Another Solution: Peace Circles
By Melanie Ziaziaris
By Melanie Ziaziaris
As well as peer jury, peace circles are also another new successful disciplinary alternative that is being presented among CPS Schools. Since the upbringing of these new alternatives, Chicago Public Schools have been training school counselors and community workers to run "peace circles" that allow students to be heard, and share their own concerns among their peers, clinicians and other CPS-trained community workers ( Coward). Since knew restorative justice systems have become part of school code of conduct, there has been a dramatic decrease in, in and out of school suspensions and expulsion.
In 2010-2011 Chicago schools saw a 23 percent drop in out-of-school suspensions and from 2012-2013 a drop from 46,803 students to 36,046 students in out of school suspensions.Then in 2013-14 there were only 14,587 out-of-school suspensions through the end of January, representing a 36 percent drop from the same time period in 2010-11. While overall there are 400,000 students. ( Blad). Seeing the effect of how restorative justice systems are helping CPS suents, Schools CEO Barbara Bryd- Bennett says, "After recognizing that too many students were being suspended and expelled due to a zero-tolerance policy that had once been the district standard, CPS worked to develop a code of conduct that encouraged teachers, principals, and school officials to develop alternative strategies and options for dealing with disciplinary issues," the release said. "CPS will now build on this plan through a comprehensive strategy to further reduce out-of-school suspensions" ( Blad).
Peace Circles do not only obtain students that are having problems in school, but also out of school conflicts that interfere with their education and/or community. On the South part of Chicago, there is a restorative justice corporation called, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation, that focuses on students in poverty or that are surrounded by violence and crime. One of their main focuses are Peacemaking Circles, which are a daily routine. They intend to help victims that have been harmed in their community as well as influencing the perpetrator; not just giving up on them as certain schools do. Seeing the progress these peace circles make, the courts in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, offer some offenders the option of participating in a Peacemaking Circle at Precious Blood. These Peacemaking Circles do not conduct trials and can replace court trials. Everyone is always offered a choice: sentencing by the court or participating in a Peacemaking Circle, which will focus on creating an outcome that is most healing and transforming for the victim, the wrongdoer and the community. The program has been so successful that six other judges in the area are considering offering this alternative in the near future ( Butigan).
Now, CPS’ Code of Conduct emphasizes restorative justice, with peace circles and peer juries, over harsh discipline such as suspension and expulsion. The use of restorative justice does not only focus on school staff but also groups in the community (Sarah Karp). As seen, peace circles let students feel more comfortable and safe when they are allowed to talk about and discuss their issues with their peers instead of just being punished and not having a say in anything.It allows students to have voice and actually have an opinion on their wrong doings o even if they did something wrong that they need to be punished for. Also when suents get suspended or expelled, it seems as if the teacher and administrators just think of them as another number, by these peace circles it shows students that peopl care about them and what them to be the best that hey an be and that one bad thin they do doesn afect who they are as a peson.
Monrill Elemenatry School, and Wells High School are some of the select few schools that incorporate peace circles in their code of conduct and use them instead of suspension. A student named Keeyana Freeman from Well High School said that she had been suspended in the past agrees, but the peace circles " helped her change her outlook on life and to see that what she was doing could have been better,and without this program she thought she would be doing what she was doing then. Now shes on track to graduate in June." (abclocal).
Sources:
Blad, Evie . "Chicago Schools Attribute Drop in Suspensions to New Discipline Policies." Education Week. N.p., 7 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2014/02/chicago_schools_attribute_drop_in_suspensions_to_new_discipline_policies.html>.
Buigan, Ken. "Peacemaking circles become a way of living on Chicago's South Side." Waging Nonviolence Peacemaking circles become a way of living on Chicagos South Side Comments. N.p., 13 Sept. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://wagingnonviolence.org/feature/peacemaking-circles-become-a-way-of-living-on-chicagos-south-side/>.
"CPS sees dramatic drop in suspensions; Mayor Rahm Emanuel, schools CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett get firsthand look at restorative justice." ABC Owned Television Stations. Chicago news, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?id=9428043>.
Coward, Kyle. "CPS stretches curriculum to include violence counseling." Chicago Tribune. N.p., 28 Nov. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-11-28/health/ct-x-cps-counseling-20121128_1_school-counselors-peer-pressure-cps>.
Karp, Sarah. "catalyst-chicago.org." More transparency on suspensions and expulsions, but racial disparity lingers. The Chicago Reporter, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/2014/01/08/65160/more-transparency-suspensions-and-expulsions-racial-disparity-lingers>.
Skees, Suzanne. "'Gun Laws Won't Impact Us Here' in the Line of Fire, Say Peace Workers: Part 4 of 4." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26 Aug. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suzanne-skees/gun-laws-wont-impact-us-h_2_b_3679763.html>.
Wolf, Sally , and Sara Balgoyen. "Quotes." IBARJ. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.ibarj.org/quotes.asp>.
In 2010-2011 Chicago schools saw a 23 percent drop in out-of-school suspensions and from 2012-2013 a drop from 46,803 students to 36,046 students in out of school suspensions.Then in 2013-14 there were only 14,587 out-of-school suspensions through the end of January, representing a 36 percent drop from the same time period in 2010-11. While overall there are 400,000 students. ( Blad). Seeing the effect of how restorative justice systems are helping CPS suents, Schools CEO Barbara Bryd- Bennett says, "After recognizing that too many students were being suspended and expelled due to a zero-tolerance policy that had once been the district standard, CPS worked to develop a code of conduct that encouraged teachers, principals, and school officials to develop alternative strategies and options for dealing with disciplinary issues," the release said. "CPS will now build on this plan through a comprehensive strategy to further reduce out-of-school suspensions" ( Blad).
Peace Circles do not only obtain students that are having problems in school, but also out of school conflicts that interfere with their education and/or community. On the South part of Chicago, there is a restorative justice corporation called, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation, that focuses on students in poverty or that are surrounded by violence and crime. One of their main focuses are Peacemaking Circles, which are a daily routine. They intend to help victims that have been harmed in their community as well as influencing the perpetrator; not just giving up on them as certain schools do. Seeing the progress these peace circles make, the courts in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, offer some offenders the option of participating in a Peacemaking Circle at Precious Blood. These Peacemaking Circles do not conduct trials and can replace court trials. Everyone is always offered a choice: sentencing by the court or participating in a Peacemaking Circle, which will focus on creating an outcome that is most healing and transforming for the victim, the wrongdoer and the community. The program has been so successful that six other judges in the area are considering offering this alternative in the near future ( Butigan).
Now, CPS’ Code of Conduct emphasizes restorative justice, with peace circles and peer juries, over harsh discipline such as suspension and expulsion. The use of restorative justice does not only focus on school staff but also groups in the community (Sarah Karp). As seen, peace circles let students feel more comfortable and safe when they are allowed to talk about and discuss their issues with their peers instead of just being punished and not having a say in anything.It allows students to have voice and actually have an opinion on their wrong doings o even if they did something wrong that they need to be punished for. Also when suents get suspended or expelled, it seems as if the teacher and administrators just think of them as another number, by these peace circles it shows students that peopl care about them and what them to be the best that hey an be and that one bad thin they do doesn afect who they are as a peson.
Monrill Elemenatry School, and Wells High School are some of the select few schools that incorporate peace circles in their code of conduct and use them instead of suspension. A student named Keeyana Freeman from Well High School said that she had been suspended in the past agrees, but the peace circles " helped her change her outlook on life and to see that what she was doing could have been better,and without this program she thought she would be doing what she was doing then. Now shes on track to graduate in June." (abclocal).
Sources:
Blad, Evie . "Chicago Schools Attribute Drop in Suspensions to New Discipline Policies." Education Week. N.p., 7 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2014/02/chicago_schools_attribute_drop_in_suspensions_to_new_discipline_policies.html>.
Buigan, Ken. "Peacemaking circles become a way of living on Chicago's South Side." Waging Nonviolence Peacemaking circles become a way of living on Chicagos South Side Comments. N.p., 13 Sept. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://wagingnonviolence.org/feature/peacemaking-circles-become-a-way-of-living-on-chicagos-south-side/>.
"CPS sees dramatic drop in suspensions; Mayor Rahm Emanuel, schools CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett get firsthand look at restorative justice." ABC Owned Television Stations. Chicago news, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?id=9428043>.
Coward, Kyle. "CPS stretches curriculum to include violence counseling." Chicago Tribune. N.p., 28 Nov. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-11-28/health/ct-x-cps-counseling-20121128_1_school-counselors-peer-pressure-cps>.
Karp, Sarah. "catalyst-chicago.org." More transparency on suspensions and expulsions, but racial disparity lingers. The Chicago Reporter, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/2014/01/08/65160/more-transparency-suspensions-and-expulsions-racial-disparity-lingers>.
Skees, Suzanne. "'Gun Laws Won't Impact Us Here' in the Line of Fire, Say Peace Workers: Part 4 of 4." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26 Aug. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suzanne-skees/gun-laws-wont-impact-us-h_2_b_3679763.html>.
Wolf, Sally , and Sara Balgoyen. "Quotes." IBARJ. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.ibarj.org/quotes.asp>.