Building Better Public Schools through Restorative Justice
(Source) Fremont High School in Oakland, California used to have the highest rate of suspension in its district, 1 in 3 students dropped out, and only 1 in 4 students qualified to attend public college in California. But since the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) made a $2.5 million investment to expand its restorative justice program throughout the district in 2017, incidents leading to suspension have dropped dramatically and the number of students who qualify for college admission has “nearly tripled.” OUSD is one of several school districts throughout the country to adopt restorative justice practices as an alternative to retributive justice over the past two decades. David Ryan Castro-Harris of Amplify RJ defines restorative justice as “a philosophy and set of practices, rooted in Indigenous teachings, that emphasize our interconnection by repairing relationships when harm occurs while proactively building and maintaining relationships to prevent future harm.” Restorative justice conferences bring together people who have caused harm, those who have been harmed, and stakeholders from the surrounding community. All involved parties have the opportunity to share their experience and how the harm affected them before collaborating to find an appropriate solution. Quantitative research suggests that these practices have a positive [read more]