"Restorative circles" WTF.

This is what is wrong with the world today. That people think, talk and write in such absurd jargon. And pretend that this new age-ish crap is actually a solution to a problem.

"“This year, we are adding a 50-minute weekly advisory period for students and teachers to engage in restorative circles,” wrote Turner. “These circles are designed to foster better communication so that students have opportunities to discuss important topics such as character and behavior, and to address any issues that make them feel unsafe at school.”

http://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/district-responds-last-years-sexual-harassment-issues-maplewood-middle-school/

That's odd my middle schooler has no 50 minute weekly advisory period in his schedule. His daily advisory period is down to some 9 minutes/day.

An octagon is kind of like a circle, right?

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/09/parents_react_to_alleged_fight_club_at_nj_daycare.html

bramzzoinks said:
This is what is wrong with the world today. That people think, talk and write in such absurd jargon. And pretend that this new age-ish crap is actually a solution to a problem.
"“This year, we are adding a 50-minute weekly advisory period for students and teachers to engage in restorative circles,” wrote Turner. “These circles are designed to foster better communication so that students have opportunities to discuss important topics such as character and behavior, and to address any issues that make them feel unsafe at school.”
http://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/district-responds-last-years-sexual-harassment-issues-maplewood-middle-school/

Would it make you feel any better, little goil, if dey was called meetins?

bramzzoinks said:
This is what is wrong with the world today. That people think, talk and write in such absurd jargon. And pretend that this new age-ish crap is actually a solution to a problem.
"“This year, we are adding a 50-minute weekly advisory period for students and teachers to engage in restorative circles,” wrote Turner. “These circles are designed to foster better communication so that students have opportunities to discuss important topics such as character and behavior, and to address any issues that make them feel unsafe at school.”
http://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/district-responds-last-years-sexual-harassment-issues-maplewood-middle-school/

I have to agree with Zoinks here. This is complete horse hockey. After reading about the incidents in the Village Green article, it is clear that the boys involved should have been prosecuted in criminal court.

If it takes more than a minute to make it clear to boys that they should treat all girls the way that they would expect boys or men to treat their mother or sister or girlfriend, then something is wrong.

Thunderdome was a circle.

Is this program being facilitated by a presenter from the People's Republic of Quatar

First things first, it wasn't sexual harassment, it was sexual assault. If the school is going to downplay it and pretend it was harassment I don't have high hopes for any meaningful changes taking place.

ridski said:
Thunderdome was a circle.

We really need to think beyond Thunderdome here.

qrysdonnell said:

ridski said:
Thunderdome was a circle.

We really need to think beyond Thunderdome here.

Good point, but I haven't seen Fury Road yet, so I don't know if there are restorative circles in it.

RobB said:

Would it make you feel any better, little goil, if dey was called meetins?

Or if dey wuz pushed outta windows?

Just had to acknowledge your reference.

spontaneous said:
First things first, it wasn't sexual harassment, it was sexual assault. If the school is going to downplay it and pretend it was harassment I don't have high hopes for any meaningful changes taking place.

Agreed...I hope to h**l that the response to sexual assault (and harassment) is going to be a bit stronger than sitting boys and girls in a circle and asking the girls to explain to the harassers why harassment is a problem.

That may help going forward, and be enough to avoid many future problems, but it isn't enough to deal with actual physical harassment/assault.

What the heck is wrong with MMS? Guns, sexual assaults, what is next?

Is civility a lost art?

lord_pabulum said:
Is civility a lost art?

Not lost because it was never found.

lord_pabulum said:
Is civility a lost art?

In middle school? Are you kidding?

Glad to see this thread - I had the same reaction when I read the article. I don't even have kids and I wondered what the heck was up with the school's handling of this situation. It sounds embarrassingly inadaquate.

The MMS issues from last year sound very much like the "wilding" incidents in NYC a while back - and those were addressed by closing the pools where they happened and getting the police involved. I really don't understand the school's lack of action on these incidents. They were not juvenile hijinks, they were sexual assaults and should have been dealt with as such.

Discussing in a circle is not going to deter anyone - additionally, asking students to confront those who are attacking, bullying or stalking them in a public setting doesn't sound like a productive or pro-active way to deal with the situation. Yes, change the school culture by having some sort of school climate discussions, but don't use those discussions as a way to deal with criminal behavior in the school.

cody said
Yes, change the school culture by having some sort of school climate discussions, but don't use those discussions as a way to deal with criminal behavior in the school.

Yes exactly 2 separate responses required. I am disturbed immensely by the hiding behind confidentiality that administration does. How can we , parents, students and taxpayers know whether appropriate actions are being taken? We don't need to knowspecifics or details. No names need to be divulged but We should know whether police have been called on to investigate for instance and certainly the victim and family should be apprised.

The article said that the police were called, but did not indicate what action the police took.

ParticleMan said:
The article said that the police were called, but did not indicate what action the police took.

Yes, but it seems police were brought in after one or two prior incidents. And prior action by administration was not communicated to victim or family.

TigerLilly said:
Glad to see this thread - I had the same reaction when I read the article. I don't even have kids and I wondered what the heck was up with the school's handling of this situation. It sounds embarrassingly inadaquate.

Agree. It's horrible andembarrassing.

I am shocked at the lack of real attention paid to this matter by the administration. If they continue to "address" the issue by forming restorative circles then may I suggest that we do a PTA bake sale to raise money to purchase and supply tasers for our daughters?

cupoftea said:
I am shocked at the lack of real attention paid to this matter by the administration. If they continue to "address" the issue by forming restorative circles then may I suggest that we do a PTA bake sale to raise money to purchase and supply tasers for our daughters?

Or to supply lawyers...since tasers would end up getting our daughters suspended.

Honestly, I fear that the educational comfort of young women could be sacrificed to the concern over improving our suspension statistics. I hope I'm wrong.

No, I like the tasers idea.

Somewhere, there is a consultant who was paid a pretty penny, hopefully not by us, to come up with that little gem of a title. When the wording gets too hokey or pretentiously precious, I simultaneously gag and think of The Emporors New Clothes.

Meanwhile, at an 8th grade assembly on Tuesday, students were told to refrain from hugging because it might make some uncomfortable. No mention of harassment.

callista said:
Somewhere, there is a consultant who was paid a pretty penny, hopefully not by us, to come up with that little gem of a title.

FWIW: Restorative Practices/Restorative Circles are methods that have been around for decades:

https://books.google.com/books?id=v8Y8cZk8-g4C&lpg=PA23&ots=mvT4TqDNJv&dq=restorative%20circles%20practices&lr&pg=PA23#v=onepage&q=restorative%20circles%20practices&f=false

ETA: I believe the renewed interest in these methods are in response to "zero tolerance" policies which, due to their over-reliance on suspensions, have been shown to feed the school-to-prison pipeline.

A difficulty with disciplinary policies and practices is the substantial challenge of moving towards optimal outcomes for all involved.

The first duty is to defend and protect the victim of the wrong conduct. Therapeutic efforts for the offenders comes second. Efforts to equate the two duties, or to make the middle school victims responsible for reforming the middle school offenders, make me crazy. Hint: Those girls don't want to be around the boys who have demeaned them. Forced linkage by the school as part of the boys' therapy is a further abuse, even though it would be free labor. Hint: The girls are not tools to help the boys, and they are not body parts. They are humans in full, trying to walk down the hall.

An adult needs to mete out a real consequence to the boys that doesn't involve a lot of talking. Let the offenders beautify that hallway where the ugly you-are-a-body-part conduct happened.

breal said:
The first duty is to defend and protect the victim of the wrong conduct. Therapeutic efforts for the offenders comes second. Efforts to equate the two duties, or to make the middle school victims responsible for reforming the middle school offenders, make me crazy. Hint: Those girls don't want to be around the boys who have demeaned them. Forced linkage by the school as part of the boys' therapy is a further abuse, even though it would be free labor. Hint: The girls are not tools to help the boys, and they are not body parts. They are humans in full, trying to walk down the hall.
An adult needs to mete out a real consequence to the boys that doesn't involve a lot of talking. Let the offenders beautify that hallway where the ugly you-are-a-body-part conduct happened.

Uh, restorative circles are meant to be therapeutic for the victims as well as to bring some sense to the offenders. And it's purely voluntary for the victims to participate.