Dr. Jerell Hill has released his new book “Developing Conscious Gratitude in Schools” (Photos courtesy of author)
Dr. Jerell Hill, a Pasadena native and longtime education leader, has released his new book, Developing Conscious Gratitude in Schools: A Blueprint for Shifting from Burdens to Brilliance (Emerald Publishing). The book launched digitally on April 20, 2026, and arrived in print on May 11, 2026.
By News Desk
A graduate of Pasadena High School and a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena, Hill has spent more than 25 years working in schools across Southern California. He currently serves as Dean of Counseling and Guided Pathways at Los Angeles City College, where he oversees nine career and academic pathways serving more than 10,000 students annually.
The new book combines research on neighborhood conditions, public health, housing policy, and segregation with case studies and strategies developed throughout Hill’s experience in K-12 and higher education. Unlike books that focus solely on educational inequity, Hill’s work emphasizes practical tools educators and administrators can implement immediately.
Central to the book is Hill’s concept of “Conscious Gratitude,” which he defines as more than optimism in difficult circumstances.
“Conscious Gratitude is not the practice of feeling thankful despite your circumstances,” Hill writes. “It is the interior architecture that transforms circumstances into becoming. It does not deny the wound. It refuses to let the wound be the final word.”
Hill distinguishes the framework from what he describes as toxic positivity. Instead of asking students and educators to overlook hardship, the model encourages them to determine who they are becoming because of it. Built around three pillars — Urgency, Direction, and Identity — the book offers research-backed strategies, case studies, and actionable guidance for schools.
The themes are especially personal for Hill, whose hometown communities of Pasadena and Altadena were heavily impacted by the Eaton Fire in January 2025, which displaced thousands of residents, including students and educators. Hill has written about the recovery efforts, including his essay “Unseen Flames: The Quiet Toll on a Community Still Burning,” which was accepted by The 74.
“I wrote this for the educators who are tired and still showing up,” Hill said. “Teaching is a sacred practice. Students whose stories have been reduced to risk factors deserve schools that refuse to let the wound be the final word.”
The book includes endorsements from Dr. Tyrone C. Howard, the Pritzker Family Endowed Chair in Education at University of California, Los Angeles, and Sovey Long-Latteri. It also features a foreword by Dr. Gloria Boutte. The paperback edition is 192 pages.
In addition to his work at Los Angeles City College, Hill is founder and CEO of SIK Management Inc., a consulting practice focused on intercultural competence, conscious leadership, and educational systems. He earned an Ed.D. from Taft University and holds three California teaching credentials, including Administrative Services, Multiple Subjects, and an Education Specialist credential with autism certification. In 2025, Hill also served as a commissioner on the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Developing Conscious Gratitude in Schools is available in paperback and ebook through Emerald Publishing and Amazon. Readers purchasing through Emerald Publishing can use the code EME30 for a 30% discount.
