School moves toward the practice of 'Restorative Justice'

"[It's] a methodology that, when broadly and consistently implemented, will prompt and strengthen positive school culture and enhance pro-social relationships within the school community," said Principal Greg Carradine. 

Restorative Justice works in conjunction with RCL, or Relationship Centered Learning. It is not limited to David Douglas and the  Portland Public School District; it is also widely used in other states, including Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A 2019 study looked into the effects of restorative justice on students, particularly people of color and those from low-income families. There were rates of reduced suspension rates. Overall, the school climate improved a lot.  For example, a middle school in Oakland, CA, has experienced an 87% drop in suspensions across the first two years of implementing the program. Expulsions were also discontinued after this policy was implemented. That represents a significant amount of progress in only three years.  The RAND Corporation generally agrees that it should take three to five years to implement restorative practices to see real results.

However, school administration emphasizes the need for students to slow down and reevaluate their decisions rather than rushing to a conclusion. That experience is taken away from them, as is their unwillingness to accept responsibility for their actions. Rather than applying it to specific situations, it is woven into the fabric of the education system in the school to ensure that students are familiar with the routine.

Woodmere Elementary School is one of the dozens of schools in the Portland Public Schools District attempting to change the way they discipline their students. This method focuses on preventing students from ever having to be punished for wrongdoing in the first place, rather than on delivering punishment immediately after the wrongful act. It is based on the idea that positive, healthy relationships enable us to thrive. As a result, there should be an ongoing effort to foster these types of relationships. It teaches students the skills and processes that, "help us build, maintain, and repair relationships to form healthy, supportive, and inclusive communities."