Practice Courage: Restorative Justice as Humanizing Praxis

• In Event: Humanizing Praxis: Enacting Restorative, Transformative, and Healing Pedagogies

Abstract

This qualitative study takes place in a public high school in Southern California, and explores the following question: To what extent, if any, has a restorative justice framework impacted students and educators at Legacy High School (pseudonym)? The purpose of this practitioner research study is to examine educators’ practices regarding the use of a RJ framework and ways to create a safe and brave school community.

In seeking ways to address the harmful impact of Zero-Tolerance Policies (ZTP) on minoritized youth, I draw upon Ginwright’s (2016) radical healing framework as a potential component for change. The radical healing practices that Ginwright (2016) promotes include intergenerational activities that encourage sharing one’s narrative. This is of particular significance to Legacy High School because much of the policies have felt “top down” and have excluded teacher, student, and community voice. This framework allowed me to explore how teachers at Legacy High School used RJ to break down hierarchy and challenge traditional definitions of power. The lens of radical healing helps me understand the harmful effects of ZTP, towards the healing that is needed and the change that is possible.

This research takes the form of a qualitative case study (Charmaz, 2014). Legacy High School is one of the few in its district receiving 5 years of philanthropic support to fund a full-time RJ Coordinator. Triangulation across three data sources were employed: semi-structured educator interviews, praxis reflective journaling, and the natural exchanges with students who talked about teachers’ practices. It is important to acknowledge my role as the Restorative Justice Coordinator whose primary responsibility is to build the restorative justice framework at the school. I partner closely with multiple stakeholders when creating the RJ-centered school culture. Because I am an active participant of the framework being examined, I explore the unique opportunities and challenges inherent to this study.

Preliminary findings suggest that restorative justice is more than holding space and sitting in circle. A new way of looking and being emerges in the data. This includes: (1) The context in which participants are first exposed to RJ practices matters; (2) Experiencing or practicing humanization surfaced, complimented with a growth of social-emotional skills across participants; and (3) Genuine care is necessary for students to feel safe and valued at school.

When considering how to address educational justice issues, this study demonstrates how to look at the needs of students at the margins through a lens of what is possible, not just what is problematic (Cavanagh, Vigil, & Garcia, 2014; Ginwright, 2016; Winn, 2018). This study outlines tangible methods and tensions inherent to conveying the type of vulnerability and courage needed to innovate schooling practices to be more humanizing and healing. While there are growing number of studies on restorative justice in schools, limited research captures the voice of practitioners on the ground in dialogue with the multiple stakeholders that make up a school community. This study concludes with implications for policy makers and districts interested in developing a restorative justice framework within their schools.

Author

• Michelle Ferrer, San Diego Unified School District