Taking Disciplinary Action

• In Event: 29.090 - Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: 29.090-5 - Obama, Restorative Justice, Curriculum, and a Boy Named Javier: Rethinking Policies and Practices at School

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to better understand forms of discipline to address increasing rates of suspension. Arum (2003) asserts that since a shift towards favoring due-process rights for students, teachers and administrators have lost their authority and legitimacy in enforcing disciplinary decisions. With this loss comes a precarious position for positive relationships to develop between students and teachers. Some schools such as the one in this study prioritize student-teacher relationships and experiment with forms of discipline such as restorative justice circles (RJ). While RJ may sound promising, it requires extensive time, training, and desire to change the culture of a school. It could create fewer clear-cut consequences for student behavior, resulting in more chaotic school conditions (Durkheim, 1947).

Author

• Jessica Lipschultz, New York University