The Problem with Restorative Justice in Public Education
The Problem with Restorative Justice

~Writings, Musings, Thoughts and Wit~
The Problem with Restorative Justice in Public Education
All citizens should root for the success of public education, if for no other reason than 90% of the children in our nation are educated by public schools.
Traveling across the state in my role as Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee I talk with a lot of people interested in public education. One of the most common complaints is a lack of response from Governor Bill Lee or his team on specific education issues. It is problematic and quite honestly has [...]
Why do people teach? The major reason someone says they teach is the ability to make a real difference in the lives of children. There are other reasons, including the fact that someone believes they are “called” to teach. Almost all teachers are linked together by a passion for educating children. The passion is innate and [...]
Against the wishes of their own membership, teachers’ unions often embody hyper-partisanship. Reiss Becker detailing research on teachers’ unions at the California Policy Center reports that, “in the 2016 election cycle over 93% of union campaign spending went to Democrats.” Many union members are unaware that political spending by their union tends to support liberal [...]
Tennessee educators know professional liability insurance is critical because district coverage may not protect you individually. It is dangerous and potentially career-threatening if you enter a public-school classroom without liability or legal protection.
Seemingly every year we have to revisit the issue of collaborative conferencing for stakeholders and policymakers. The initial training in the principles and techniques of interest-based collaborative problem-solving for use in collaborative conferencing pursuant to this part was initially to be developed by the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents (TOSS) in conjunction with representative organizations [...]
Our suggestion is to ensure that money is included in the future Basic Education Program (BEP) to allow for mentorship to occur, either by utilizing highly effective retired educators or granting stipends to experienced classroom teachers with a proven track record in classroom management.
Governor Bill Lee will give his first State of the State it will signal to the state the administration’s priorities for the immediate future.
Student discipline needs the attention of policymakers across the state. #discipline