Those faculty members are:

• Dr. Katherine Evans: Jesse T. Byler Endowed Chair in Education
• Dr. James Leaman: Longacre Endowed Chair in Business and Leadership
• Dr. Peter Dula: Myron S. Augsburger Endowed Chair of Theology
• Dr. James Yoder: Daniel B. Suter Endowed Chair of Science

Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs for 91短视频, said these faculty members were chosen as endowed chairs because of their demonstrated leadership, service, teaching, and research, as well as their capacity to be champions of their programs at 91短视频. 

鈥淓ndowed chairs are a critical component of 91短视频鈥檚 academic vitality,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ur goal is to elevate the recognition of our faculty who hold this honor and to celebrate the donors whose generosity helps to support academic excellence in this way.鈥�

The endowed chair positions provide funding for each faculty position within a particular discipline, along with scholarships for students in the discipline and funds for program initiatives. Chairs receive professional development funds to support their research and scholarship. An endowed chair appointment is one of the highest honors a faculty member can receive at 91短视频, supporting their continued excellence in scholarship and teaching, said the Rev. Dr. Sarah Ann Bixler, dean of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

Keep reading for bios of each professor.

Dr. Katherine Evans

Professor of Teacher Education and director of the Undergraduate Teacher Education program
Jesse T. Byler Endowed Chair in Education

Kathy Evans is a professor of Teacher Education at 91短视频, teaching courses in educational psychology, special education, and restorative justice in education. She earned her PhD from the University of Tennessee in educational psychology and research. Her research, 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, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. 

During her 15 years at 91短视频, Evans has helped develop 91短视频鈥檚 graduate program in Restorative Justice in Education (RJE), which supports educators as they create learning environments that promote relational approaches to teaching and learning, justice and equity in schools and classrooms, and transformational approaches to conflict and harm. She is the co-author of听The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education听and has published several articles and book chapters related to restorative justice in education, school culture and climate, and school discipline practices, focusing on the ways in which restorative justice is applied to educational contexts.听

How do you feel to be granted this position?

It鈥檚 an honor to be appointed as the Jesse T. Byler Endowed Chair in Education. The Byler endowment has historically been such a gift to the Teacher Education Program at 91短视频, providing support for pre-service teachers in the way of fee waivers for testing and licensure, conference registration for networking with other pre-service teachers, scholarships, and resources that support their success through their 91短视频 program. We are in a season of growth and expansion and I am grateful for the opportunities I will have in this position to support that growth, both in the recruitment of talented and dedicated teachers and in the ongoing professional development for our faculty. At this moment in time, we need teachers who are committed to justice and peacebuilding. Embedding restorative justice within our teacher education program at both the undergraduate and graduate levels opens up spaces to support educators who want to not only excel as educators, but to be educators who nurture the well-being of each student. The Byler endowment helps us to do that work better.

What do you love about 91短视频?

This is my 15th year at 91短视频 and I am more hopeful about 91短视频鈥檚 future today than I have been since I arrived. The commitment to peacebuilding and justice鈥攅ven when we don鈥檛 fully live into that commitment鈥攎eans that there is a unifying set of values that guide our collective work. I see our students, staff, and faculty working to honor those values and that mission. Our students are amazing and they remind me every day that the work of justice is ongoing, intergenerational, and worth it.

What is a fun fact about you?

When I鈥檓 not working, I might be fishing鈥攂ass fishing at Silver Lake or fly-fishing at Dry River. I find the water so peaceful.

Dr. James M. Leaman

Associate Professor of Business and director of the Business and Leadership program
Longacre Endowed Chair in Business and Leadership

Jim Leaman chairs the Business and Leadership Program, where he teaches undergraduate courses in management, finance, and economics, and graduate courses in organizational and leadership studies. His industry experience spans both private business and nonprofit administration, including 12 years of service with an international non-governmental organization (INGO) in Kenya. The 91短视频 alumnus has a PhD in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

The perspective Leaman adds to his field is analyzing and teaching about the role and impact of business and organizations within ecological limits and dynamic social systems, resulting in an integrated lens of sustainability, stewardship and justice. Leaman researches and publishes in the areas of sustainable housing and energy, and his most recent scholarly work is a management textbook, with which he collaborated with an international team of authors to publish in the creative commons, resulting in lower resource costs for students. 

How do you feel to be granted this position?

It is an honor to hold the endowed chair position in business and to steward the gifts and vision of the Longacre family as the program serves and prepares the next generation of business leaders.

What do you love about 91短视频?

The 91短视频 mission to prepare students to serve and lead in a global context becomes more relevant with each new innovation and global integration.

What is a fun fact about you?

In awe of the vastness and complexity of the universe, I鈥檝e gained an avocational interest in learning as much as I can about the cosmos.

Dr. Peter Dula

Professor of Religion and Culture
Myron S. Augsburger Endowed Chair of Theology

Peter Dula is the professor of Religion and Culture at 91短视频. The 91短视频 alumnus received a PhD from Duke University in theology and ethics in 2004. He is the author of Cavell, Companionship, and Christian Theology (Oxford, 2011). Before coming to 91短视频 in 2006, he was the Mennonite Central Committee Iraq Program Coordinator. He has taught at Lancaster Mennonite High School and at the Meserete Kristos College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he was a Fulbright scholar in 2001-02.

This is his 20th year at 91短视频. He teaches primarily in the undergraduate program, as well as one class each year at the seminary and the Bioethics course in the MA in Biomedicine program. He is married to Ilse Ackerman and they have two children, Simon (17) and Nina (15). 

What do you love about 91短视频?

Two things I love about 91短视频 are its smart and interesting faculty colleagues and its location in the Shenandoah Valley.

What is a fun fact about you? 

I planted 500 trees over the last couple of years. The latest Weather Vane issue has . Along with Trina Trotter Nussbaum at the Center for Interfaith Engagement, I organized last month’s consultation on Judaism, the Bible, and Anabaptism. The Weather Vane also has . 

Dr. James Yoder

Professor of Biology and director of the Natural Sciences programs
Daniel B. Suter Endowed Chair of Science

Jim Yoder is the chair of 91短视频鈥檚 Department of Natural Sciences, advising environmental science and biology majors and teaching evolution, ecology, and conservation biology. A 1994 alumnus of 91短视频, he earned his PhD from The Ohio State University, where he studied the effects of habitat fragmentation on ruffed grouse movements at large spatial scales. His research interests include conservation, landscape and behavioral ecology, animal movement, invasive species, stream restoration, nitrogen and carbon footprint tracking, and insect movement using harmonic radar. He has also led multiple intercultural programs to New Zealand, the Navajo Nation, and Washington D.C. (upcoming), as well as three research trips with undergraduates to Australia. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, traveling, and hiking with his wife Kathy. 

How do you feel to be granted this position?

I’m honored to be named the Suter Endowed Chair of Science and work to continue the level of scholarship and teaching Daniel Suter established in the natural sciences at 91短视频. Coordinating the long-running Suter Science Seminar Series with a diverse array of speakers and increasing collaborative research among our science faculty and undergraduate students are two aspects of being Suter Chair that I’m most excited to focus on. 

What do you love about 91短视频?

Wonderful colleagues, a diverse student body, and the beautiful Shenandoah Valley鈥攊t’s a great place to be a field biologist!

What is a fun fact about you?

My wife and I recently moved into a loft apartment in the heart of downtown Harrisonburg above . It keeps us young at heart!  And we are soon to be grandparents for the first time!

Restorative Justice in Education Conference
Date: Tuesday-Wednesday, June 24-25, 2025
Location: Campus Center at 91短视频, 1200 Park Rd, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Cost: $350 for full-program registration. $100 for virtual access.
Online:

For the past decade, the annual Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) Conference at 91短视频 has drawn participants from across Virginia, the U.S., and as far away as Canada and South America to learn how to apply the values and concepts of restorative justice in their classrooms and school divisions.听听

The gathering has grown in size over those years and expanded in its offerings, but its purpose remains the same: to provide a space where RJE scholars and practitioners, teachers, educators, and 91短视频 faculty and staff can connect, learn together, and encourage one another in the work they鈥檙e doing.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all about fostering conversations among practitioners,鈥� said 91短视频 Professor Kathy Evans, a member of the conference planning team. 鈥淲e鈥檒l have classroom teachers who are completely new to restorative justice sitting alongside folks who鈥檝e written books and conducted scholarly research on RJ. Together, we鈥檒l share ideas and explore how we can collaborate to bring about the kind of world we all want to see.鈥�

The 10th annual RJE Conference, held Tuesday and Wednesday, June 24-25, is available to attend in-person and online. All events will be held at 91短视频鈥檚 Campus Center. Visit for more information and a conference schedule.

The conference includes a keynote address, breakout sessions, and a welcome reception held at a local vineyard. The event will conclude on June 25 with a closing reflection circle at 3:45 p.m.

Keynote speakers

The theme for this year鈥檚 conference is 鈥淟anguage Matters: Exploring the Role of Discourse and Communication in Restorative Justice in Education,鈥� which is drawn from the scholarship of . Her work has been integrated into 91短视频鈥檚 Graduate Teacher Education program in RJE.

Keynote speakers Bella Finau-Faumuina and Dwanna Nicole will open the conference with their address, 鈥淪tolen Language: Restoring Indigeneity in Restorative Justice Practices鈥� on June 24 at 10 a.m.听Finau-Faumuina is an advocate and educator dedicated to implementing Hawaiian culture, history, and practices into public schools across Hawaii. She is part of the Office of Hawaiian Education, and promotes traditional Hawaiian knowledge as context and content throughout the state鈥檚 Department of Education. Nicole is executive director of the Restorative Justice Partnership, where she works within school communities throughout the country to assist in developing strategies to create more positive school climates for students, educators, and families. She also provides training and support in the implementation of restorative justice in schools.听

Their address will touch on the resurgence of cultural practices, including language, land, and restorative justice, within Hawaiian communities, and will highlight how one educator is using restorative justice to heal the cultural trauma that students experience and bring into the classroom.

Noting that restorative justice practices are rooted in Indigenous traditions, Evans said that this year鈥檚 theme feels especially timely.听鈥淚鈥檓 excited to have them here to set the tone for the conference,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a powerful opportunity to reflect on how language shapes our efforts to build a more just and equitable world.鈥�

Breakout sessions

Conference sessions will include offerings for newcomers of RJ as well as veterans of the field. Participants can choose between four sessions for each 90-minute block of time. 

One session, led by Tonya Walls, the executive director for Code Switch: Restorative Justice for Girls of Color, will explore the transformative power of language and communication in fostering healing and empowerment for girls of color in educational settings. Another session, titled 鈥淯sing Language of Competence within Restorative Special Education,鈥� will consider the ways in which ableism gets perpetuated through language.

The language we use to describe our students truly matters, Evans said. 鈥淚t shows up in the way we refer to our students with special needs,鈥� she explained. 鈥淒o we call them students with disabilities? Students with different learning styles? Or students who are neurodivergent? The words we choose shape how we see them and how they see themselves.鈥�

Welcome reception

To kick off the conference, a special gathering at Bluestone Vineyard in Bridgewater, Virginia, on Monday, June 23, at 6 p.m. will offer conference participants, RJE graduates and practitioners, and 91短视频 faculty and staff a chance to connect with one another and build relationships. The evening reception promises to include light appetizers, delicious cake and wine, and great company. Participation at the welcome reception is also open to those who aren鈥檛 attending the RJE Conference.

Evans said one of the most meaningful compliments she received came from a participant last year who told her the event felt more like a community gathering than a typical conference.

鈥淚 love that,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 love how casual and comfortable it feels. It doesn鈥檛 feel formal like a conference. It feels like a bunch of good friends coming together to support and cheer one another on in the work we鈥檙e all doing.鈥�

For questions about the RJE Conference, contact cape@emu.edu.

Beginning in fall 2021, 91短视频鈥檚 MA in Education: Restorative Justice in Education degree program will offer an online option, in addition to the current curriculum on the Harrisonburg campus. The new virtual learning opportunity comes both in response to the pandemic and a desire to expand the program’s reach to include educators who live outside of the Shenandoah Valley. 

“When we offered the annual RJE Conference in a virtual format in June 2020, we immediately realized these benefits as participants from places like Chicago said they would have never been able to travel to Virginia to join us,” said Professor Paul Yoder, director of 91短视频’s Graduate Teacher Education program.

The virtual conference drew in over 200 people from 25 states and three countries besides the U.S. 鈥� almost twice as many participants as came to the in-person conference in 2019.

“We recognize that another benefit of hosting events online is that we reduce our carbon footprint for those who would have traveled but are now a click away,” Yoder said.

Professor Kathy Evans said she’s excited by the prospect of working with more and more educators that can’t make the trek to 91短视频’s campus. 

“I really love working with our local educators in the Shenandoah Valley. I have learned a lot from them and we have been able to grow together. Because 91短视频 is a smaller institution, we’re nimble, and so it enables us to work with our grad students in ways that make sense for them,” Evans said. “This online option means being able to also sit in Circle and grow with restorative justice educators beyond Harrisonburg, beyond Rockingham County.” []

More learning opportunities

Join educators and practitioners at the 2021 RJE Conference, which will take place virtually June 22 and 23. David Yusem, the restorative justice district coordinator at Oakland Unified School District in California, will be the keynote speaker.

Additionally, Kathy Evans will be speaking at the April 11 – 21.

The master鈥檚 degree in education with a focus on restorative justice education is offered through 91短视频鈥檚 Graduate Teacher Education program. The program also offers a graduate certificate in restorative justice in education, and 91短视频 offers a master鈥檚 degree in restorative justice through the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. 

A few structural changes have accompanied the online shift. Previously, the program included one-week summer intensive courses, which now will be held in half-day sessions over two weeks to prevent Zoom fatigue “while maintaining rich and immersive engagement,” Yoder explained. They’ll also draw on 91短视频’s hefty toolbox of online instructional resources, including software like VoiceThread, to facilitate asynchronous communication.

One challenge of the online model is preserving the quality of connection and interaction that have been intrinsic to restorative justice programming at 91短视频 since Professor Howard Zehr, a groundbreaker in the movement,  joined the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding faculty in the 90s.

“Restorative justice (RJ) at its core is relational,” Evans said. “We can’t sacrifice the relational aspect of it just because we changed contexts. And I think that that’s a principle that transcends online versus face to face contexts. That’s a principle that鈥檚 important whether you’re in a first grade class, a college class, community development circle, or a juvenile justice circle.”

Evans said that the online format does require “a greater level of intentionality,” because it’s easier to be distracted on a computer than in a physical circle with your classmates. That intentionality takes the form of opening and closing rituals to circles, and having participants identify their distractions and develop shared expectations about how they will stay focused.

She also noted that a commitment to justice and equity have to be at the heart of any restorative justice program or work, down to the logistics of a class. 

“I think having a new context, i.e. online, requires us to specifically identify what justice and equity look like in an online format. What needs to happen to ensure that those things are evident?” Evans said. 

For example, some students may have internet connectivity issues, which then become an equity issue in an online class. Evans recalled a recent circle where a participant had some audio instability, even when they kept their camera off to preserve bandwidth. But the class discovered that this participant could keep their camera and mic on if the rest of the class muted themselves and turned off their cameras. 

Evans said that was a “beautiful analogy about stepping aside so that silenced voices can be lifted up. It was a lovely moment 鈥� this is what we need to do.” 

On August 19, faculty and staff from 91短视频 gathered for a required online session on “Racism, Anti-Racism, and Belonging” hosted by the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. The session was one of several on the agenda for 91短视频鈥檚 annual faculty/staff conference.

“There is the national context right now with Black Lives Matter, a global pandemic, economic distress, and these contexts impact us here. There’s also an 91短视频 context,” said Professor Kathy Evans, who co-chairs the committee with Celeste Thomas, director of Multicultural Student Services. “91短视频 is a predominantly white school. A white space in a society that carries a history and a legacy of white supremacy. This is our context. We can’t avoid that or try to minimize that. We have to confront that.”

While the session was intended for all faculty and staff, Evans said. 鈥渨e realize that 91短视频 is a predominantly white space and that we each show up to this work with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. We hoped this session would provide some foundational concepts that would help us have more effective ongoing conversations.鈥�

The 91短视频 community continues to interact with the context of the Black Lives Matter movement as the semester begins. Recently, Jacob Blake joined the many others of Black victims of police violence who were remembered at the March on Washington on Friday. The Black Student Alliance facilitated virtual participation in the march, and some faculty integrated the event into their course curriculum.

Evans encouraged participants in the August 19 training to attend the march, as well as an Aug. 23 鈥淩ace Matters鈥� presentation led by SGA and BSA for students and all community members. CODI also hosted a follow-up discussion session for faculty and staff to delve more into the material presented during their training. CODI will also host more opportunities for ongoing conversations throughout the year. 

One lesson in the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion training was the difference between “inclusion” and “belonging,” and why institutional leaders need to prioritize “belonging” for students of color. 

“Belonging is something qualitatively different. It’s the actual feeling of belonging. It’s the feeling that you’re part of something,” Evans said. In contrast, the act of “inclusion” requires a dominant social group to extend an invitation 鈥� meaning that belonging isn’t intrinsic to that space. 

Other concepts defined in the presentation included individual, institutional, and systemic levels of racism. The training also included video clips created by 91短视频 students of color speaking about their experiences on campus. 

Evans and co-host Professor Tim Seidel told participants that the one-hour session was meant to facilitate discussion, prompt reflection, and pose questions 鈥� not offer trite answers.

“Expect inconvenience. Expect discomfort. Examining assumptions and practices with a racial lens can be really uncomfortable, really time-consuming, conflict-ridden, even,” Seidel said. “This is a journey. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. One that we need to engage with commitment, persistence, and steadfastness.” 

For more information, visit graduate degree and certificate programs on trauma and resilience in the MA in Education program and this hub for upcoming professional development, training and courses at 91短视频’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.

Webinars on racial justice and social justice

The , 听a program of 91短视频鈥檚 Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, offers a webinar series each fall and spring semester. Past webinars are available on the website, including a听, and on criminal justice reform, racial justice and the intersection of these efforts.

Also visit听CJP听and听Eastern Mennonite Seminary听to view course offerings on racial and social justice.

Navigating Ministry During COVID-19

This series of six online forum discussions provides resources to pastors, but all are welcome to attend. Visit emu.edu/seminary/forum-series

• June 10, 3 p.m. Ethical Issues of Medical Care, facilitated by Donald Tyson and Catherine Lee.
• June 24, 3 p.m. Biblical Resources for Despair and Hope, facilitated by Nancy Heisey, Andrea Saner and Matthew Bucher.

Trauma and Resilience in Healthcare Settings

Visit emu.edu/lancaster/continuing-ed/

• June 9, 12 p.m. Trauma-informed Strategies for Healthcare Providers: During and After COVID-19, presented by Janelle Bitikofer.

Trauma and Resilience for Parents & Educators

Elaine Zook Barge presents the following webinars. Visit emu.edu/lancaster/continuing-ed/

• June 23, 12 p.m. Helping Parents Respond to the Impact, focusing on the impact of the waves (overwhelm) and wounds (trauma) on the body, brain and behavior and some tools to release trauma energy, re-integrate the brain and self-regulation.
• August 11, 12 p.m. Helping Parents Prepare for Whatever is Ahead, This webinar will focus on resilience and the window of tolerance and resources for widening it.

Educators: see also the June 23-24 Restorative Justice in Education Conference, now online

• June 23-24, 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• $100 per participant
• Theme: 鈥淵outh-Led Restorative Justice鈥�
• Input from experts in the field of restorative justice as it pertains to education. Sessions will be offered for newcomers to the field as well as those with experience in RJE. Keynote speaker is Dr. Anita Wadhwa, with Ram Bhagat, Martha Brown, Joe Brummer, Kathy Evans, Laura Feichtinger McGrath, Bob Garrity, Kevin Gilbert, April Howard, Emily Imgram, Deb Lokrantz, Judy Mullet, Dwanna Nicole, Sal Romero, and David Shenk.
• For more information, visit emu.edu/maed/rje-conference

鈥淔amily means everything to Monacan people,鈥� said the tribe鈥檚 chief, Kenneth Branham, during 91短视频鈥檚 Community Day on Feb. 14. During a noon plenary session, Branham interspersed the history of with poignant anecdotes in a warm, Tidewater accent about his family, friends, and interactions with neighboring communities.

Branham, also known as 鈥淧apaw the Chief鈥� to his grandchildren, was one of two keynote speakers to address approximately 100 attendees. He was joined by Frank Dukes, a professor at the University of Virginia, who was involved in community processing of the new memorial to the enslaved laborers who helped to build the university.

Community Day acts as a glimpse into the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding鈥檚 Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI). During SPI鈥檚 four sessions in May and June, academically credentialed practitioners teach five- and seven-day courses that can be taken for personal skills growth and training or academic credit. Three-day workshops are also offered.

Connecting with Indigenous Virginians

Graduate student Tala Bautista, who introduced Branham, was 91短视频鈥檚 first connection to the Monacan Nation. As a member of the Sumacher First Nation in Kalinga, Philippines, she arrived in Virginia looking for other indigenous voices and made a visit to the Monacans in the fall.

鈥淲hen we asked the chief what we could do as a response to the stories he shared to us, he said, 鈥楾ell anyone you meet that we exist,鈥欌�� Bautista recalled in the recent Crossroads magazine. 鈥淚n my last year here as a student, I am doing my best to do what he told us.鈥�

The Monacan nation was granted federal recognition in 2018 鈥� a distinction Branham has fought for his entire life. While he noted, tongue-in-cheek, that 鈥測ou don鈥檛 get any checks鈥� with the recognition, it does allow the tribe to apply for education scholarships, assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and access to the Indian Health Service.

Federal recognition is in some ways, Branham said, a symbol of pride and security 鈥� that Monacans no longer have to hide their heritage.

鈥淚 asked my grandmother one time, and she told me with tears in her eyes, she said, son, if someone were to hear us teaching you anything about being Indian, we might not have had a place to live the next day,鈥� Branham recalled. 鈥淓verybody should be proud of who they are. And that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e trying to instill in our young people.鈥�

A long road toward memorializing enslaved laborers

Frank Dukes, distinguished institute fellow at the University of Virginia鈥檚 Institute for Engagement & Negotiation, spoke about other efforts to raise awareness about Virginia鈥檚 racial history in his plenary address and in a workshop on transforming community spaces. In 2007, Dukes helped to start the University and Community Action for Racial Equity group, which sought stakeholder feedback on how to improve the university’s relationship with the community 鈥� including how to acknowledge their history as an institution built by enslaved laborers.

鈥淲e have to actually tell a more complete history of the university,鈥� Dukes said. 鈥淗istory can teach, and all of us must be willing to learn.鈥�

After a years-long collaborative process, including input from the descendants that could be found of the 4,000 people who had been enslaved on the campus, the group had designed and built. It is now in the final stages of construction. A public dedication ceremony is planned for April 11.

Community Day participants: What they said

• Laura Sunder-Rao, a third-grade teacher from Elkton, Va.

Sunder-Rao was one of 25 local teachers whose attendance was sponsored by a local donor couple who began funding scholarships last year to introduce local educators to peacebuilding and restorative justice concepts. She attended Professor Kathy Evans鈥� workshop on circle processes in schools, which was packed with teachers, counselors, and school administrators from around the state. 

Sunder-Rao and other teachers peppered Evans with questions about how to improve their circles, especially when students are reluctant to speak or even sit in the circle.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 rush trust 鈥� there鈥檚 a reason they鈥檙e not invested,鈥� said Evans.

• Marc Jaccard, executive director of the Henry and William Evans Home for Children in Winchester, Va.

Jaccard, who has served at the home since 1995, works with children who are placed in the group home by their parents due to homelessness or other unsafe situations. Currently, there are 12 children at the home, who are looked after collaboratively by their parents and the home staff. The home鈥檚 services include 鈥渆verything from emergency support to an alumni house where they can live and pay rent, receiving the rent back when they leave,鈥� Jaccard said.

鈥淚 enjoyed learning about circles in schools, and feel that there is an easy application in our environment here.鈥�

• Kelly Altizer, associate with the UVA Institute for Engagement & Negotiation.

Altizer coordinates the Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute and supports other projects through the institute, such as a Governor鈥檚 Summit on Equitable Collaboration and a natural resource conservation and economic development project in the Lower Chickahominy watershed. From a workshop on personal formation for peacebuilders, Altizer gleaned 鈥渢he need to be more thoughtful about how the different facets of my identity contribute to my empowerment or disempowerment in any situation, and how that informs my ability to facilitate change, or to support others in doing so.鈥� 

• Cameron Wilson, human resources learning specialist for the city of Roanoke.

Wilson has worked in adult education for over 10 years, and now develops and leads training for the city of Roanoke to ensure 鈥渆mployees have the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in their work.鈥� A two-time attendee at Community Day, Wilson wants to seek out 鈥渙pportunities for the City of Roanoke to collaborate more equitably with the community, and I hope to be able to bring a trauma-informed lens to my work with the city by attending a full STAR training in the near future.鈥�

Two researchers have taken the pulse of Mennonite PreK-12 education in the United States. Paul Yoder, a professor in 91短视频鈥檚 teacher education program, partnered with colleague Peter Wiens, a professor at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to survey nearly 400 teachers from Mennonite Council Schools.

The survey asked educators to reflect on their values and practices as educators, to identify reasons for choosing to work in Mennonite schools, and to evaluate their self-confidence in teaching some of the core tenets of Christian education.

Among the results: Educators in Mennonite schools describe the purpose of Mennonite education as teaching peace and pacifism, social justice, love, restorative justice, and service, among other Anabaptist/Mennonite values.

Further, educators generally feel the context of Mennonite education in which they鈥檝e chosen to work supports them in the goals of building a community with students that shares these values.

Finally, the prioritization of these values reflects a strong and fertile context for the implementation of restorative justice in education, specifically as defined by Kathy Evans and Dorothy Vaandering in the Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education: 鈥淩estorative justice in education can be defined as facilitating learning communities that nurture the capacity of people to engage with one another and their environment in a manner that supports and respects the inherent dignity and worth of all.鈥�

Yoder and Wiens reported some of their findings in .* 

In February, they will also report findings at the upcoming Feb. 7-9 in a session titled 鈥淚gniting Creativity in Teaching: What Research Has To Say.鈥� In April, they will present a paper at the annual conference of the American Education Research Association in San Francisco.  

Both professors were students at Mennonite K-12 and higher education institutions, and bring varied professional education experiences.

Yoder is a graduate of and 91短视频. He taught in Virginia public schools before finishing his doctorate in curriculum and instruction at the University of Virginia.

Wiens graduated from Eastern Mennonite School and Goshen College. He was a teacher and administrator for more than 13 years at K-12 schools, including Penn View Christian School and schools in Taiwan and Niger. He also earned his PhD in curriculum and instruction from the University of Virginia.

*The issue also included articles by Center for Justice and Peacebuilding graduates Katrina Poplett MA 鈥�19, available behind a paywall, and by Michelle Jackett MA 鈥�13, in a .

Restorative justice in education can reduce the use of exclusionary discipline, but only if schools do it well, conclude co-authors and professors Kathy Evans, of 91短视频, and Anne Gregory, of Rutgers University.

The policy brief, titled 鈥溾�� was released this week by , a university research center housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education. The policy brief was made possible in part by the support of the .听听

Evans says their research focus arose in part because many schools are implementing a variety of models of RJE. While this is a positive step, she notes, there鈥檚 a large discrepancy in how those models align with the values and assumptions of RJE.

鈥淲ith all of the mixed findings from some recent national studies, we felt it was important to highlight that some of those mixed findings are the result of 鈥榤is-implementation models鈥� that are more about addressing misbehavior and less about creating restorative schools and classrooms,鈥� Evans said. 鈥淲e believe that while responsive approaches to RJE are important, those won’t be effective without also taking up the proactive approaches.”

Among their recommendations: 

• Schools should adopt principle-based, comprehensive, and equity-oriented RJE;
• RJE be implemented with contextually sensitive, strategic, and long-term plans and practices; and 
• Policymakers and researchers examine change over a minimum of 3-5 years and focus on fidelity of RJE implementation using mixed method designs.

According to an NEPC press release, both researchers view RJE as a comprehensive, whole school approach to shifting school culture in ways that prioritize relational pedagogies, justice and equity, resilience-fostering, and well-being. Each of these elements is important; schools cannot water down the reforms, implementing them in a half-hearted way, and realistically hope to see strong results. Guided by a set of restorative values and principles (such as dignity, respect, accountability, and fairness), RJE practices are proactive and are responsive in nurturing healthy relationships, repairing harm, transforming conflict, and promoting justice and equity.听

The authors present the accumulating evidence that restorative approaches can reduce the use of exclusionary discipline. They describe promising evidence that such approaches can narrow racial disparities in discipline. They also consider some mixed findings related to improving school climate and student development in light of possibly faulty models and misimplementation of RJE.听

Finally, they offer recommendations for comprehensive RJE models and strategic implementation plans to drive more consistently positive outcomes.听

RJE at 91短视频

Evans is associate professor of education at 91短视频, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in educational psychology, special education, and restorative justice in education.听

The university offers a range of degrees in the field of restorative justice, including an MA in Education and graduate certificate focusing specifically on RJE and an MA in Restorative Justice through its globally renowned Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.

Among other professional development offerings, 91短视频 hosts an annual summer RJE conference for educators and other practitioners. 听[Join the mailing list and read about the 2019 conference.]

91短视频 is also the home of the Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice, where Evans is the K-12 area specialist. She will present a free webinar, 鈥�,鈥� on Jan. 22, 2020, from 4:30-6 p.m EST.听

More on Dr. Kathy Evans

Evans has a PhD in educational psychology and research from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and has focused her teaching and scholarship 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.

She is the co-author of The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education and has provided interviews on RJE to The Atlantic and , 听among other news outlets covering its growth.

Evans recently contributed the foreword to  鈥淐reating Restorative Schools: Setting Schools Up to Succeed,鈥�(Living Justice Press, 2018) by Dr. Martha A. Brown and was a consultant to educators and community justice advocates in Elkhart, Indiana.

And they are ones that every educator can contribute towards solving.

鈥淥ur real problems are about our shared humanity, about our sense of belonging, about our connections to one another and to the world we inhabit,鈥� she said in a keynote address at 91短视频鈥檚 fourth annual Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) Conference.听

But a shared ethos of restorative justice has the potential to create change in our educational system, she added.

鈥淩JE begins and ends with the values of dignity, respect and mutual concern for one another and upholds an underlying conviction that all people, and all means all, y鈥檃ll, children and youth, parents and caregivers, educators, administrators, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and custodial staff,鈥� Evans said. 鈥淎ll people are worthy, relational, and interconnected.鈥�

Conference gathers new and experienced RJE practitioners

For the more than 100 conference participants, many of whom invested two days of their summer vacation and drove hundreds of miles, Evans鈥� message is one that resonates deeply.

鈥淭his opportunity really emphasizes learning about and sharing positive principles and practices in our work towards creating just and equitable learning environments,鈥� said graduate teacher education program director Meg Sander. 鈥淚n that kind of environment, everyone in the community can nurture and develop healthy relationships and transform conflict. We can all effect change.鈥�

The annual summer event, hosted by 91短视频鈥檚 programs, has always drawn participants from several states, growing in diversity as RJE practices are expanding across the country. The June 25-26 event included participants from North Carolina, Massachusetts, Delaware, New York and Virginia, representing 11 districts.听

In addition to administrators, teachers, counselors and behavioral specialists working in the schools, other attendees included therapists and counselors, community service board employees, and representatives from the Office on Youth, as well as the University of Delaware.

The conference included skill- and knowledge-building sessions on tracks for novice and more experienced practitioners as well as reflective sessions in which participants could think about how learnings about RJE can be implemented or considered within current practices and cultures.

Presenters included:听

• Diana Degner MA ’17 (confict transformation), circles practitioner;
• Emily Imgram GC 鈥�19, an ELL teacher with Harrisonburg City Schools;听
• Laura Feichtinger-McGrath GC 鈥�18, an EL coordinator with Harrisonburg City Schools;
• Connie Honsinger, trauma informed specialist, Chesterfield County Public Schools.
• April Howard GC 鈥�18, executive director of psychological and student services for Harrisonburg City Schools;
• Jennifer Morris 鈥�91,听principal, Shelburne Middle School, Staunton, Virginia;
• Sal Romero, coordinator of family and community engagement, Harrisonburg City Schools, and past member of the Virginia Board of Education; and
• Kendal Swartzentruber 鈥�07, MA 鈥�12 (education), an education coordinator at the Virginia Department of Education.

Evans: RJE can address critical, systemic issues

Among the larger themes of the event was the potentiality of RJE — how its principles and practices can empower the individual to effect ripples of systemic change.

Evans focused her keynote on how restorative justice practices can address three criticisms of the American educational system related by RJ practitioner Jasmyn Story at the recent NACRJ conference: toxic individualism, an over-reliance on hierarchies, and a de-tethering of ourselves.

Without budgeting money or hiring new personnel, these problems can be addressed anew by individuals who practice the principles of restorative justice within their own context, Evans said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have to burn it all down and start over. Each of us in our own way can do this work to combat these problems.鈥�

Panelists emphasize networking, collaboration

Four RJ professionals were invited for a panel session on the second morning that highlighted the 鈥渕ulti-tiered systems of support that can help us engage kids,鈥� said Evans in her introduction.听

鈥淲e can do all kinds of beautiful things in the classroom,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut what do we do with those behaviors that are defined as severe in this current climate? How do we handle things through a restorative lens that keeps them from being referred to the courts, and if they are referred to the courts, how can we help get them the support they need?鈥�

Panelists brought perspectives and experiences working within different organizational structures in the criminal justice, advocacy, social services, and educational environments.

• Tashika Moore, of Wilmington, Delaware, works with several organizations, including the NAACP and the Delaware Center for Justice, to advocate for children and youth. She hosts circles, conducts trainings, and works in policy development with legislators, building upon 12 years of experience in mental and behavioral health with adjudicated adolescent youth.
• Barbie Fischer MA 鈥�12 (conflict transformation) is executive director of Restorative Encounters, an association of RJ practitioners and advocacy organization. She also works with the Delaware Center for Justice as the victim restoration and community mediation program coordinator.听听
• Vickie Shoap is a restorative justice specialist for Fairfax County Public Schools, the 11th largest school district in the country. Her team of seven serves 245 schools in a variety of capacities, from听 鈥渂ringing RJ practices to classrooms, to teaching about how to live in community to restorative justice itself.鈥� Her background is in RJ diversion with the juvenile court system.
• Donna Chewning MA 鈥�05 (conflict transformation) facilitates restorative circles in middle schools in Roanoke, VA and mediates civil, juvenile, and domestic relations court cases in southwest Virginia.

Panelists urged conference participants to be aware of local and state legislation. Moore was an active advocate for Delaware鈥檚 SB 85, a bill that legislated monitoring and evaluation of schools with significant suspension disparities and also promotes restorative justice.听

Fischer emphasized that Moore鈥檚 legislative advocacy empowered her. 鈥淪ocial capital, networking and community help me do my work,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e forget about this core tenet sometimes. Who do we know and who do they know and how can they help us accomplish our goals for the betterment of our community?鈥�

Want to learn more?

The next RJE Conference will be June 23-24, 2020.

In addition to the MA in Education and MA in Restorative Justice in Education programs, 91短视频 offers a graduate certificate in restorative justice in education with flexible study options for professionals, including summer courses, weekend courses and single-day-a-week semester options.听

Titled 鈥�Cultivating a Justice-Oriented Community,鈥� the Feb. 15 event will include a morning plenary speaker, workshops, opportunities for networking, and a catered lunch presentation.

鈥淭his year鈥檚 emphasis on local efforts and locally adaptable tools will enhance the facilitation, leadership and organizational skills for working in any community,鈥� said SPI director Bill Goldberg. 鈥淎nd the lunch from local sandwich shop Gray Jay Provisions will be delicious!鈥�

The annual event is modeled after the Summer Peacebuilding Institute, which is held on campus every May and June. Since 1994, more than 3,200 people from 120 countries have attended SPI, gaining concrete strategies and practical skills for cultivating a world organized around principles of justice, equity and dignity, and rooted in right relationship with our planet and with one another. This summer鈥檚 four sessions will focus on topics such as the nature and dynamics of conflict and violence, truthtelling and racial healing, trustbuilding, circle processes, peacebuilding approaches to violent extremism, and more.

Included in the $50 Community Day registration cost ($25 for 91短视频 faculty, staff and students) are a waiver code for the SPI application fee, a copy of a Little Book of Justice and Peacebuilding, lunch, morning coffee and pastries, and two 90-minute workshop sessions.

The morning plenary speaker will be associate professor of teacher education Kathy Evans, on the work of restorative justice in educational contexts.

鈥淐hildren who learn about justice grow up to become adults who promote justice,鈥� she said. 鈥淐hildren who learn to resolve conflict in their classrooms become adults who know how to resolve conflict and promote peace in our world.鈥�

The lunchtime presentation, titled 鈥淩ewilding Justice: On Sourdough and Transcending Incarceration,鈥� will feature Soula Pefkaros of Gray Jay Provisions, a Harrisonburg sandwich shop and market. Pefkaros earned a master鈥檚 degree in conflict transformation with a restorative justice concentration at 91短视频鈥檚 Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, and is completing her doctoral degree in depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Workshop options and presenters include:

• 鈥淪trategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience,鈥� presented by Joy Kreider, a curriculum writer for InnerCHANGE: An order of Christians among the poor;
• 鈥淐ircle Processes in Schools: An Interactive Introduction to the Why and How,鈥� presented by Kathy Evans;
• 鈥淭ransformational Leadership for Organizational Change,鈥� presented by Dave Brubaker, director of the MBA and masters of organizational leadership programs and an associate professor of organizational studies at 91短视频;
• 鈥淟ocal Responses to Violent Extremism,鈥� presented by Lisa Schirch, North American research director for the Toda Institute and an advisor with the Alliance for Peacebuilding; and
• 鈥淭rustbuilding in Organizations and Communities,鈥� presented by Barry Hart, professor of trauma, identity and conflict studies at 91短视频.

For more information or to register, visit the Community Day website.

Her message was simple:听the implementation of an RJE program needs to be holistic, focused on transforming the school climate and culture, and also sustainable. It听isn鈥檛 a quick and easy process that can be implemented after a one-day training, she said.

A new book听“,” (Living Justice Press, 2018) by Dr. Martha A. Brown, helps illuminate that process and provides guidance for those looking to build and sustain restorative cultures in their schools. Evans provided the foreword.

One critic called the book “a must-read for anyone truly interested in an honest and practical approach to becoming a restorative school.”

The book features research conducted at two middle schools in Oakland, California, with different student populations and resources. Both schools were about three years into their implementation, challenged by the journey but committed to the vision of restorative culture. With the help of insights offered by students, teachers, staff and administrators, Brown shares a holistic picture of each schools’ relational ecologies and threats to program fidelity, consistency and continuity.

Living Justice Press, founded in 2002, is a nonprofit听organization that publishes books on restorative justice, peacemaking, social justice and community healing.

Evans’ foreword is published here by permission from the author and Living Justice Press.

***听

One of the great joys of my work as an education professor at 91短视频 (91短视频) is collaborating with teachers and school administrators, counselors, students, and other school staff about (RJE). In addition to sharing some of my knowledge about RJE, I have learned so much from the amazing educators and students I have been able to interact with. Much of that collaboration has been with local school districts in the Shenandoah Valley, including the Harrisonburg City Public Schools here in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where 91短视频 is located. In addition to the current cohorts of educators who are enrolled in the graduate program in RJE at 91短视频, there are many other educators and community members working together to facilitate more restorative justice school practices in the area. It鈥檚 exciting to see the momentum growing and the commitment, not simply to implementing a program, but to building a culture. It is this type of culture shift that we are advocating for in Harrisonburg and it is the type of culture shift that Martha promotes in this book.

When Dorothy Vaandering and I wrote , we intended it as a framework, a compass pointing toward the principles, values, and foundations of RJE. At the end of the book, we called for restorative justice practitioners to work together to share ideas about what works and what doesn鈥檛 work in their schools and communities and for educational researchers to provide more data that supports and informs the applications of RJE. Educators in Harrisonburg, Minneapolis, Houston, Denver鈥攁nd countless other places鈥攁re enacting these restorative principles in creative and powerful ways. Martha鈥檚 book adds to the growing body of research by documenting the applications of RJE in two middle schools in Oakland, California.

In her first chapter, Martha defines RJE as a 鈥渨hole-school approach that prioritizes relationships, builds community, creates just and equitable learning environments…. [R]estorative schools support struggling students, teach peaceful conflict resolution, and repair relationships after a harm has occurred.鈥�

In The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education, Dorothy and I define RJE as 鈥渇acilitating learning communities that nurture the capacity of people to engage with one another and their environment in a manner that supports and respects the inherent dignity and worth of all鈥� (p. 8). According to both of these definitions, RJE is a holistic and comprehensive approach, impacting the way we interact at the individual, organizational, and community levels. It must impact more than simply the way we do school discipline; it has to impact the way we do school, including how we speak to students in the hallways, the way we engage with parents and caregivers, and the way we design our curriculum and our pedagogy. When RJE is implemented solely as a way to address students鈥� 鈥渕isbehavior,鈥� we miss opportunities to address the underlying causes of those behaviors; often those causes are rooted in relational issues, such as disengagement, mistrust, cultural barriers, implicit biases, microaggressions, lack of safety, and a host of other issues that impede effective learning. A holistic approach to RJE, as Martha describes in this book, seeks to address those underlying causes.

When RJE is put forth as an alternative to discipline, schools might actually experience a reduction in suspensions and expulsions. Without the cultural shift, however, we might simply be masking underlying issues that may still result in disproportional rates of discipline, increased frustration on the part of faculty who feel like nothing is being done to address misbehavior, continued lack of achievement, and a general lack of safety for everyone. Unfortunately, we have seen this too often in schools that received grant funding to implement a program while failing to do the hard work of creating a more restorative environment.

Conversely, when RJE is introduced as a shift in culture, we address the underlying issues that hinder learning; we focus on meeting students鈥� emotional and social needs, not simply their academic needs鈥攔ealizing that they are all intertwined; and we challenge injustice and inequities that often are causing toxic and unproductive learning environments. This shift not only addresses discipline challenges, but also promotes effective learning opportunities for all students. Consistent with this holistic approach, Martha鈥檚 research identified four related themes: trust, having a voice, relational culture, and a commitment to social justice.

At its core, RJE is about relationships that are characterized by respect, dignity, and mutual concern. There鈥檚 an acknowledgment that we are all interconnected and that what happens to each of us impacts all of us. Driven by values, RJE is an ethos, not simply a set of practices or processes, but rather a way of being that guides those practices and processes. Effective educators know this; when relationships in the classroom and school are healthy, learning is facilitated. For example, attachment theory has stressed the importance of children and youth having significant adults in their lives; RJE practices build in opportunities to foster those types of healthy attachments by working with students to resolve challenging behaviors rather than relying on punitive measures that ultimately interfere with healthy relationships.

Working with students, rather than doing things to them or for them, promotes social engagement rather than social control. This ethos doesn鈥檛 just show up when we are addressing student behavior, but can impact our pedagogy as well. For example, Erich Sneller is a chemistry teacher at Harrisonburg High School and a participant in the at 91短视频. As we were discussing the impact of social engagement and social control, Erich talked about how in his chemistry labs, having students simply follow a set of instructions for completing the lab can easily become social control, but involving them as part of the problem-solving process related to the lab promotes social engagement. Students aren鈥檛 simply passive recipients but are actively engaged as chemists; this not only promotes their learning, but also builds positive interactions with Erich around chemistry.

One of the greatest contributions of Martha鈥檚 book, in my opinion, is in the way she establishes a more direct connection between the principles and practices of RJE and the important research on social and emotional learning (SEL). For those in the RJE community, Circle processes have consistently demonstrated the potential for assisting students and educators in developing social and emotional competencies such as self-awareness, social awareness, self-regulation, empathy, decision making, and problem solving. Many schools are already committed to promoting social and emotional competencies, so the links between RJE and SEL are important places for building on what is already happening. For example, Christy Norment is a school counselor at Harrisonburg High School and a participant in the 91短视频 RJE graduate program. She facilitates Circle processes as a way of collectively solving classroom challenges. When teachers and students come together, with the help of a well-equipped facilitator, to resolve issues in the classroom, not only are they building a shared responsibility for the learning environment, but they are also creating spaces where students learn important problem-solving skills.

Relational ecologies are a primary aspect of RJE, but simply being relational is insufficient without concurrently committing to address injustice and inequity. Restorative justice must be about justice鈥攁nd no less so in educational contexts. We can no longer talk about achievement gaps without acknowledging, along with Gloria Ladson Billings and many other critical educators, that there are instead opportunity gaps. As we pursue restorative justice in education, we have to talk about educational justice. This means responding to historical harms that have primarily impacted people of color, those with severe financial inequities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, students with disabilities, and other marginalized youth. RJE that is holistic beckons us to ongoing professional development in antiracist pedagogy, culturally relevant teaching, and inclusive education. It calls us to examine issues of power and privilege, implicit bias, and microaggressions that create unsafe educational spaces for both students and teachers. Holistic RJE requires that silenced perspectives are lifted up and that students and teachers are invited into decisions about school policy and practice. Martha鈥檚 research reminds us that a commitment to social justice must be part of the work of RJE.

Finally, Martha鈥檚 work in this book reminds us that implementing RJE practices requires more than a few add-ons; the work of building more restorative school cultures requires a paradigm shift鈥攁nd those don鈥檛 happen overnight. RJE is not a quick fix. It is about changing school culture or, as we say in The Little Book, changing the way we do things around here. Change is messy, nonlinear, and unpredictable. There are things we can do to facilitate it, but with all our best intentions, sometimes it shows up or doesn鈥檛 in the most random of ways.

Based on her research, Martha offers some suggestions for how we might facilitate this type of cultural shift. Martha and the educators she worked with in Oakland understand the current context of public schooling and the challenges that schools face; yes, there are barriers, but in the face of these barriers, schools are continuing to move toward more restorative educational cultures.

Martha emphasizes that having support from district administration is crucial; however, initiatives cannot be mandated from above. Without sufficient buy-in from members of the learning community, mandated initiatives not only violate the principles of RJE鈥攕etting it up for ultimate failure鈥攂ut can also violate trust and exacerbate ineffective relationships in a building.

For example, Harrisonburg City School District has over fifty different languages represented and is home to students from more than forty different countries. Many students each year are newcomers and many have arrived as refugees. Dr. Scott Kizner, superintendent, and April Howard, director of Student Services, are committed to improving the learning environments for this diverse mix of students in the district and realize that in order to build a restorative school culture for all of those students, there needs to be a variety of supports. Dual language programs have been designed, after-school programs are in place, and the district is committed to building more trauma-informed education. District administrators are supportive of RJE and work with other staff and building administrators to find innovative ways to build a more restorative culture without mandating more programming for those educators who haven鈥檛 yet been convinced of the efficacy of RJE. The result is perhaps a slower cultural shift, but one that has stronger foundations and greater buy-in.

We need more institutional support for RJE; yes, funding is tight for educational institutions, but as Martha notes, we have a choice about how we will invest the monies we do have. Investing monies in capacity building creates a more sustainable shift in RJE; providing ongoing professional development for educators within the building, rather than bringing in experts from outside, is not only economically prudent but also ensures that the RJE efforts are led by those who understand the context in which those efforts are being made. What works in one space may not work in another and what might be essential in one school might matter less in another.

One of the ways we are doing that in Harrisonburg is by preparing educators to be RJE leaders in their buildings through a partnership between Harrisonburg City Schools and 91短视频. 91短视频 offers a graduate certificate in RJE that ensures a depth of knowledge in both theory and practice. Educators, including teachers, administrators, school counselors, family-school liaisons, and behavior specialists, take classes together that are designed to facilitate their ability to lead the efforts to build more restorative school cultures. At Harrisonburg High School, a critical mass of educators has completed the certificate program and they are now doing their own professional development within their school. We believe this to be a more sustainable model for implementing RJE than models where outsiders are coming in and doing trainings for a day, without attending to the unique needs of the school and without attending to the depth of knowledge needed to implement RJE with fidelity to the values and principles of RJE. It also honors the existing expertise of those educators, building on what they know and bring to the learning experience.

In conclusion, decades of zero tolerance policies have proven ineffective at addressing the learning needs of students and creating safe and effective learning communities. Refusing to see that the cost of educating our young people is less than the cost of incarcerating them, we have often persisted on resorting to the same old punitive measures that have accomplished nothing and, in many cases, have exacerbated school failure. We must repeal these policies and replace them with policies that have been proven to actually work to make schools safer. Martha鈥檚 research supports the effectiveness of RJE and its potential to do that. She reminds us that we all pay for the costs of zero tolerance policies and their impact on our youth and children. Money spent on expensive policing could be more wisely spent meeting the needs of our youth and children, equipping them with the social and emotional skills, as well as academic proficiencies, needed to succeed and contribute to our world.

Henry Giroux, in his critique of zero tolerance policies, argues that 鈥渞ather than attempting to work with youth and make an investment in their psychological, economic, and social well-being,鈥� these laws and policies are 鈥渄esigned not only to keep youth off the streets, but to make it easier to criminalize their behavior.鈥�¹ Restorative justice in education actually reverses that trend and seeks to make an investment in the well-being of not only our students, but all those involved in our educational systems. As Martha points out, while zero tolerance policies offer a quick response with no sustainable solutions to the underlying problems, RJE asks us to invest now in our youth with a promise of relational dividends later.

We still need more research on the efficacy of RJE in various contexts, but Martha鈥檚 book offers great insight into the work happening in two Oakland schools. Consistent with other research, the centrality of relationships and the emphasis on social justice ring strong through her writing. I am grateful for this book and hope that it will provide a strong grounding for educators seeking to advocate for and implement RJE in their classrooms, schools, and districts.

鈥淲e wanted to learn deeply about the roots of this movement,鈥� the husband-wife duo wrote in an email 鈥� and to 鈥渕eet people who were walking toward the same way that we wanted to go.鈥�

The group of 21 teachers, students, community leaders and legal professionals was hosted by 91短视频鈥檚 and the Jan. 16-17 during an 11-day east coast tour organized with the (KOPI). Since 2000, KOPI has educated and trained individuals and organizations in various domestic and international peace education programs.

The participants on this trip had already learned from restorative justice (RJ) and discipline workshops in Korea, said KOPI director Jae Young Lee. The purpose of this trip was to learn about the 鈥渟piritual, cultural, and historical backgrounds鈥� of the restorative justice movement.

鈥淚f we believe RJ is a paradigm and not a program, it is important to know the Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition emphasizing peace and justice as a center of their faith,鈥� he said.

To that end, Zehr Institute co-directors and co-facilitated a session on restorative justice in Anabaptist tradition and Christian theology. Other sessions led by professors and provided overview and discussion of such varying topics as the implications of RJ and historical harms for educators. The group also experienced a one-day Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) training led by Katie Mansfield.

A 2003 CJP graduate whose work has been featured in Peacebuilder magazine, Lee said that the RJ education such as he experienced at 91短视频 doesn鈥檛 impact only enrolled students.

鈥淲hen you transform one person鈥檚 life through education, it can [create] transforming power for hundreds and thousands of people in the future,鈥� he said, adding that KOPI held nearly 1,500 workshops and lectures on RJ and peacebuilding during 2017 alone.

The visit was also an opportunity for 鈥渢wo-way鈥� learning, said CJP executive director Daryl Byler 鈥� for both CJP staff and graduates like Lee and fellow delegation participant Yoonseo Park, who earned his masters in conflict transformation in 2016.

鈥淭hey and others have taken the restorative justice training they received at CJP and expanded its application to a variety of Korean contexts 鈥� including the criminal justice, educational and health systems, as well as in housing and church conflicts,鈥� Byler said.

Although preparing for such delegations requires a major commitment of time and resources at CJP, Byler said that 鈥渢he payoff is priceless.鈥�

Following their two days at 91短视频, the delegation also visited the Mennonite Central Committee headquarters and Material Resources Center in Akron, Pennsylvania; met with shooting victims and family members in the Nickel Mines Amish community; toured Belleville, Pennsylvania; and visited two Washington D.C. schools that practice restorative discipline.

, a product of Harrisonburg鈥檚 public schools who started answering calls with the city鈥檚 all-volunteer rescue squad when she was still a teenager, says that, through those experiences and similar ones, she came to realize that 鈥渆vents that are critical in the moment can have long-lasting impacts.鈥�

As director of the MA in Education program, Sander will help teachers earn master鈥檚 degrees 鈥� in most cases as they continue to work full-time in the classroom. She is responsible for about 75 students on 91短视频鈥檚 Harrisonburg campus and nearly 100 more at its site in . She will teach three classes this year.

A passion for teacher preparation

Each day, Sander says, students arrive at school fresh from life-events that in some cases are positive, and in others quite traumatic. On any given day, she says, a teacher likely won鈥檛 know with any certainty what sorts of experiences underlie a child鈥檚 readiness to learn.

Sander compares the challenges confronting the classroom teacher with those an emergency medical technician faces. A first responder must always be ready, she notes, to provide whatever it is that a person calling 911 may need.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the same for the teacher,鈥� Sander says. 鈥淣o matter what needs a child brings to the classroom, it鈥檚 a teacher鈥檚 obligation to be prepared to meet those needs before the child walks through the door.鈥�

Sander鈥檚 own classroom-teaching experience came working with special education students in Virginia.

鈥淪erving those students is the reason teacher preparation is so important to me,鈥� she says. 鈥淗igh quality preparation is clearly of benefit to the teaching professionals themselves, and through them we serve the children.鈥�

Legal training a unique qualification

Sander鈥檚 doctorate in education with a concentration in special education and disability leadership was conferred in 2008 by Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also a cum laude graduate of the University of Richmond鈥檚 School of Law, where she received the Orrell-Brown Award for Clinical Excellence from the school鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Disability Law Clinic.

From 2008 to 2015, Sander was an associate at several Richmond law firms, with a practice focused on education law. During this same period, she was an adjunct faculty member at both Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond.

Dr. , dean of graduate and professional programs, cites Sander鈥檚 experience as a lawyer as an aspect of her background that set her apart from other candidates for the job.

鈥淚t shows she is an agent for change, and is effective in important settings outside of the classroom,鈥� Cockley says.

Cockley adds that Sander鈥檚 24-year involvement with the Harrisonburg Rescue Squad 鈥渋ndicates how much she understands and values the commitment to a team,鈥� also noting that Sander鈥檚 rescue squad experiences have 鈥渟ensitized her to the realities of how many students live.鈥�

Additional growth projected for restorative justice specialization

Sander assumed her new duties on July 1, succeeding Sarah Armstrong, who died unexpectedly in August 2016. Armstrong had emphasized the role of restorative justice in the MA in Education program鈥檚 overall offering, and was instrumental in the launch of a in the discipline.

Sander says that, like her predecessor, she regards restorative justice as an important component of the MA in Education curriculum, and is working to develop an additional course on the topic, which she herself may teach.

Dr. , associate professor of special education, says she is particularly hopeful that Sander鈥檚 background working with special-needs students will promote a greater understanding within teacher education of the intersections between restorative justice and special education.

鈥淪he鈥檚 enthusiastic about supporting new initiatives and seeking creative ways to promote 91短视频 programs with area schools and districts,鈥� Evans says. 鈥淚 look forward to working with Meg as we continue not only to build the restorative justice in education program, but also to develop other creative ways of connecting with local educators.鈥�

Sander herself says that, in all aspects of her life and work, she seeks to be of service to others.

That鈥檚 true, she says, when she鈥檚 in the back of an ambulance helping a patient, just as it was true when she stood before a classroom of special education students. She now carries that service ethic into her new job leading the MA in Education program at 91短视频.

Sander resides in Harrisonburg with her husband, a flight paramedic, and their five-year-old son.