms. Toward these goals, Rallying the Whole Village delineates how educators can optimize minority student outcomes. As such, its contributors note generally that educators must attend to the following: (a) provide integrated services; (b) teach children to respect themselves and others; (c) recognize the centrality of the family in children's development and self-definition; (d) develop curricula and pedagogical approaches that are sensitive and responsive to the diverse needs of children from different cultural and racial groups as well as those with special cognitive, psychological, and physical needs; and (e) prepare school staff more substantively in child development and in recognizing individual differences. Various aspects of the Comer Process are discussed in the seven chapters of this book. The majority of chapter one describes the diagnostic and prescriptive approaches adopted by Comer and colleagues to address the poor education and negative educational outcomes of students. In it, the authors lay the historical foundation for the Comer Process's School Development Program (SDP), which focuses on the overall well-being of children in the context of the home, school, society, and social networks. Also stressed is the influence of these contexts on the social, cognitive, psychological, language, and ethical development of students. The interconnectedness and balance of these developmental pathways are discussed relative to designing appropriate prevention and intervention strategies and programs for individual students. This chapter also reminds readers that children fail to thrive in schools for many complex reasons, the majority of which can be overcome in a healthy school climate. Also noted are the shortcomings of the fragmentary approaches often adopted by schools to address school problems and the inadequate training provided school staff on helping children from a developmental perspective. Chapter two presents an overview of the theoretical models underlying Comer's philosophy of school reform. Key theories discussed include field theory, human ecology, social action, and population adjustment. Most importantly, the contributors to this chapter effectively bridge theory and practice by stressing the holistic perspective needed to reform schools for minority student achievement and empowerment. Chapter three goes a step further by urging educators to move away from a mechanistic educational philosophy and toward student-centered education. Also discussed are family involvement and the benefits school members (families, children, teachers) receive when family involvement is substantive, meaningful, and relevant. …