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Presenter urges Winslow Township schools to adopt grief-informed approach
Summary
Dr. Mary Lynn Pendleton told the Winslow Township Board of Education that grief is a broad, measurable factor harming attendance and learning and outlined a workshop model schools can adopt; board members asked how the program would identify students and measure outcomes.
Dr. Mary Lynn Pendleton, founder and CEO of Your Voice Heard LLC, told the Winslow Township Board of Education on March 11 that schools should adopt grief-informed practices to reduce disciplinary incidents and improve attendance and academic performance.
Pendleton described grief as a response to many forms of loss — not only death — that can increase student stress, aggravate chronic illness, and impair concentration. She cited national research and a 2012 landmark study by the American Federation of Teachers and New York Life Foundation that found teachers wanted more training to support grieving students. "Grief impacts us physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially and spiritually," Pendleton said.
Pendleton told the board New Jersey now requires grief education for grades 8–12, saying the policy began in 2022 and was signed into legislation in 2024. She described her workshops as evidence-based, adaptable to in-person or virtual delivery, and focused on training adults — teachers and parents — to recognize and respond to students' needs. "We educate the adults so they can support the children," she said.
Board members pressed for details about program identification, referrals and measurement. One asked whether the service is volunteer or paid; Pendleton said her work emphasizes training staff and using existing communication systems (for example, Dojo, school websites and social media) to reach families. She also said measurable outcomes can include fewer nurse visits, fewer discipline referrals and improved grades and attendance — citing an example of reduced disciplinary contacts after targeted interventions at a school where she worked.
Superintendent Keith Pease thanked Pendleton for the presentation and said the district would consider how grief-informed training could be incorporated alongside other staff development priorities.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation; Pendleton concluded after a question-and-answer period and the meeting continued with the published agenda.
