Waiting for a miracle : why schools can't solve our problems--and how we can / James P. Comer.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [237]-250) and index.

In recent years, great pressure has been placed upon our beleaguered educational system to help solve our nation's growing social and economic problems. It is the contention of this provocative book by James P. Comer, M.D. - director of the Yale University Child Study Center School Development Program - that the deteriorated state of America's public schools is a reflection of problems at our cultural core that must be addressed simultaneously with school change.

In Waiting for a Miracle, Comer, a pioneer who remains a leading figure in modern school reform, discusses the causes of these problems and presents a viable approach to resolving them - an approach that focuses on the crucial roles of children, family, and community. Beginning with his own deeply moving experiences as an African-American child growing up poor, Comer draws on more than thirty years of community involvement and educational commitment to show how we can make our schools the most important instrument of change. Using examples from his own successful strategies for troubled schools, he provides a detailed blueprint of how sensitively designed programs can and have already begun to make dramatic differences in the classroom.