As part of our mission to create diverse, joyful, welcoming communities rooted in social justice and rigorous learning, Distinctive Schools is designing more equitable schools through an intentional shift away from traditional or punitive disciplinary measures. We are proud to practice Restorative Justice, a method of conflict resolution that values relationships as the cornerstone of each student’s educational journey. When issues arise, we believe in creating a safe space for diverse perspectives to be heard, paving the way for healing and growth.
Relationship building is at the heart of Distinctive Culture. When we say All Means All, we mean educating the whole child, including supporting students when they make mistakes. Mistakes are part of life, and our goal is to help students learn through them.
What is Restorative Justice?
We recognize that when harm occurs in our community, that harm must be repaired. It is important to us that students take accountability for their actions and search for solutions to move forward. Consequences are not personal, but they are personalized. The consequence must make sense to the student based on the action for it to be effective. Restorative practices are used in our schools to decrease disciplinary issues and disruptions and serve as an alternative to harmful, exclusionary practices such as suspension and expulsion.
Restorative Justice values relationships at the center of school and community life. When harm happens, these relationships create space for multiple perspectives to be heard in order to repair harm. We work to establish a strong foundation of trust, respect, and communication with our students.
You may be wondering, what exactly is Restorative Justice and what does it look like at CICS Bucktown?
We sat down with our CICS Bucktown Dean, Mr. Weems for a few questions about Restorative Justice at our school.
Read more about Restorative Practices here. We are so grateful to the incredible student support team at Art In Motion for their commitment to restorative practices. We thank you for the care you bring to our schools, students, and communities every day!
MEET YOUR DEAN: What does a Dean do?
My role as a Dean is to support our entire community, both our students and our teachers. I walk our students through day-to-day challenges. We support our staff with challenging behaviors and classroom management.
WHY WE CHOOSE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: The theory.
Restorative Justice has completely changed my outlook on how to support our youth. It created a space where I was able to develop a positive relationship with our students. This changed my entire interaction with our students. Rather than lying or deflecting, students approach issues ready to search for solutions together.
PUTTING THEORY INTO PRACTICE: What does Restorative Justice look like in our classrooms day to day?
In our classrooms, we now have students who are more mindful of how their words affect their classmates. Creating a restorative environment gives students the tools to advocate for themselves when harm has been done. Part of our Bucktown Pride Statement involves effective problem solving, restorative practices help students practice these skills in their relationships with their peers and teachers.
CREATING A LOVING COMMUNITY: Relationships are key
At CICS Bucktown, we are creating an environment that instills ownership, empathy, problem-solving and love. We are not only classmates, peers, team members, but we are family with a common goal.