Oakland school board approves district-wide restorative justice initiative despite budget crisis

This district has tried many strategies to decrease violence and truancy like imposing closed campuses and … the increase of security and surveillance although there is already rising tensions between youth and police. These strategies don’t identify and address the pain and trauma that my peers go through.  However, finally, this district is thinking of a strategy that addresses and heals the root cause of youth violence,” Mitchell told the board.

Student board member Eric Adams added that even with such a tight budget the board should implement the program.  Since most of the work is done by students and the district’s already-trained teachers, he said, “it costs zero dollars and very zero cents.”

Superintendent Smith also supported implementing the new program, saying that he had seen it implemented in San Francisco schools during his tenure there and that though it may seem like “another touchy-feely San Francisco thing” it was highly successful at reducing violence and tension in school communities.

The motion passed unanimously.

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