Remembering Jan

The consistent message of people remembering Jan is one of power, love and confidence she gave to others. She knew how to help others find worthiness in their pursuits and confidence to explore in new directions. Juan did not go through the world with answers as much as she did with powerful questions which were often asked with a raising inflection, a penetrating connection with crystal blue eyes and a golden glow that those of us her knew her can still feel. Jan was a catalyst. She sparked meetings to life. She made things happen and she made those around her more powerful in their work. We celebrate her life and her ongoing presence inside of those she has touched. This award is our way of making it possible for her to continue to do what she has done with such grace during her time on this earth.

We share a few comments that may help you to get to know her and then the book and other documents are listed and attached below.

Jerry Murphy, Dean of Harvard's Graduate School of Education where Jan had just begun to teach had this to say about recruiting her...

What caught our eye--as we were in the process of rethinking our technology program in 1995 --what caught our eye was Jan's notion of preparing what she called the "new practitioners." By that Jan meant educators who were not only experts in the new technologies, but also adept at curriculum development, student assessment and school reform. ... In her short time at Harvard, Jan had already sketched out a work plan for this new chapter in her life. She hoped to:

  • Redesign our program in order to produce her "new practitioners"

  • Design a research program that spotlighted the critical role of teachers and leaders

  • Use the bully pulpit of Harvard to talk sensible about the power and limits of the technology

In all her thinking, her particular genius was clear-- namely, making connections. Connecting universities with classrooms. Connecting parents and teaches with politicians and industrial leaders. Connecting children to each, and to technological innovations that worked.

At first, we were attracted by Jan's ideas. In the end, we were taken not only by Jan's mind, but also captivated by Jan's manner. By the lasting lessons she taught us about the link between being a good person and being a good professional. We too, will always remember Jan--a clear thinker, a superb leader, a gentle teacher, and a wonderful human being.

Martha Hadley, reflecting on the days at Graduate Center of the City University in the 70's had this to say...

She read in many fields and somehow made it all fit, picking up the threads from philosophy, literary criticism, anthropology, psychology, poetry and linguistics. She wove the themes into a way of seeing and thinking that was uniquely Jan, informed by her heart and given generously...she was able to share her strength without the weight and demand of ego.

Margaret Honey, who worked closely with Jan at CCT tells stories about the unconventional way that Jan moved through the world

Jan always resisted getting down to the serious business of defining a mission for CCT. ... For Jan, every missing statement we drafted had the unintended consequences of damaging the one thing that mattered most to her--openness to new questions, new problems, new learning. Jan had her own ways of helping us to build a sense of culture and community and she almost never used conventional means like staff retreats. Instead our annual outings took the form of a trip to the racetrack...[where] she could be a perpetual learner, neither novice nor expert, but in the enlivening space in between.

Sam Gibbon who Jan worked with on PBS's breakthrough multimedia series - Voyage of the Mimi described the many reason that many of us share for admiring Jan...

  • her uncanny sensitivity to people big and small

  • her subtle understanding of the classroom and media,

  • her skill in negotiating her way through administrative minefields

  • her sense of humor

  • her great generosity and kindness

  • and her immense mind.

Janet Whitla who work with her at EDC shared this characterization that is found in so many of the essays...

Jan brought a very special way of framing educational issues and probing for the meaning of events. She always asked the most important questions; she never shied away from the tough issues. In fact, she could be downright irritating in her persistence and determination. Some of my warmest memories are of the two of us sitting together in my office, puzzling out the right question that EDC, as an organization should be asking itself.

Hank Becker, colleague captured the spirit of the way Jan worked her magic with this comment:

I can picture her talking in a small group. She had a quiet confidence that was amazing: she would first listen to what others said, and when it seemed everything had already been said, she would, in a calm, matter-of-fact way, make a proposal or give an explanation what was so original and well-thought-out it would stop all discussion. She was like a magician doing the most unexpected thing, but she did it with words and ideas.

In the website and with the award, we want to acknowledge the magic that we all shared with Jan. It is a timeless gift.

Roy Pea who worked with her for many years - from the origins of CCT in 1980 - shares truths about her that resonate with all who had the good fortune to know her.

A key truth about Jan is that with her compassionate heart she opened doors for many people...She knew that opportunities to learn, to be able to rise with the help of others to take on more challenging situation, was at the heart of growth for human potential. She would remind us today that we can do that better together than we can do it alone. That we can make more of our own and others' lives if we work together.

And Rand Spiro, who shared life and love with Jan through her last years, reflects on her radiance that when she tilted her head could easily outshine the sun.

Jan was a builder of bridges, in life and work. In her work, she connected people across the worlds of educational research, practice and policy in collaborative efforts characterized by a harmony rarely found when people with such different agendas are brought together. However the bridges she built across cultures in her extensive international efforts were even more magnificent. So often in our travel together, from Portugal to China, from Italy to the Barbados, I observed with awe the miracle of her connection and communication across cultures, often without even a shared language. She was a universal communicator, and she universally inspired trust and love in those she met.