Restorative Justice
Education news, analysis, and opinion about the school discipline alternative, which focuses on accountability and repairing harm
See also: Discipline
Student Well-Being
Opinion
What Can Schools Do as Trauma Continues to Rear Its Ugly Head?
When a student displays unacceptable behavior, educators could first turn to conversation instead of resorting to traditional discipline.
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As educators and leaders consider how SEL fits into their reopening and back-to-school plans, it must go beyond an SEL curriculum. SEL is part of who we are as educators and students, as well as
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D.C. Public Schools and Aldine Public Schools, two of the nation’s largest school districts, are using social-emotional learning, trauma-responsive and restorative practices to ensure each student has the supports in place to learn and thrive.
Teaching
Opinion
What It Takes to Apply Restorative Practices in Schools
Seven educators provide practical recommendations on how to apply restorative practices in the school setting. One tip: "Results won't be immediate," but "they will be long lasting."
Teaching
Opinion
Ways to Implement Restorative Practices in the Classroom
Educators share their practical experience implementing restorative practices in their schools, such as holding goal-setting conferences with students and teaching them "the power of an apology."
School Climate & Safety
More Schools Are Reporting Serious Violence and Hiring Police
New federal data point to upticks in the percentages of schools reporting violent crimes, hiring school police, and undertaking gentler, more proactive efforts to deal with students’ misbehavior.
School Climate & Safety
School Police Operations to Get an Overhaul in Two Big-City Districts
Municipal leaders in both Chicago and New York are seeking arrangements that are less reliant on assigning local police officers to work in schools.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
If You Won't Do Restorative Justice Right, Don't Do It
My school tried its best at restorative justice, but we needed something more than good intentions: resources and training, writes former teacher Allison Fried.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
My School's Peer Court Helps Students Make Amends
The goal of DuPont Hadley Middle School's youth-led court is to help fellow student take steps to repair harm they cause through bad choices and behavior, writes 8th grader Abigail Belch, a second year member of the court who is currently its bailiff.
Equity & Diversity
Leader To Learn From
Confronting and Combatting Bias in Schools
Claiming a school is inclusive doesn’t make it so, says 2019 Leader To Learn From Angela Ward. Building environments where everyone feels valued and supported takes a commitment to challenging, thoughtful work, she believes.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Restorative Patience
Matchbook Learning in Indianapolis designed three levels of restorative justice to support children who are suffering from significant levels of emotional trauma and causing harm to others in school.
Education
Opinion
Restorative Justice Creates a Culture of Safety
Restorative justice is not as easy as simply suspending or expelling students -- but it's worth the extra effort.
School & District Management
Opinion
Beyond Academic Personalized Learning: Implementing Restorative Justice
For students to have a truly personalized learning experience, the philosophy has to become a part of the non-academic parts of their learning as well. Based on this, our schools have shifted to adopt a restorative justice model. Here's how we did it--and the positive results we're already seeing.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
The Effects of Unequal School Discipline Strategies
Guest blogger Amanda Ronan writes, "The harsh reality is that certain discipline practices are the reflections of institutionalized racism and outward discrimination against people of color and other underserved communities."