> Does Anyone have a clue as to what this actually means?? WTF is “Restorative Justice”?? <
I’ll field that one. Our school district introduced “Restorative Justice” last year. (It does not have the same meaning as it does in the criminal justice system.)
Old days: A disruptive student would be removed from the classroom and suspended. Shape up or ship out.
Now: A disruptive student becomes the center of a feel-good process. And trust me, the disruptive student just loves the attention.
Examples:
- A bully picks on a little kid. The bully and the little kid meet under the direction of a trained counselor. The bully gets to justify his behavior while the little kid just sits there bewildered.
- A misbehaving student disrupts a classroom. The student and the teacher meet under the direction of a trained counselor. The student gets to justify his behavior while the teacher just sits there bewildered.
I suppose some folks involved in the process have good intentions. But - bottom line - “Restorative Justice” is just an elaborate way to reduce the number of suspensions. And that’s about all it does.
Sounds like the way Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, was treating ‘misbehavior’ before the massive shooting there. I hope NJ is prepared.
These ‘methods’ also make the local school Police look good-—The reports for misbehavior are greatly reduced.