6 Steps Towards Restorative Justice in Your School

In all the talk about the importance of reducing suspensions and other exclusionary discipline practices in schools, one question looms large for most educators and…

5 Tips to Promote Equity for Trans, Gender Variant and Non-Binary Students

A consistent finding in research on LGBTQ+ youth is the disproportionate bullying and victimization faced by trans students (i.e. transgender, gender nonconforming, and non-binary students).…

Our Students Need Every Educator to Speak Up to Ensure DeVos Hears Our Support for Restorative Justice

In my decade in Chicago Public Schools as a social worker and currently as a behavioral health specialist, I’ve learned a great education goes beyond…

Forget About the Pipeline, School Discipline Is Already a Prison for Many Students

As I walked past the principal’s office, I could see that Jonah was sitting outside again, his small legs shaking nervously, his head hung low.…

My Son Was Not Going to Be a Victim of the School-to-Prison Pipeline

My son loved everything about school, until he didn’t. He was eager to learn, read, write and make friends. At 5, he had already had…

When Restorative Justice Is Done Right, It Can Make Schools Safer, Even When Your Kid Is the Victim

The day another kid tried to choke my daughter, it would have been easy to go full-force Mama Bear and demand a suspension. But it…

School Counselor of the Year Kirsten Perry Isn’t a Savior, She’s Just Here to Help

In just two years, school counselor Kirsten Perry has served as a catalyst for transforming North Lawndale Community Academy, a neighborhood elementary school in one…

If We Really Want to Make Schools Safe, We Need to Build Community

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently assembled a school safety commission that will explore the need to repeal guidance that helps schools discipline students without discriminating.…

There Are Small Things We Can Do Every Day to Make Our LGBT Students Feel Safe

The same four students hang out together in front of my classroom most mornings. One set is female and the other male. I do not…

If You’re Justifying Higher Suspension Rates for Black Kids Then You’re Not Facing Up to Racism in America

Many people of privilege, myself included, have a hard time looking in the mirror and confronting their own racism. They will do anything to justify…