Rising Above

TRANSFORM YOUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY AND CULTURE FOR THE BETTER In Rising Above, we meet Serenity Springs High School’s new school counselor, Monica Sheppard, as she fields a barrage of school conflict issues from every direction. Social media is running out of control, teachers are burned out, and the principal has lost her way. You’ll follow Monica as she immerses herself in the school community and strives to bridge the many divides impacting Serenity Springs. Along the way, you’ll learn from a host of veteran school culture experts from different areas of education who demonstrate how to apply the protagonist’s strategies and techniques to your own school community. You’ll also discover insightful discussions of teacher-student, teacher-teacher, teacher-administration, teacher-parent, teacher-staff, and student-student conflict management and resolution. Praise for RISING ABOVE “JC Pohl has a vantage point very few individuals will ever experience. Visiting thousands of school systems, staff, students, and communities all over the country provides Pohl with a view of the diverse quilt that is our educational system. Every educator will want to read the stories and life experiences Pohl has included in this book as you discover one gem after another of deep insight. A great resource to better understand the human side of education.” —Raúl Gastón, Principal — Jefferson Middle School and the 2022 President of the Illinois Principals Association Transform your school’s culture for the better In Rising Above, we meet Serenity Springs High School’s new school counselor Monica Sheppard as she is fielding a barrage of school conflict issues coming at her from what seems like every direction. Backed by a team of veteran school culture experts from different facets of education, author JC Pohl delivers an engaging, ripped-from-the-headlines narrative about a fictional school community devolving into chaos. With social media running out of control, teachers feeling burnt out, and a principal that has simply lost her way, Monica immerses herself into the school community and strives to bridge many of the divides that define contemporary school environments across the United States. The book includes insights from real-world experts, including Principal Dr. Pete Getz, relationship expert Emil Harker, LMFT, and school counselor educator Dr. Stephanie Eberts. It also offers: A comprehensive set of strategies and tools to help cure the ailments destroying school culture Insightful discussions of teacher-student, teacher-teacher, teacher-administration, teacher-parent, teacher-staff, and student-student conflict management and resolution A compelling narrative of a school leader rising above the chaos that surrounds her and showing readers a tangible pathway that leads to positive school conflict resolution An engrossing and essential read for principals, assistant principals, school counselors, and other district administrators, Rising Above also proves invaluable to K-12 teachers and higher education professors with an interest in building exemplary school cultures.