Solving student conflict through RPS’ restorative justice program

By Barbara Taormina

Like a lot of people of his generation, Mayor Patrick Keefe recalls his parents advising him that should anyone at school hit him, he should hit back. Keefe shared that memory of an old-school solution after a presentation by the restorative justice team at this week’s School Committee meeting.

Restorative justice coach Linda Barber and a team of restorative justice practitioners met with the committee to explain Revere’s program and its benefits for students and educators. Barber and the team described the core components for restorative justice in Revere public schools. It begins with classroom circles, which involve all students. Circle discussions give students the chance to understand the different values and backgrounds they and their peers are bringing to the table. As one team member explained, circle builds authentic understanding among students and creates relationships they want to maintain.

“Circles are meant to create a sense of belonging,” said one restorative justice team member.

“It’s where most of our time is spent,” said Barber. “The more time we spend developing relationships, the less time we spend cleaning up.”

The other pieces of the restorative justice program involve working with smaller groups of students who need more help making connections with peers. There is also work on rebuilding relationships, repairing harm and strategies to remain positive.

Along the way, students learn valuable skills, such as concise and direct expression of ideas, listening to others without judgement, learning to ask questions to best understand the perspective of others and understanding boundaries.

School Superintendent Dianne Kelly said the restorative justice program at the high school has successfully logged 82 conflict resolutions. “Those were things that could have become fights, but didn’t because students could use the resources they got through restorative justice,” she said.

Kelly added that there have been, conservatively, a couple of hundred issues that could have become fights resolved at the district’s middle schools.

“It’s avoided kids being removed from school or suspended,” said Kelly, adding that the restorative justice staff meets students when they are most vulnerable and upset.

Although the School Committee wanted to see more data and results from the program, they were supportive and interested in attending a circle to better understand how restorative justice works. Kelly stressed it does work and it gives students skills they can use throughout their lives.