Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Watch from 19:00 - 26:00. I'm no Jawando fan but he successfully forced slippery Damon Monteleone to admit what he wasn't trying to admit.
Why are MCPS officials like this? Why do they lie and hide and pretend so much?
What bothers me about this exchange is that Jawando in his story about the Principal who loved RJ was clearly talking about the impact of a restorative justice specialist. The county has I think 8 of these specially trained people who draw a full salary and usually split time at schools that most need them. There are many stories of the good these specialists achieve. This is NOT THE SAME as the RJ coaches. RJ coaches are school staff members who are minimally trained and given a stipend to be a RJ coach in addition to their usual job. RJ specialists and RJ coaches are not the same. I wish this was made clear in their conversation. A case could be made for cutting RJ coaches — the stipend positions- but keeping or even adding more RJ specialists.
Correct. Essie and Jawando were both fumbling and mixing up the Specialists versus the Coaches. Damon tried to correct him but it still came out confusing.
You're right that Jawando was talking about the impact and value of the specialist, not the coach. Frankly, I'd be surprised if the stipended coaches had any value at all. It's extra credit work that is going to be subject to a whole of variability in individual performance.
This is absolutely correct. I would argue for contract hiring at least three more RJ specialist targeted at the secondary level and then using the remaining funds to hire true RJ trainers/coaches to provided additional support, coaching and training to counselors, administrators, teachers. If we want RJ to actually be useful throughout out the district, get support, and see results we have to actually improve others ability to utilize it. And the limited training most have in the practice is not going to cut it. It has to become part of actual discipline and counseling model of individual schools. And that means it needs a real implementation plan. Which I think is the point Jawando was making. We proven that it could work, so why are we not investing it. And if the question is funding, MCPS has at least 700K allocated and should be able to talk about what their plan is to meaningful use those funds. Not welll more than likely this or possibly that. What is your plan?