Learn how to implement a restorative justice approach that reduces suspension and expulsion rates, without compromising school safety and classroom order. Author Dr. Zachary Scott Robbins, who has turned around schools in Boston, Massachusetts, and Las Vegas, Nevada, explores the assumptions that underpin school policies that lead to high rates of suspensions and expulsions, especially for African-American students. He shares his experiences using Restorative Justice Tribunals and Restorative Justice Circles, which strike an effective balance between serving consequences to students who misbehave and providing them with therapeutic wraparound supports. This powerful book will help school leaders avoid discriminating based on race, national origin, or disability; will improve school climate; and will help teachers spend less time on discipline, so they can have more time for instruction and preparing students to graduate.

Learn how to implement a restorative justice approach that reduces suspension and expulsion rates, without compromising school safety and classroom order. Author Dr. Zachary Scott Robbins, who has turned around schools in Boston, Massachusetts, and Las Vegas, Nevada, explores the assumptions that underpin school policies that lead to high rates of suspensions and expulsions, especially for African-American students. He shares his experiences using Restorative Justice Tribunals and Restorative Justice Circles, which strike an effective balance between serving consequences to students who misbehave and providing them with therapeutic wraparound supports. This powerful book will help school leaders avoid discriminating based on race, national origin, or disability; will improve school climate; and will help teachers spend less time on discipline, so they can have more time for instruction and preparing students to graduate.

The curiosity-stirring, can-do handbook for building inclusive cultures With one click we can make our camera lens switch from portrait to landscape, so why can’t we find a simple way to broaden our perspectives on equity? Because human beings are wildly complex, for one thing. But this potent guide simplifies, providing concrete techniques for becoming expansive educators capable of engaging every student. Chapter assets include: Compelling research to support why it’s urgent we embrace foundational fairness—and why even subtle words can have massive effects on students’ sense of potential Questions and prompts that help you build inclusive thinking into your expectations of students, your feedback, grading, and approaches to discipline Activities, discussion frames, and debate structures that support students’ exploration of complex topics Ideas for engaging staff, leadership, family, and the community in ways that reveal strength Social justice work is not "other;" it’s not extra. It’s student agency work. It’s what keeps so many of us educators up at night, worried about why some of our learners aren’t engaged. With this book, they will be engaged, because they will know you believe in their abilities, and now know how to show that every day.