The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) is continuing to support implementation of Restorative Justice Practices (RJP) in San Mateo County schools with funding provided by Get Healthy SMC. In May, SMCOE supported Pacifica School District to implement Restorative Circles and Conferencing. Pacifica has since organized staff into RJP learning cohorts based on the initial training that was provided by SMCOE. Staff will be providing additional training for the cohorts to support implementation and will ensure that the entire district is trained in RJP.

In partnership with Circle Up, SMCOE provided in-depth RJP trainings for three schools in Daly City - John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, and Thomas R. Pollicita Middle School. These trainings support on-going efforts by the school district to utilize RJP to improve school climate. We have an RJP strategic plan to share with you in the coming months with details on how to successfully implement RJP at the school, district and county level. Contact Justin Watkins for more information on our upcoming October 24th School Wellness Alliance conference titled “No Bad Kids” focused on a strength-based approach to supporting youth behavioral issues.