Insights on Restorative Practices

Not long ago, I made the trek to Bethlehem. No, I didn’t go the Holy Land, Bethlehem in Judea. I went to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Traveling with Dr. Z, I was able to pull off something that Joseph and Mary were unable to do. I was able to find room at the inn. And although, there was no room for me at The Historic Hotel Bethlehem, the good folks at the Hyatt Place Bethlehem made sure that I didn’t have to sleep in a stable.

DR. Z IS NOT LITTLE BO PEEP

While my journey had nothing to do with the birth of Jesus, my excursion shared at least one similarity with the teachings of Jesus. I went to Bethlehem to be restored – to learn about restorative practices. More accurately, I journeyed to Bethlehem for the sole purpose of attending the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) Presidential Symposium: Integrating School Climate Reform Efforts.

In full disclosure, my friend Dr. Z had to shepherd me to Bethlehem. Like a lost and unruly sheep, I was certain that I didn’t belong in the Restorative Practices community.

In fact, only moments before the start of the first session on restorative practices, I reexamined the biography of the panelist and critiqued the events itinerary. Based on my review, not only was I ready to check out of the inn but I was certain that my friend, the psychologist, needed to have his own head examined.

IN THE RIGHT PLACE

After the panelist entered the room and introduced themselves, a couple of remarkable things happened. First, I gained a greater appreciation for the word brevity. My goodness the pontification prowess of a few of the restorative practices panelist was otherworldly. Secondly and most importantly, I realized that I was in the right place.

While the ideology behind Restorative Practices still seemed like gobbledygook, the uniqueness of my participation could not be understated. I was the only parent at the Restorative Practices Symposium who was registered exclusively as a “parent”.

Yes, there were many other parents in the room but all of the other parents where participants at the behest of their employer or organization. I now suspect this is precisely why Dr. Z wanted me to be there. Dr. Z valued my input in this most important discussion. Dr. Z recognized the inherent value of having educators and policymakers hear from one whose singular interest was exclusively that of being a parent and a father.

CRAZY LIKE A FOX

In hindsight, my opinion of Dr. Z’s sanity hasn’t changed much, he’s a certifiable nut. However, I also now know him to be crazy like a fox.

To my surprise, the expedition to Bethlehem with the good Dr. Z served as reminder and a reaffirmation of something I have long known and understood – that parents are the key to school climate and our importance to educational outcomes is undeniable.

As much as I want to give you a play-by-play of all the things I learned, I won’t do it. My renewed respect for the word brevity mandates that I do otherwise. Yet, if it’s okay with you, I would like to share a few of the noteworthy takeaways from my time in Bethlehem:

• MUST BE IN THE ROOM – Parents must be in the room when policies are being crafted and decisions are being made. History has proven time and time again, those who are absent during the discussion are often ignored during the decisions. If you care about your children and the education of ALL children, you must make sure you are in the room at all times.
• MUST BE INFORMED – Education is the foundation of any society. The more educated the society, the better society tends to be. Unfortunately, too many parents are uninformed or misinformed. If parents expect our educational system and our society to improve, we must become and stay informed. It’s not enough to simply regurgitate slogans, it’s time for parents to become students.
• MUST EXPECT MORE – The true consumers of education are parents not children. Carelessly, parents act as if children are the taxpayers who pay the assessments that fund public education. It’s time for parents to approach education the way we do any other good or service we pay for: applaud the provider when it’s good; demand improvement and/or a refund when it’s not.
• MUST SPEAK UP – Many Americans would agree that our educational system is broken yet most of us allow the same voices – those who broke the system – to remain in charge. I don’t even have to ask Dr. Z to know that the aforementioned process is a description of insanity. There are plenty of parents who have great ideas about how to educate children so that ALL children will have the opportunity to maximize their God given ability and unlimited potential. It’s long past time that we create a platform so that those creative and innovative parents can be heard.

RESTORING COMMUNITY IN A DISCONNECTED WORLD

The IIRP has as its slogan “Restoring Community in a Disconnected World”. The slogan is not only catchy it is accurate. Our communities are sorely in need of restoration.

If we are going to create and support schools where our children have the slightest chance of building lasting relationships and where our children can be prepared for the educational requirements of this increasingly globalized and technologically sophisticated era, parents must be at the center of the school climate discussion. Absent the participation of parents who are informed, prepared and engaged, there is absolutely no chance of restoring any of our broken communities. Without informed, prepared and engaged parents, there is no way children will ever have the ability or aptitude to connect with the larger world.

How would you describe your parental engagement? Name three things you can do to positively affect school climate?