New Issue Brief: The Cost of Restorative Justice in New York City Schools

Alternatives to school discipline are hindering student success

NEW YORK, NY – Families and educators in New York City remain concerned about the state of education with rising absenteeism, cellphone disruptions, and stagnating test scores. School discipline and safety issues have also drawn increased attention. Over the last decade, New York City has moved away from traditional disciplinary measures, such as suspensions, to a framework known as restorative justice (RJ). RJ was promoted as a progressive, compassionate response to misbehavior by implementing alternative measures such as scripted dialogues, meditation rooms, and classroom circles. 

In a new Manhattan Institute issue brief, Jennifer Weber, who is the Director of Systems for Learning and Development at KIT Educational Consulting, analyzes whether the last decade of RJ practices in New York City have proved effective. During this time, the city has allocated over $97 million to RJ programs. Additionally, school districts nationwide have adopted RJ policies that New York City has modeled. Unfortunately, this shift was premature and misguided. Although well intentioned, Weber finds RJ evaluations show no measurable benefits in student outcomes. Furthermore, RJ policies have undermined teacher authority, reduced classroom order, and diverted funds from more effective behavioral supports. As a result, the framework has fallen short in improving classroom safety, accountability, and learning. 

To correct these outcomes, Weber calls for a return to structure and accountability in school discipline by:  

• Restoring administrative authority
• Redirecting funds toward in-school solutions  
• Linking RJ funding to performance and transparency  
• Rebuilding safe, structured classrooms for every student
• Prioritizing high-disruption campuses for targeted intervention 

Click here to read the full issue brief.