In our pursuit to scale up Restorative Justice Practices (RJP) locally, Get Healthy SMC partnered with the San Mateo County Office of Education, and Anne Hipskind-Roberts and Kerri Berkowitz, two local and national experts in the field of RJP, to develop a new resource guide for San Mateo County: Implementing Restorative Justice Practices in San Mateo County: Multi-Tiered System of Support to Improve School Climate and Health. This guide will allow school administrators, at the district and school level, to better understand how RJP can enhance a positive school climate while reducing suspensions and expulsions and increasing graduation rates – in turn advancing health. The guide provides an overview of RJP, local perspectives on existing RJP efforts in our schools, and a roadmap for developing strong implementation strategies. While progress has been made to address disproportionate rates of suspensions among students of color and special needs students, several local districts continue to see students from these groups being suspended at a higher rate than their peers. Visit the California School Dashboard for school and district specific information and consider strategies such as Restorative Justice Practices as a way to improve positive school climate. If you’re interested in learning more or requesting support, contact us at jiwatkins@smcgov.org.