Restorative Justice is struggling to show success in MCPS according to students, parents

[Anonymous]

I'm not affiliated with MCPS, but have had some exposure to RJ practice. The ones that I'm familiar with, the victim is NOT required to participate if they don't want to. Are PPs saying that MCPS literally forces the victimized kids to engage in a "circle" or other RJ practice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not affiliated with MCPS, but have had some exposure to RJ practice. The ones that I'm familiar with, the victim is NOT required to participate if they don't want to. Are PPs saying that MCPS literally forces the victimized kids to engage in a "circle" or other RJ practice?

My kid was forced to eat lunch for a week with the kid that attacked her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not affiliated with MCPS, but have had some exposure to RJ practice. The ones that I'm familiar with, the victim is NOT required to participate if they don't want to. Are PPs saying that MCPS literally forces the victimized kids to engage in a "circle" or other RJ practice?

There were some reports of that happening at certain schools, but no that is not MCPS's policy. The victim's participation is supposed to be optional. It shows that better staff training is needed in order for RJ to be well implemented.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not affiliated with MCPS, but have had some exposure to RJ practice. The ones that I'm familiar with, the victim is NOT required to participate if they don't want to. Are PPs saying that MCPS literally forces the victimized kids to engage in a "circle" or other RJ practice?

My kid was forced to eat lunch for a week with the kid that attacked her.

Wow. I'm PP that asked this question. That is insane, and so, so wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not affiliated with MCPS, but have had some exposure to RJ practice. The ones that I'm familiar with, the victim is NOT required to participate if they don't want to. Are PPs saying that MCPS literally forces the victimized kids to engage in a "circle" or other RJ practice?

My kid was forced to eat lunch for a week with the kid that attacked her.

Mine, too! They learned about empathy and remorse, and it resolved the issue. RJ is so amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not affiliated with MCPS, but have had some exposure to RJ practice. The ones that I'm familiar with, the victim is NOT required to participate if they don't want to. Are PPs saying that MCPS literally forces the victimized kids to engage in a "circle" or other RJ practice?

My kid was forced to eat lunch for a week with the kid that attacked her.

Mine, too! They learned about empathy and remorse, and it resolved the issue. RJ is so amazing.

What did the attacker do before the lunch date?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not affiliated with MCPS, but have had some exposure to RJ practice. The ones that I'm familiar with, the victim is NOT required to participate if they don't want to. Are PPs saying that MCPS literally forces the victimized kids to engage in a "circle" or other RJ practice?

My kid was forced to eat lunch for a week with the kid that attacked her.

That is awful. I am sorry for your kid. I really don't understand the logic behind restorative justice at all. It always seems like the victims are further victimized. And the bullies are rewarded. No wonder so many teachers are leaving when you can't enforce basic, common sense discipline anymore. Instead it's all kabuki theater in the name of equity. Its BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not affiliated with MCPS, but have had some exposure to RJ practice. The ones that I'm familiar with, the victim is NOT required to participate if they don't want to. Are PPs saying that MCPS literally forces the victimized kids to engage in a "circle" or other RJ practice?

My kid was forced to eat lunch for a week with the kid that attacked her.

Mine, too! They learned about empathy and remorse, and it resolved the issue. RJ is so amazing.

When done correctly and supported by an administration, the results can be amazing—unfortunately, too many of the regressives undermine RJ or never give it a chance to work. They see it as a threat to their lucrative school to private prison pipleline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not affiliated with MCPS, but have had some exposure to RJ practice. The ones that I'm familiar with, the victim is NOT required to participate if they don't want to. Are PPs saying that MCPS literally forces the victimized kids to engage in a "circle" or other RJ practice?

My kid was forced to eat lunch for a week with the kid that attacked her.

Mine, too! They learned about empathy and remorse, and it resolved the issue. RJ is so amazing.

When done correctly and supported by an administration, the results can be amazing—unfortunately, too many of the regressives undermine RJ or never give it a chance to work. They see it as a threat to their lucrative school to private prison pipleline.

Are you calling MCPS regressive for undermining RJ with its hamfisted implementation?

Do you think maybe there's a "progressive" middle ground between "sending kids to jail" and "keep abusers in the same classroom with their victims" ?

[Anonymous]

Wow.
1. Obviously posted by mcps
2. Totally completely inaccurate
3. Not working in any way shape or form

[Anonymous]

I am a high school teacher. My school doesn’t respond to teacher referrals apparently. Staff have very little idea of what the discipline policy is, the processes, RJ initiatives, etc. I know RJ meetings happen but there are only a few a month. However police visits are up and charges have increased according to what has been released by the board of Ed in presentations. Staff are not given any updates about discipline numbers though at the high school level. Weird that I hear more through board of Ed meetings. We have had staff assaulted by students and no one tells us except via students rumors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a high school teacher. My school doesn’t respond to teacher referrals apparently. Staff have very little idea of what the discipline policy is, the processes, RJ initiatives, etc. I know RJ meetings happen but there are only a few a month. However police visits are up and charges have increased according to what has been released by the board of Ed in presentations. Staff are not given any updates about discipline numbers though at the high school level. Weird that I hear more through board of Ed meetings. We have had staff assaulted by students and no one tells us except via students rumors.

At the BoE meeting last month, it was stated that police visits were way down now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't seem to be going any better at FCPS. My child's elementary school really pushed for it for a bullying situation in lieu of actually doing anything. The RJ mediator met with the students and opted not to go forward with the process. So, the thing that the school was relying on isn't going to happen.

What a mess. It's almost as if theoretical ideas can meet failure when taken out of the abstract thought exercises and places in real-world dynamic and complex scenarios.

It isn’t theoretical. It works well for the Maori, who invented it. Problem is, we aren’t Māori. We are Pakeha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't seem to be going any better at FCPS. My child's elementary school really pushed for it for a bullying situation in lieu of actually doing anything. The RJ mediator met with the students and opted not to go forward with the process. So, the thing that the school was relying on isn't going to happen.

What a mess. It's almost as if theoretical ideas can meet failure when taken out of the abstract thought exercises and places in real-world dynamic and complex scenarios.

It isn’t theoretical. It works well for the Maori, who invented it. Problem is, we aren’t Māori. We are Pakeha.

No we are not. Not most of us, anyway. I'm sure some of us are (which is one of the great things about MCPS's highly diverse population). The idea of apology and forgiveness isn't exactly unique to Māori culture. It's even built in the US legal system in parole and sentencing guidelines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not affiliated with MCPS, but have had some exposure to RJ practice. The ones that I'm familiar with, the victim is NOT required to participate if they don't want to. Are PPs saying that MCPS literally forces the victimized kids to engage in a "circle" or other RJ practice?

My kid was forced to eat lunch for a week with the kid that attacked her.

Get your kid out of that school.