Solution: Peer Juries
By Noah Woods-Lazers
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
-Mahatma Gandhi
While Chicago faces many issues regarding education as the third largest school system in America, one larger issue has recently grabbed the attention of many. Discipline. Looking at the types, there are two main ones used primarily in the majority of schools; one being suspensions (in and out of school) and the other being expulsion. However, as of late, these two "essential tools" of authorities in CPS have come under fire as new types of restorative justice methods and their usefulness are being. One in particular, the peer jury system, has been implemented far less than it should in Chicago Public Schools, and the facts regarding its necessity need to be laid out.
Since the 1990's, Chicago Public Schools have began instituting restorative justice practices in both elementary and high schools across the city. The peer jury system, where students lead a case against a student accused of misdemeanor and decide (if any) their consequences, is one such restorative justice practice. Students in this jury are given both resources and facts in order to accurately grasp and handle the situation and consequences, and are chosen from an array of students and not just those in the same school year as the offender. (Agailby 1) This new form of justice in schools reinvents the idea of students leading their communities and addressing youth issues and sets the stage for something much bigger than Chicago Public School officials could ever have seen when they first implemented these juries.
Starting out with small grants in a few schools such as Hay Elementary, Senn High school, and a few others that developed over the years, Chicago Public Schools did little to extend this grant of restorative justice to other schools. But, when this new system was introduced and promising data matched by a decrease in behavior issues at Senn High school resulted, Chicago Public Schools authorities were prompted to create a Citywide Peer Jury Advisory Committee in 2001. Made to fund restorative justice programs in 25 other schools, it was the first small step in a series made by Chicago for a more equitable education system (Agailby 1). Fortunately, when Chicago joined this committee, it also joined a larger network of these jury systems that this committee works with and is expanding to other schools throughout the United States. Later in 2012, the CPS Student Code of Conduct booklet was rewritten to include peer juries as an alternative to suspensions (both in and out of school). A few schools responded, which led to a thirty-six percent drop in suspension rates altogether in Chicago schools.
2014 then opened with CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett urging a revision of the Code of Conduct again with “I see a disproportionate number of children who are expelled or suspended for reasons I think are unwarranted..." (Spielman 1). Working under the influence of President Obama's campaign to urge school officials to use suspensions and expulsions as a last resort, Byrd Bennett has stated that she is "not done revising the Code Of Conduct" as she views suspensions and expulsions used too often, and rarely end in a benefit for the child. (Update) As of February 24, 2014, CEO Byrd-Bennett has created the Suspension and Expulsion Reduction Plan (SERP) which is designed to "emphasize restorative justice practices and social emotional learning" (Byrd-Bennett 1). Created in response and with the support of teachers, parents, and students, this organized group is the first in Chicago to take a solid form in the fight for restorative justice in Chicago Public Schools.
Byrd-Bennett's idea that suspensions and expulsions in CPS are used in an "overkill" manner is not an uncommon one. This idea has been called the "zero-tolerance policy" by suspension opponents and is another idea that this peer jury system works to try and end. Wells High school (a school with peer juries), when visited by Rahm and Byrd-Bennett, was referred to as "platinum" (Lutton 1). Though a degree of bias may be in this statement, it lends support to the idea that these peer juries do work better as an alternative discipline measure when skeptics of its effectiveness agree on how beneficial it really is. Why this peer jury system works so well in schools may be for many reasons, but a few large ones focus on how the jury keeps students on track with their learning in school. When a student is taken out of class to stay at home or in their principal's office, they lose valuable in-class learning time. They also miss the work and notes that are done in class, and many students agree that it is nearly impossible to catch up with all that was missed, especially if you leave for ten class days on a suspension. Expulsions can significantly hurt a student in Chicago schools, considering how much curriculum varies by school and how if they leave a school they have been in for a long time and have to go to another school, they lose valuable time trying to relearn the different way the material is taught at another school. In comparison, peer juries mainly call for apologies and the doing of menial tasks that help the rest of the class (cleaning, organizing, etc) (Spielman 1). In this way, no student is hurt in the occurrence of an infraction and it can even be argued that this putting to use of a student's downtime in helping the rest of the class as "punishment" is actually a benefit for all. The peer jury system promotes communication and social skills, which lead to better relations with peers and teachers. A solitary suspension or expulsion can do neither for any party involved.
Works Cited:
Agailby, Christine. "Illinois Youth Court Association: Chicago Public Schools Peer Jury Initiative." Illinois Attorney General. Illinois Attorney Gneral, 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/communities/youthadvocacy/iyca_peerjury.html>.
Byrd-Bennett, Barbara. "Byrd-Bennett Letter on Students Staying in the Classroom." Chicago Public Schools, 24 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
Cox, Ted. "Rahm, CPS CEO Tout Advances in Discipline Policy, Drop in Suspensions."DNAinfo Chicago. N.p., 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140211/east-village/rahm-cps-ceo-tout-advances-discipline-policy-drop-suspensions>.
"CPS Sees 36 Percent Drop in Suspensions." Chicago Public Schools. Chicago Public Schools, 7 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/News/Press_releases/Pages/PR1_02_07_2014.aspx>.
Lutton, Linda. "Schools Chief, Mayor Push Alternatives to Suspending City Students."WBEZ.org. WBEZ 91.5, 12 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.wbez.org/news/schools-chief-mayor-push-alternatives-suspending-city-students-109690>.
Spielman, Frank. "Peer Jury Goes Public at Wells High School." Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago Sun Times, 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/25529949-418/peer-jury-goes-public-at-wells-high-school.html>.
-Mahatma Gandhi
While Chicago faces many issues regarding education as the third largest school system in America, one larger issue has recently grabbed the attention of many. Discipline. Looking at the types, there are two main ones used primarily in the majority of schools; one being suspensions (in and out of school) and the other being expulsion. However, as of late, these two "essential tools" of authorities in CPS have come under fire as new types of restorative justice methods and their usefulness are being. One in particular, the peer jury system, has been implemented far less than it should in Chicago Public Schools, and the facts regarding its necessity need to be laid out.
Since the 1990's, Chicago Public Schools have began instituting restorative justice practices in both elementary and high schools across the city. The peer jury system, where students lead a case against a student accused of misdemeanor and decide (if any) their consequences, is one such restorative justice practice. Students in this jury are given both resources and facts in order to accurately grasp and handle the situation and consequences, and are chosen from an array of students and not just those in the same school year as the offender. (Agailby 1) This new form of justice in schools reinvents the idea of students leading their communities and addressing youth issues and sets the stage for something much bigger than Chicago Public School officials could ever have seen when they first implemented these juries.
Starting out with small grants in a few schools such as Hay Elementary, Senn High school, and a few others that developed over the years, Chicago Public Schools did little to extend this grant of restorative justice to other schools. But, when this new system was introduced and promising data matched by a decrease in behavior issues at Senn High school resulted, Chicago Public Schools authorities were prompted to create a Citywide Peer Jury Advisory Committee in 2001. Made to fund restorative justice programs in 25 other schools, it was the first small step in a series made by Chicago for a more equitable education system (Agailby 1). Fortunately, when Chicago joined this committee, it also joined a larger network of these jury systems that this committee works with and is expanding to other schools throughout the United States. Later in 2012, the CPS Student Code of Conduct booklet was rewritten to include peer juries as an alternative to suspensions (both in and out of school). A few schools responded, which led to a thirty-six percent drop in suspension rates altogether in Chicago schools.
2014 then opened with CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett urging a revision of the Code of Conduct again with “I see a disproportionate number of children who are expelled or suspended for reasons I think are unwarranted..." (Spielman 1). Working under the influence of President Obama's campaign to urge school officials to use suspensions and expulsions as a last resort, Byrd Bennett has stated that she is "not done revising the Code Of Conduct" as she views suspensions and expulsions used too often, and rarely end in a benefit for the child. (Update) As of February 24, 2014, CEO Byrd-Bennett has created the Suspension and Expulsion Reduction Plan (SERP) which is designed to "emphasize restorative justice practices and social emotional learning" (Byrd-Bennett 1). Created in response and with the support of teachers, parents, and students, this organized group is the first in Chicago to take a solid form in the fight for restorative justice in Chicago Public Schools.
Byrd-Bennett's idea that suspensions and expulsions in CPS are used in an "overkill" manner is not an uncommon one. This idea has been called the "zero-tolerance policy" by suspension opponents and is another idea that this peer jury system works to try and end. Wells High school (a school with peer juries), when visited by Rahm and Byrd-Bennett, was referred to as "platinum" (Lutton 1). Though a degree of bias may be in this statement, it lends support to the idea that these peer juries do work better as an alternative discipline measure when skeptics of its effectiveness agree on how beneficial it really is. Why this peer jury system works so well in schools may be for many reasons, but a few large ones focus on how the jury keeps students on track with their learning in school. When a student is taken out of class to stay at home or in their principal's office, they lose valuable in-class learning time. They also miss the work and notes that are done in class, and many students agree that it is nearly impossible to catch up with all that was missed, especially if you leave for ten class days on a suspension. Expulsions can significantly hurt a student in Chicago schools, considering how much curriculum varies by school and how if they leave a school they have been in for a long time and have to go to another school, they lose valuable time trying to relearn the different way the material is taught at another school. In comparison, peer juries mainly call for apologies and the doing of menial tasks that help the rest of the class (cleaning, organizing, etc) (Spielman 1). In this way, no student is hurt in the occurrence of an infraction and it can even be argued that this putting to use of a student's downtime in helping the rest of the class as "punishment" is actually a benefit for all. The peer jury system promotes communication and social skills, which lead to better relations with peers and teachers. A solitary suspension or expulsion can do neither for any party involved.
Works Cited:
Agailby, Christine. "Illinois Youth Court Association: Chicago Public Schools Peer Jury Initiative." Illinois Attorney General. Illinois Attorney Gneral, 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/communities/youthadvocacy/iyca_peerjury.html>.
Byrd-Bennett, Barbara. "Byrd-Bennett Letter on Students Staying in the Classroom." Chicago Public Schools, 24 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
Cox, Ted. "Rahm, CPS CEO Tout Advances in Discipline Policy, Drop in Suspensions."DNAinfo Chicago. N.p., 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140211/east-village/rahm-cps-ceo-tout-advances-discipline-policy-drop-suspensions>.
"CPS Sees 36 Percent Drop in Suspensions." Chicago Public Schools. Chicago Public Schools, 7 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/News/Press_releases/Pages/PR1_02_07_2014.aspx>.
Lutton, Linda. "Schools Chief, Mayor Push Alternatives to Suspending City Students."WBEZ.org. WBEZ 91.5, 12 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.wbez.org/news/schools-chief-mayor-push-alternatives-suspending-city-students-109690>.
Spielman, Frank. "Peer Jury Goes Public at Wells High School." Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago Sun Times, 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/25529949-418/peer-jury-goes-public-at-wells-high-school.html>.