An experienced educator shares thoughts on Restorative Practices in SFUSD
As you may have heard there has been a LOT of discussion surrounding school safety and district implementation of its Safe and Supportive Schools Policy. For the record, Restorative Practices (one of the main focuses of this resolution) was originally piloted in 2009. Later, in 2016, an official policy was drafted and ultimately approved to implement Restorative Practices district-wide.
I have been pretty transparent in sharing my questions and frustration with the implementation of this important policy. Many schools report it is being used successfully to reduce suspensions and expulsions and resolve conflicts in our school communities. Nonetheless, full implementation continues to elude our district, with many families and staff reporting a lack of site and central office support to implement it with fidelity.
Last year, during my very first meeting on the Board of Education, staff were unable to answer many of my questions. See a clip of my questions during the January 15, 2019 Board Meeting below. (Watch the full presentation, starting at 58:40 minutes.)
On June 16, 2019, at a special meeting, I continued grilling staff, which included Chief Lau-Smith (who is our new Chief of Student Family and Community Support Division (aka SFCSD). I asked her and the former Cheif, Kevin Truitt outright for an actionable plan, which I have yet to actually see. Listen to audio of this meeting. The Safe and Supportive Schools update begins at 1:46 minutes. My comments start at 20:19 minutes.
This past Tuesday, during our February 25, 2020 Board Meeting, we got another update from Mele Lau-Smith. She has only been in her new role for a CONTINUE READING: An experienced educator shares thoughts on Restorative Practices in SFUSD - SF PUBLIC SCHOOL MOM
