For nearly a decade, New York City placed ideology over evidence in its approach to school discipline.
Restorative Justice, imposed for the sake of racial “equity,” was supposed to strengthen school culture — but instead it removed the boundaries kids need to learn and thrive.
That left too many classrooms without clear expectations, consistent follow-through or real consequences, with students told to discuss or meditate on unruly school behavior rather than receiving detention, suspension or loss of privileges.
My recent Manhattan Institute report shows how NYC spent nearly $100 million on RJ programs in less than a decade — yet classroom disruptions, police interventions and absenteeism only worsened.
Eliminating meaningful consequences set school administrators and teachers adrift, forced to react to emergencies instead of preventing them.
For nearly a decade, New York City placed ideology over evidence in its approach to school discipline.
Restorative Justice, imposed for the sake of racial “equity,” was supposed to strengthen school culture — but instead it removed the boundaries kids need to learn and thrive.
That left too many classrooms without clear expectations, consistent follow-through or real consequences, with students told to discuss or meditate on unruly school behavior rather than receiving detention, suspension or loss of privileges.
My recent Manhattan Institute report shows how NYC spent nearly $100 million on RJ programs in less than a decade — yet classroom disruptions, police interventions and absenteeism only worsened.
Eliminating meaningful consequences set school administrators and teachers adrift, forced to react to emergencies instead of preventing them.
Continue reading the entire piece here at the New York Post
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Jennifer Weber is the cofounder and co-owner of KIT Educational Consulting. This piece is based off of a recent issue brief.
Photo by Valerii Apetroaiei/Getty Images