Resources for Educators

Frequently Asked Questions Past Webinars Upcoming Events

What is RJE?

Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) serves as an underlying philosophy of the teacher education program at EMU, guiding both our curriculum and our pedagogy. RJE is viewed as a holistic approach to promoting school climates characterized by relational pedagogies, trauma-informed and resilience-fostering practices, justice and equity, repair of harm, and conflict transformation.

RJE is grounded in a set of values and principles that guide the implementation of practices that impact the overall school culture. Those values include respect, dignity, mutual concern, and the belief that all people are worthy of being honored and valued (Vaandering, 2011, 2014). Stemming from these values are three core components: nurturing healthy relationships, building processes that support the repair of harm and the transformation of conflict, and supporting learning environments characterized by justice and equity (Evans & Vaandering, 2016).

Even the healthiest of relationships can experience conflict and harm; when relationships go awry, RJE provides a way forward by providing practices, grounded in the core values, for making things right, meeting the needs of those impacted by harm, and restoring connection when possible (Evans & Lester, 2013). As such, we view conflict as potentially transformative, providing learning opportunities and raising awareness of underlying issues or unmet needs that can create or accelerate conflict (Johnson & Johnson, 1996).

Within the RJE framework, people’s experiences of justice and equity impact their sense of belonging within a community and in turn, impact their capacity to show up well in the learning environment. This is true for students and educators, parents and caregivers, and anyone else connected to the learning environment.

Focusing on justice and equity in schools means that we actively respond to issues of oppression and marginalization, including those based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, language, and ability.

Conceptual Framework
References:

Vaandering, D. (2011). A faithful compass: Rethinking the term restorative justice to find clarity. Contemporary Justice Review, 14(3), 307-328

Vaandering, D. (2014). Implementing restorative justice practice in schools: What pedagogy reveals. Journal of Peace Education, 11(1), 64-80)

Evans, K. R., & Vaandering, D. (2016). The little book of restorative justice in education. New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing

Evans, K. R., & Lester, J. N. (2013). Restorative justice in education: What we know so far. Middle School Journal, 44(5), 57-63

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1996). Conflict resolution and peer mediation programs in elementary and secondary schools: A review of the research. Review of Educational Research, 66, 459-506

All References

Past Webinars

Webinar: Building a Bridge into Community: Deeper than PTA
April 3, 2024

How does the concept of community, and all its different uses, relate to the philosophy of restorative justice, particularly within the context of education? In this webinar, RJ practitioners Dwanna Nicole and Kori Jones will present a case study of engaging the local community in the process of opening a new high school. The webinar will close with a Q&A opportunity moderated by host Kathy Evans.

Guest Speakers: Dwanna Nicole, Kori Jones

Webinar: "Knocking Down Walls”: Lessons on Student Research, Filmmaking, and Hard History
March 6, 2024

Knocking Down Walls was a grant funded project in collaboration with Rocktown History to support a group of high school students in developing a documentary film about the first court cases to implement the Brown decision in Virginia. Students conducted original research, interviewed former student plaintiffs, and produced a film about the desegregation of schools in Charlottesville City and Warren County Public Schools. Both school divisions were forcibly closed by the Governor as part of the campaign of “Massive Resistance” that sought to prevent racial integration. The student film, titled “Knocking Down Walls” debuted on May 25, 2023 at Court Square Theatre in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Guest Speakers: Beau Dickenson, Owen Longacre, Pria Dua , Elizabeth Kidd

Webinar: "Exploring the Writing Continuum: Supporting Elementary Educators as Teachers of Writing"
May 3, 2023

In this interactive session, literacy professors break down the complexities of writing instruction by providing teachers with knowledge of the writing continuum, as well as strategies and resources to use in their PK-5th grade classrooms.

Guest Speakers: Drs. Barbara Wheatley (EMU) and Michelle Kreamer (ULLafayette)

Webinar: "Restorative Justice for Collective Liberation: Intergenerational Partnerships for Just and Equitable Schools"
April 5, 2023

RJ practitioners -- authors of The Little Book of Youth Engagement in Restorative Justice -- discuss their intergenerational work toward creating systems of change for more equitable schools.

Guest Speakers: Evelin Aquino, Anita Wadhwa and Heather Bligh Manchester

Webinar: "Promoting equity through and within Bilingual Education"
November 4, 2022

Bilingual education provides a celebrative response to the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity of our country. Ron Shultz and Camila Pandolfi discuss the benefits and challenges of dual language programs in their efforts to provide equitable educational opportunities.

Guest Speakers: Dr. Ron Shultz, Camila Pandolfi

Webinar: "Rethinking the Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education: Changes since 2016"
October 5, 2022

Join co-authors, Dr. Kathy Evans and Dr. Dorothy Vaandering as they discuss the newly edited Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education. They will be joined by discussants, Sheryl Wilson and Skye Bowen in a conversation about the revisions to the book, as well as changes in the field of RJE since 2016.

Guest Speakers: Dr. Kathy Evans, Dr. Dorothy Vaandering, Sheryl Wilson, Skye Bowen

Webinar: "More with less through story: The bi-directional power of personal and societal narratives for healing and growing wisdom"
March 2, 2022

This webinar features insights from EMU Professor Emerita of Psychology Judy Mullet’s review of the under-noticed power of story for peacebuilding, healing and relational justice.

Guest Speaker: Judy Mullet

Webinar: "Fostering Inclusion and Language Development through Bilingual Peer Conversation Groups"
November 3, 2021

This webinar features insights from David Shenk’s experience leading a bilingual peer conversation group with Latinx adolescent newcomers and native English speakers.

Guest Speaker: David Shenk

Webinar: "Empowering Elementary Educators Through Restorative Justice Practices"
October 7, 2021

Hear how Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) practices can be applied in practical ways in the elementary classroom or school setting.

Guest Speaker: Aundrea Smiley

Webinar: "Pedagogical Practices for RJ Educators"
June 2, 2021

During this webinar, we discuss Pedagogical Practices for Restorative Justice Educators. We will focus on a more holistic approach to RJE that specifically examines the curricular and pedagogical decisions that educators make when adopting a restorative justice ethos.

Guest Speakers: Dr. Kathy Evans, Dr. Cathy Smeltzer Erb

Webinar: "RJE Practices for English Language Learners"
May 5, 2021

This webinar shares the Harrisonburg City Public Schools journey with a focus on English Language Learners and their unique needs and strengths. With its focus on dignity and worth, Restorative Justice in Education supports a safe learning environment where they can both learn English and thrive.

Guest Speakers: Emily Imgram, Laura Feichtinger McGrath, Kajungu Mturi

University Colloquium: Dr. Kathy Evans
"Restorative Justice in Educational Settings: Beyond Circles and Conferences"
January 17, 2020

Dr. Kathy Evans is an Associate Professor of Education at Eastern Mennonite University, teaching courses in educational psychology, special education, and restorative justice in education. Her teaching and scholarship focus on ways in which educators participate in creating more just and equitable educational opportunities for all students, including those with disability labels, those who exhibit challenging behavior, and those who are marginalized for a variety of reasons, including race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Presentation: “Restorative Justice in Education: More than an alternative to school discipline”
Presentation originally given at Northwest Justice Forum Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR by Dr. Kathy Evans.

Watch past Restorative Justice Webinars with the Zehr Institute!