| Description |
The purpose of this study was to answer the overarching question: is there a culture of restorative justice at a public elementary school? In this study I conducted a critical ethnography to understand the culture of the school. I utilized Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth as the conceptual framework for my study. Through the use of interviews, observations, field notes and artifact collection I was able to analyze and understand the school culture and restorative justice within the school. Through data collection and analysis, I found four themes. These themes are: Teachers as the Building Blocks, Detached from Reality, Dehumanization of Education, and (Mis) Understanding Restorative Justice. While analyzing my study I developed a series of recommendations that can better support teachers. I concluded that teachers need professional development opportunities that are focused on the implementation of restorative justice. The school district also needs to spend time creating connections with the teachers. The district needs to take time to connect with the teachers and understand their needs in order to create a system of support. This study shed light on the power of restorative justice but also the gaps in understanding restorative justice. Throughout the study it became clear that there is a subtle use of restorative justice at Mountain Top Elementary School. However, teachers need more support in order to create a school that is centered in restorative justice. |
