Restorative Justice

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the school discipline alternative, which focuses on accountability and repairing harm

See also: Discipline

Explainer

Generic school hallway with lockers
Restorative Justice in Schools, Explained
What is restorative justice, and how can it be implemented in schools?
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School cellphone ban policies to restrict cell phones in schools to reduce distractions and help avoid social media addiction resulting in academic problems and mental health issues in a classrooom.
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Ed-Tech Policy Opinion If You're Going to Ban Cellphones, Do It Right
An educator offers school and district leaders a cooperative, restorative approach to restricting cellphone use in schools.
Nicholas Bradford, February 13, 2025
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5 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Opinion Restorative Justice, the Classroom, and Policy: Can We Resolve the Tension?
Student discipline is one area where school culture and the rules don't always line up.
Rick Hess, October 29, 2024
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8 min read
Photo of teen girl waiting outside office.
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School Climate & Safety How Did School Discipline Get Dragged Into the Presidential Election?
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have different track records on racial disparities in school discipline.
Libby Stanford, September 30, 2024
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9 min read
Image of a student sitting outside of a doorway.
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School Climate & Safety Can a Teachers' 'Bill of Rights' Bring Order to the Classroom?
Alabama's new law gives teachers the authority to remove misbehaving students from class.
Elizabeth Heubeck, June 20, 2024
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4 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
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School Climate & Safety Opinion How Do Restorative Practices Work?
Traditional punitive measures tend to reap more misbehavior.
Larry Ferlazzo, May 22, 2024
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13 min read
Audrey Wright, right, quizzes fellow members of the Peace Warriors group at Chicago's North Lawndale College Prep High School on Thursday, April 19, 2018. Wright, who is a junior and the group's current president, was asking the students, from left, freshmen Otto Lewellyn III and Simone Johnson and sophomore Nia Bell, about a symbol used in the group's training on conflict resolution and team building. The students also must memorize and regularly recite the Rev. Martin Luther King's "Six Principles of Nonviolence."
A group of students at Chicago's North Lawndale College Prep High School participates in a training on conflict resolution and team building on Thursday, April 19, 2018. Nearly half of educators in a recent EdWeek Research Center survey said their schools are using restorative justice more now than they did five years ago.
Martha Irvine/AP
School Climate & Safety From Our Research Center How Much Educators Say They Use Suspensions, Expulsions, and Restorative Justice
With student behavior a top concern among educators now, a new survey points to many schools using less exclusionary discipline.
Caitlynn Peetz, April 19, 2024
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4 min read
A team of colleagues comes to a resolution in a conceptual illustration about building bridges
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion Restorative Practices Don’t Just Belong in the Classroom. Leaders Should Use Them, Too
Respectful conflict resolution, starting meetings with a talking circle, and other ways this administrator is walking the walk.
Sonja Gedde, February 27, 2024
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5 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
School Climate & Safety Opinion What Do Restorative Practices Look Like in Schools?
Such practices teach students how to resolve disputes amicably, own their actions, and be empathetic and forgiving.
Larry Ferlazzo, February 27, 2024
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9 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
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School Climate & Safety Opinion Restorative Justice Is Not Just an Alternative to Discipline
But done correctly, the practice can create a culture of connection, belonging, mutual respect, safety, and trust.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 7, 2023
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14 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
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School Climate & Safety Opinion Should Classroom Discipline Be Based in ‘Restorative Justice’?
Discipline often divides conservatives and liberals. Is there room for common ground?
Rick Hess, December 4, 2023
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9 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Teaching Opinion How Do Restorative Practices Work? Educators Share Implementation Tips
Restorative practices are not just an alternative means to meting out discipline. They're also about building community.
Larry Ferlazzo, November 2, 2023
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13 min read
Danny Perez, a 7th grader at Davidson Middle School in San Rafael, Calif., faces a court of his peers for getting involved in a fight. Kristy Treewater, the school’s assistant principal, sits by his side to monitor the student-run session.
Danny Perez, a 7th grader at Davidson Middle School in San Rafael, Calif., faces a court of his peers in 2012 for getting involved in a fight. Kristy Treewater, the school’s assistant principal, sits next to him. Interventions like these, called "restorative justice," have gained popularity as an alternative to suspensions.
Sarah Rice for Education Week
School Climate & Safety What the Research Says Restrictions on Suspending Students From School Show Evidence of Being Effective
New research suggests restrictions on exclusionary discipline can work with support.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 28, 2023
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5 min read
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Teaching Video Teachers, Try This: Use Restorative Justice to Solve Student Conflicts
In this kindergarten classroom, students learn conflict resolution skills through a short restorative justice practice.
Kaylee Domzalski, July 5, 2023
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Illustration by Chris Whetzel for Education Week
Equity & Diversity The Ongoing Challenges, and Possible Solutions, to Improving Educational Equity
Schools across the country were facing major equity challenges before the pandemic, but its disruptions exacerbated them.
Eesha Pendharkar, January 26, 2023
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4 min read
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