Overview of RJE

Some may know restorative justice through Westernized practices brought to the United States’ legal system. Restorative justice is rooted in indigenous practices well before then. Restorative justice is not a particular blueprint or map, but a compass guided by key principles and values offering a direction.-Howard Zehr The mindset of the adults is as important as the process. Harrisonburg City Public Schools uses restorative Justice in Education (RJE) to build relationships among the school community to prevent bullying, disagreements, conflicts, missteps, mistakes or wrong-doing before harm happens. RJE utilizes practices to help repair harm and provide a remedial response, which addresses the needs of the person or people hurt, holds the person or people who did the harm accountable, and engages the community in supporting both the person harmed and the person who did the harm.“Restorative justice can’t just be a set of things that we do, it has to be a framework for how we view teaching and learning.”-Dr. Kathy Evans  Community can be as small as a circle of classmates or as large as the community in which the school resides. Restorative Justice in Education is infused with peacebuilding practices, social emotional learning, equity, social justice, and trauma-informed care.

Within a community it is important to build norms and values together | Values: 5 R’s of restorative justice 

Our mindset is the lens that we look through from the stand of who we are as a person and who we are as a community. Professor, Chancellor's Leadership Professor, and Co-Director of Transformative Justice in Education Center, Dr. Maisha T. Winn shares that for us to engage in the work of restorative justice in education we must have these four pedagogical stance: 

Harrisonburg City Public Schools uses restorative practices to build relationships among the school community to prevent bullying, disagreements, conflicts, missteps, mistakes or wrong-doing before harm happens. They are also practices schools use to help repair harm and provide a remedial response, which addresses the needs of the person or people hurt, holds the person or people who did the harm accountable, and engages the community in supporting both the person harmed and the person who did the harm. Community can be as small as a circle of classmates or as large as the community in which the school resides.

Q: Are schools using this now?

A: Yes, restorative justice in education falls into our Wellness goal in our strategic plan. However not every teacher has a foundation of prior training in RJE. HCPS provides professional development opportunities for all staff members across the district who want to grow in this area. HCPS also partners with Eastern Mennonite University for those who want to receive a graduate level certificate.

Q: Who is involved?

A: RJE strives to bring all parties involved and impacted as well as stakeholders that could serve in a supportive role for the ongoing well-being for all. 

Q: Do caregivers need to be notified/a part of the process? 

A: Caregivers are asked to be involved as much as they would like to be. HCPS values family engagement. We encourage peers to work out conflicts with each other. In the event that a restorative process is needed, the caregiver would be invited to take part in this process.

Q: How do students get referred? 

A: Students can self refer if they need support working out a conflict. Teachers can refer to support staff and administrators if needed. Additional resources provided by trained staff is always available upon request.

Q: How do I get more information and training about RJE? 

A: Staff participate in a graduate level certificate in Restorative Justice in Education at Eastern Mennonite University. Click here for more information

For additional questions contact:

Isaiah Dottin-Carter, Restorative Practice Coordinator

idottincarter@harrisonburg.k12.va.us

Tools

• Mediation and Circle Agreement Form
• Creating Values Script
• Identity Wheel
• A Tale of Two Schools
• School to Prison Pipeline
• Seven Core Assumptions
• Land Acknowledgment

Resources

• Articles and Books
• Websites and Videos