Celebrating Neal
The 40th anniversary of CCS is not only a celebration of the mission and values of our multi-generational community, it also marks the closing of a chapter for a humble icon of progressive education in Los Angeles, Neal Wrightson. To know Neal is to love him, and as he transitions out of his role as Head Of School, we hope to share a little of this love via stories and memories of Neal as recalled by those whose lives he has touched. Please share your own story, here.
“My departure has evoked in me both a sense of personal loss and one of great hope for the school’s future. I will be 67 when I retire. My wife will retire at the same time. We will have our health and many good years ahead of us. Travel, time with our family, volunteering in community work and politics, and lots of good books are all in our future! I feel confident that under the leadership of Azizi Williams, CCS will continue to practice the same progressive philosophy Leni Jacksen and I embraced when we first started the school. Thanks to every one of you for your loving faith in Children’s Community School and in me. I look forward to all that is ahead for the school.”
Neal Stories
Learning By Doing
By Helen Stevenson - Assistant Head of School, alumni parent
In 1987 my daughter was about to turn 2 and it was time for me to go back to work. I did NOT want to go back to work and leave my daughter with someone else. Then I saw the ad for an “elementary school secretary in Van Nuys”. I thought it sounded great—short hours and the summer off. Sadly, that was my goal at that point, the direction of my career path.
I was hired by Leni Jacksen. Neal had been in New York finishing a course at Teachers College. I knew nothing about him. I don’t remember if Leni even mentioned him to me until he returned. He was the 5th/6th grade teacher. I was working at my desk when a young man entered the office through the door of the attached classroom. He seemed to be on a mission of some sort. He started opening and closing all of the file cabinet drawers and then the desk drawers. It was rather awkward. Then he said, “How do you feel about snakes?”
The Clarity of Compassion
By Max Wanger - CCS Class of ‘90 and Current Parent
When I look at one of my most cherished photos, I see an especially sensitive, worry-filled, 12-year-old boy (in a pretty amazing Lakers jacket). I also see his teacher — someone who always made him feel safe and cared for, someone who made him feel seen. That boy was me, and his incredible teacher, Neal. It was 1990, the year I graduated from CCS and the culmination of a time in my life that shaped so much of who I am today.
I realize now that it's not exactly common to remember your elementary school experience with such clarity and fondness, to carry my bond with Neal and the school he helped create for so many years. Throughout my life, through ups and downs, that connection has stayed with me—and it led me back to CCS just a few years ago, when I took my wife, Margaux, to meet Neal. Our son, Dash, was only six months old at the time. More than two decades later, it was as if nothing had changed. Neal welcomed our spontaneous visit with open arms. He still had the same calm, gentle demeanor, and the same warmth and infectious laugh. He still made me feel seen. That's who he is—and I'm a better person for knowing him.
Neal Inspires
By Tom Henschel, Alumni Parent and Chairperson, CCS Board of Directors
One afternoon, when my daughter was in kindergarten and I was still new to the school, Neal and I were standing side-by-side on the playground. Having a one-on-one moment with Neal felt special. I didn’t know him well yet but had a strong sense that I liked him…
Learning from Neal
By Terri Agbodike, Alumni Parent and former CCS Teacher
When I reflect on my thirty years at CCS, I feel grateful that I spent most of my working life at the school. I came to CCS in its fifth year and Neal was there before I came and still there after I retired. Neal always had a deep passion for social justice and inclusion. He took an unwavering leadership role in creating a school that welcomes all people…
A Community Visionary
By George Wyner, Alumni Parent and former Chairperson, CCS Board of Directors
It’s been quite a while since I’ve been able to stop by Neal’s office, just to say a quick hello. Hopefully, I will have a chance to do it one more time before his retirement. Our conversation would often begin with my concern about how the Celtics were playing. Neal would counter with his concerns about the Lakers. There was never a clear winner, since the goal was to prepare ourselves for the unthinkable - a loss to each other’s lifelong rival.
Once that part of the conversation ended in a draw, it would turn to CCS, a subject about which we shared devotion, minus the competitiveness. This portion of our conversation would sometimes begin with Neal saying, “There’s something we need to talk about.” Often that “something” was his ideas about growing the school...
