His interest in and support of restorative justice in education (RJE) brought him, for the second consecutive year, to ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř’s Restorative Justice in Education Academy in late June.

This time, though, instead of just learning principles and theory, Trinh drew from his prior year’s experience conducting independent research to contribute to a culminating panel among teachers and administrators.

Trinh was one of five students to attend the academy along with approximately 90 teachers, administrators, and other educational staff from five states including Colorado, Maryland, New York, Virginia and West Virginia.

The goal of the second annual academy, hosted by the and programs at EMU, was to provide the educational community with principles and practices to create just and equitable learning environments that foster healthy relationships and transform conflict.

The conference included skill- and knowledge-building sessions as well as reflective sessions. An evening showing of the film and panel conversation addressed the effects on young learners of “toxic stress” caused by childhood abuse and neglect.

“We build time into this academy for reflection on a teacher’s current practice and school culture, and how restorative justice might be implemented in that environment,” said Professor .

, known as RJ for short, presents an alternative philosophy of justice that addresses the needs of multiple stakeholders, draws from indigenous and faith-based approaches, and challenges structural and interpersonal forms of harm. It’s used in a variety of settings, such as prisons and the justice system. RJ in education, which is also called RJE, has been in school districts to lower suspension rates and to create accountability and community in the schooling environment.

RJE principles and practices are much more than a response to harm, said Evans. They also nurture “relational, interconnected school cultures.”

That takes building community through cultivating respect, cultural awareness and responsiveness, and active listening, said EMU instructor in his session about restorative discipline.

Those themes of community resurfaced again in the academy’s final afternoon session, where Trinh and other panelists agreed that restorative justice can bring together parents, teachers and students.

Laura Feichtinger-McGrath, an English as a Second Language coordinator for Harrisonburg City Public Schools, said, “We’re going to have less discipline issues as our students go through a community that cares about and honors them.”

Lea Murray, a science teacher at Kate Collins Middle School in Waynesboro, Va., said that teaching more restoratively led her to shift the focus of discipline from punishment to transformation, which has resulted in “amazing strides” in the sense of community in her classroom.

Additional panelists included:

• Jelisa Coltrane Wolfe, executive director of student services, Staunton (Va.) City Schools;
• Michelle Edwards, behavioral specialist, Spotswood Elementary School, Harrisonburg (Va.) City Public Schools;
• Erich Sneller, chemistry teacher, Harrisonburg High School, Harrisonburg City Public Schools.

First-time attender and veteran teacher Jeanie Dixon, of Roanoke City Public Schools, heard that community message loud and clear. Students’ voices must be empowered, she said: “They’re stakeholders, and we want them to want to be in school.”

Including the voices of administrators, teachers and students in a panel is an important part of the academy, Evans says. “RJE is all about relationships. To hear first-hand experiences helps both new and experienced RJE practitioners build their own relationship with the concepts and the students they hope to impact.”

Trinh, the high school student who shared his experiences with RJE on the panel, affirmed this importance of learning through relationships. His voice was that of an empowered and invested stakeholder. “I learn more from personal stories than I do from a book or article I read,” he said. “I’ve noticed how important it is to get to know people. It’s all about experiences.”

A pioneer in the field of restorative justice, EMU was the first in the country to offer housed within a graduate education program, as well as the first to offer a certificate.

The will be Monday and Tuesday, June 26-28. For more information, see below.

The Lancaster event is Thursday, July 6. For more information, click here.

More on the Harrisonburg RJE Academy

Presenters at the June 26-27 academy in Harrisonburg include faculty in EMU’s MA in restorative justice in education program, as well as school teachers and administrators who will share their insights on developing RJE cultures in school settings.

The event begins Monday at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. with an optional film showing of Resilience and panel discussion at 7 p.m. Tuesday’s format begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.

, created by the producers of Paper Tiger and The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia, is an award-winning documentary that explores new research into how Adverse Childhood Experiences (known as ACE) can be linked to destructive behavior and medical diseases. “The child may not remember, but the body does,” says one researcher.

The keynote address will be offered by Dr. , assistant professor of restorative justice and peacebuilding, has teaching experience ranging across all levels – from the elementary school, middle and high school classroom to graduate students – and with several special populations of learners, including special needs and adjudicated youth; first-generation, low-income students; and those with low literacy skills.

Prior to coming to EMU, she worked in the District of Columbia Public Schools, most recently with an administrative team in an elementary school implementing “Response to Intervention,” a student-centered multi-level program to maximize student achievement, increase literacy skills and reduce behavioral problems. She also taught special education and English, and coordinated after-school programs at H.D. Woodson Senior High School.

Additionally, EMU faculty members will offer sessions on the following topics:

• Principles and Practices of Restorative Justice in Education, with Professor , who had led EMU’s development of the first graduate program in restorative justice in education. Her research, teaching and scholarship has focused on working with teachers to create just and equitable educational opportunities. She co-authored The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education (2016). Kathy is a former special education teacher.
• Making Things Right: An Overview of Restorative Discipline, with Bob Garrity is an adjunct faculty member at EMU, with a variety of experience as a facilitator, trainer, consultant and mediator in many settings, including schools and universities, as well as agencies, businesses and communities.
• Peacebuilding in Education: What Does It Look Like? with Professor , who teaches psychology and graduate education courses at EMU. Widely published on peacebuilding and conflict transformation, she co-authored The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools (205, 2015).

A panel of teachers and administrators, and one student, will also share their experiences:

• Dr. Jelisa Coltrane Wolfe, executive director of student services, Dixon Eudcational Services.
• Michelle Edwards, behavioral specialist, Spotswood Elementary School, Harrisonburg, Va.;
• Erich Sneller, chemistry teacher, Harrisonburg High School;
• Laura Feichtinger-McGrath, ESL coordinator, Harrisonburg High School;
• Lea Murray, science teacher, Kate Collins Middle School, Waynesboro, Va.
• Avery Trinh, student, Wilde Lake High School, Columbia, Md.

This is the second annual RJE Academy at EMU. To register, click .

“It’s not about the hamburger,” he said, referencing her refrain during the 1960’s diner sit-ins. “It’s . We’re not just interested in restorative justice as an alternative to school suspensions and to challenge the school-to-prison pipeline. We are working for more socially just and equitable learning environments for all children and we believe that restorative justice has huge potential to help us get there.”

More than 55 educators from five states, including Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Texas and Florida, attended the June 27-28 conference. The range of demographics represent the growing interest in paying attention to educational equity – from public, private and charter schools serving elementary through secondary grade levels with diverse student populations in urban, suburban and rural areas.

RJE benefits manifold

“Our goals for this experience were to ask two big questions,” said , director of the at EMU and a former superintendent, principal and teacher. “We wanted to discuss how RJE can assist us in addressing the needs of disenfranchised students and students on the fringe, and the challenges of poor attendance, graduation rates, low achievement and discipline concerns. Secondly, we wanted to share how RJE can benefit students, teachers and the overall school culture.”

Professor , lead faculty in EMU’s new (starting fall 2018), was pleased with the diverse group and the conference’s potential to spread the ethos of restorative justice. [To read more about Kathy Evans and her interview in The Atlantic about restorative justice, click .]

“I’m thrilled that we have so many people here from different places and sectors who are interested in learning more about restorative justice is a viable option for restoring healthy learning communities,” she said. “Attending this conference doesn’t make anyone an expert, but we hope it will prompt educators to continue their learning. This is about a long-term shift in the way that we do school.”

EMU deeply rooted in origins of restorative justice

, known as RJ for short, presents an alternative philosophy of justice that addresses the needs of multiple stakeholders, draws from indigenous and faith-based approaches, and challenges structural and interpersonal forms of harm. It’s used in a variety of settings, such as prisons and the justice system. RJ in education, which is also called RJE, has been in school districts to lower suspension rates and to create accountability and community in the schooling environment.

The RJE Academy rotated educators through three foundational workshops about RJ principles and practices, such as the circle process, and peacebuilding.

In her session on RJ principles, Evans touched on building healthy communities, meeting needs, viewing conflict as a learning opportunity, and providing accountability.

“If my rosebush isn’t growing, I don’t blame the rosebush,” she said. “We have to look at the ecological or environmental model… Students behave in certain ways depending on unmet needs. Can we meet some of those needs using restorative justice?”

The peacebuilding session focused in part on building relationships, or “tending, mending and befriending,” as Professor suggested.

Participants also reflected on how their learnings could be applied in their particular setting and heard from educators currently building or creating RJ-oriented models in their particular schools.

“RJE is about a way of approaching life and relationships,” says David Ward, student assistance counselor at Harrisonburg High School. Ward says RJE principles were helpful in adapting anti-bullying curriculum to meet school-specific needs, such as community building and establishing common ground between different student groups.

Other panelists included Aundrea Smiley, a second-grade teacher in Waynesboro City Schools; Allison Eanes, a middle school teacher from Harrisonburg City Schools; , principal at Shelburne Middle School in Staunton; and Jelisa Wolfe, executive director of student services for Staunton City Schools.

A final session offered small-group coaching with session leaders.

Harrisonburg educators implementing RJ

Armstrong and Evans both noted they were especially pleased with presence of the 17 Harrisonburg City Schools educators.

“This ongoing opportunity to partner with our local school district to raise our levels of knowledge and practice locally is really thrilling,” said Evans, who is also working on a with Jackson Public Schools, an area where she has strong ties. “We can really do mutually beneficial work on a local level as partners in moving RJ forward.”

The academy’s format was created, among other purposes, “with the potential to take to any school district in the nation,” Evans says.