Understanding Suffering in Schools

Joseph Polizzi is Associate Professor of Education and Educational Leadership at Sacred Heart University, USA William C. Frick is Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Oklahoma, USA.

• ForewordPrefaceChapter 1: Contributions to Suffering Based on Critical Contemporary Accounts of SchoolingChapter 2: Willi Schohaus and the Shadow over the School: Suffering Then…Chapter 3: Understanding Suffering for EducatorsChapter 4: Study Description Chapter 5: Voices of Lament and Suffering in School: Suffering Now…Chapter 6: Interpretations and DiscussionChapter 7: Concluding Thoughts on Suffering in School [Epilogue]

"This work organizes how suffering can exist in many aspects of an individual’s life experience. Polizzi has delivered an essential tool that a provider, whether one of personal-care, education or mental health, can access to build on the fundamentals of acknowledging, addressing and managing suffering."Francesco Mulé, MD, Palliative Physician, Canada"Understanding Suffering in Schools is essential for educators, parents, students, and policymakers engaged in making schools more humane and enlightening. Polizzi and Frick weave scientific evidence with heart-rendering stories about the dark side of education, and then show how with greater resilience and courage, grace, compassion, and humility school leadership can alleviate student suffering. With the increasing demands of education and its proven promise for a better society, all children, youth, and families must grapple with the growing cognitive and psychological rigors of schooling; and it is vital that we make the experience compassionate and supportive for everyone. This book gives us a crucial moral vision for the way forward."David P. Baker, Pennsylvania State University, USA"Polizzi and Frick's work has affected every interaction I have had with a student or staff member since reading the book and inspired me to do better every day. It is a must read for practitioners working to make their school a safe and welcoming environment for K-12 students because it provides a window into the mental health struggles that prevent many students from reaching their potential."Mark P. Murphy, Principal, Lackawanna Trail Jr. Sr. High School, USA