Preserving Sandcastles: The Educational Paradox (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781967055234)

What if the problem in education isn't effort - but design?
Across the country, educators work tirelessly to build routines, relationships, and academic growth. Yet after every break, crisis, or policy shift, it can feel like starting over - rebuilding sandcastles washed away by forces beyond the classroom.
In Preserving Sandcastles: The Educational Paradox, Jiles Smith II and Dr. Sheila Mallett-Smith challenge conventional definitions of educational success. Grounded in developmental science and social-emotional learning research, this book argues that lasting academic achievement depends on five lifelong competencies:

• Accountability
• Respect for self and others
• Conflict resolution
• Emotional intelligence
• Resilience

Drawing on multigenerational educational experience and decades of work in healthcare, public systems, and organizational leadership, the authors examine:

• Why no significant learning occurs without emotional regulation
• How family-school mistrust develops - and how it can be repaired
• The hidden costs of policies that prioritize compliance over connection
• Why SEL is not an "extra," but the foundation of durable academic growth

This book is for educators navigating tension between mandates and student needs. For parents seeking partnership. For leaders who understand that equity, safety, and learning are inseparable.
Education is not only about raising scores.
It is about preserving what matters between the tides.

Author: Sheila Mallett-Smith,Jiles II Smith
ISBN-10: 1967055238
ISBN-13: 9781967055234
Publisher: Isham Media Group LLC
Language: English
Published: 03/03/2026
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.22lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.85d