TEARS is about children who attend our schools. The book identifies reasons for the failures or successes of our students. These reasons, for many students, have very little to do with academic skills, or the lack thereof. This book describes social and emotional dynamics that heavily contribute to the outcome of the school experiences of our children.

TEARS identifies the lives of students who attend our schools under some very trying circumstances. The reader will learn about factors that contribute to their pain, anger, victimization and, sometimes, death. This book is about learning, parenting, teaching and surviving.

TEARS tells stories of our student's lives before, during and after school. It describes problems that are ongoing, yet unknown to many teachers, school administrators, media experts, politicians, academic pundits and preachers. This book gives a glimpse of why so many students eventually fail or drop out of school. TEARS tells stories from the school's counselor, as told to him, by the students, teachers, or parents. On a daily basis, students search, desperately, for solutions to their problems. Some of them find temporary answers, while others find more questions. While these events occurred in California schools, it is safe to conclude that identical events are occurring in schools throughout the United States. This book is about some children who cry a lot, while attempting to survive in a society that provides very few dry handkerchiefs. T E A R S W i t t e n