This August a new law takes effect requiring schools to consider restorative justice before imposing any long-term suspension or expulsion. Further, the law creates a rebuttable presumption that students should stay in school. This is a significant departure from Zero Tolerance that demanded suspension for any number of infractions.
With spring break on their doorstep, schools don’t have much time to prepare administrators to comply with this law and learn about restorative justice. Luckily, we have some trainings coming up that can help.
When restorative justice philosophy, principles and practices are woven into school culture and operations, the process changes lives. This starts at the top with clear support and endorsement from leadership. But it doesn’t stop there!
School districts need at least one administrator (often the disciplinary point-person) to understand the basics of restorative justice and use the process to address student misconduct and conflict. Our Introduction to Restorative Justice and Restorative Circles trainings equip attendees to achieve that. From the first moments, we engage and illuminate educators to understand and adopt the restorative paradigm. Once attendees have mastered the foundation, we drill down on the practices they need to successfully use restorative justice in schools.
As your school is setting its year-end training schedule and next year’s calendar, contact Schertzing Communications to take advantage of affordable, efficient on-site trainings. And check out seminars already scheduled in April and May!
With spring just around the corner, August can’t be far behind! Prepare your schools and leadership to meet the legal requirements and harness the power of restorative justice for your learning communities.