Restorative Practices at Vaux Big Picture High School
In winter 2018, Vaux Big Picture High School was entering the second semester of its inaugural year and things weren’t going as planned. Part of a national network of progressive high schools, Vaux was founded on principles of student empowerment and real-world learning that would prepare young people for postsecondary success. But teachers and administrators at the school were often unable to reach many students in the initial class of 125 ninth graders, who came to their new classrooms having experienced violence, trauma, and related challenges that hindered their abilities to learn and grow.
This began to change in February 2018 when school founder and executive director David Bromley met educational entrepreneur Darryl Johnson. Johnson had previously worked as a disciplinary hearing officer and as a transition liaison for Camelot (one of the school district’s transition/disciplinary schools) and over time developed a keen interest in restorative practices as alternatives to punitive zero-tolerance policies which too often resulted in student suspensions and expulsions. As they discussed educational philosophies and approaches, Bromley decided on the spot that Johnson’s commitment to restorative practices and relationship-building could help the school to become the type of learning environment it was intended to be.
Restorative practices, Johnson explains, are “research-based approaches designed to improve, develop, and repair relationships in school-based communities. These approaches can benefit the entire school family by “helping students to trust and learn from one another; teach one another; love one another.”
Over the next several months, Bromley and Johnson led a school-wide transformation process which centered on augmenting Vaux’s commitment to academic rigor and postsecondary preparation, with an intentional focus on building and sustaining relationships across the school community. The goal was to help students learn to deal with difficult situations through reflection and communication rather than defaulting to aggression and violence. As Johnson explains, “we had to help our kids understand that conflict may be inevitable, but combat is optional.”
“We had to help our kids understand that conflict may be inevitable, but combat is optional.”
Vaux hired new support staff and named them Positive Support Staff instead of Climate Managers. They reconfigured the school day to promote restorative practices and relationship-building. The cornerstone of Vaux’s approach is a daily 70-minute advisory period of 12-20 students and a lead teacher/facilitator. Activities during advisory can take many forms, from structured approaches like restorative circles and conferences; to focused conversations about dealing with conflict and supporting one another; to general discussions about how students are doing and feeling in their personal lives. In these sessions the teachers’ instructional hats come off and their focus is on fostering honest communication among students and serving as a supportive mentor.
Vaux provides other opportunities for relationship-building throughout the school day, in classrooms as well as during lunch period, which often features interactive and competitive games designed to build trust and improve communications skills.
These structures are important, but commitment and hard work by all school staff are the most important factors in successful implementation of restorative practices. “None of this works,” Johnson says, “unless staff are willing to examine and address their own biases and learn how to build relationships with students who don’t look like them, come from totally different backgrounds, or may have different beliefs and values.”
To help administrators and faculty build these skills, Vaux provides on-going training and professional development in a weekly two-hour block that takes place while students are participating in internships. Trainings are conducted by Principal Shavonne McMillan and Johnson, who has worked extensively with the International Institute for Restorative Practices, as well as Temple Health, a school partner.
While all teachers and administrators are skilled in restorative practices, the overall effort is led by a “climate team,” comprised of several positive support staff who function as mediators between students, teachers, and administrators; two resiliency specialists; and a school police officer. Recently, the school added an intervention coordinator, who works to build connections and partnerships with area anti-violence groups to help keep students safe during non-school hours.
Now in its third year, Vaux has grown to more than 330 students in three grades, and its focus on restorative practices is producing positive results. For example, suspension rates have fallen each year, and the school is on-track to meet its goal of 80% of the student body making it through the year without any form of suspension. Further, teacher turnover, which was a major concern in the first year, has improved significantly.
Most importantly, perhaps, students are learning skills that will enable them to function effectively beyond high school. “Most of our students haven’t had access to experiences that can cultivate the kinds of communication skills they will need in college or in workplaces,” Johnson explains. “Our approach to restorative practices is preparing them to manage relationships in these spaces and many other settings.”
For schools interested in adopting restorative approaches, Johnson offers several recommendations:
1. Build restorative practices into your mission and vision. While a focus on academics and instruction is critical, attention to communication and relationship-building should also be front and center in the school’s values.
2. Imbed restorative practices into all aspects of school life. Every stakeholder in the school community should have a clear understanding of the approaches and have the capacity to apply them consistently.
3. Hire staff who have a clear commitment to restorative practices. Intentionally screen for and select staff who demonstrate their willingness and ability to understand and utilize restorative practices.
But Johnson is also clear that restorative practices are not a quick fix. “These approaches are a process, not a resolution,” he explains. “They need to be ongoing … like healthy eating or going to the gym. You won’t see changes immediately but if you maintain your commitment and your discipline, then eventually you’ll see the results.”