Student Accountability Matters: Rethinking Restorative Justice Practices in Schools

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If you're feeling fed up with the lack of student accountability, chaos in the classroom, and lack of admin support, then this episode is for you. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Justin Baeder PhD- the incredible voice of reason taking over TikTok for exhausted teachers everywhere.

School leaders - you MUST listen!
Teachers - you will feel so seen and validated!

Topics we cover in this episode:

✨ The Hot Mess of Restorative Practices

• The well-intentioned but disastrous move to remove student consequences and redefine failure as success
• Tales of students returning to class with candy bars after outrageous behavior 
• How this approach stole all accountability and enabled chaos

✨ Dismantling the "Load Bearing Wall" of Progressive Discipline

• The invisible backbone that kept classroom management functional has been decimated
• Creating predictable consequences is key for a safe, calm learning environment
• Without it, the message is "you can aft how you want without consequences"

✨ The Role of Ideological, Agenda-Driven "Research"

• Most discipline studies are "absolute garbage" with massive logical holes
• The unfounded claims that avoiding discipline improves student outcomes
• How quality research got hijacked by fads and alternative discipline camps

✨ Getting Back to Basics with Firm Boundaries

• Rewind 10-15 years to the old-school wisdom that still worked: high standards, counseling, engaged lessons, fair consequences
• Prioritize creating a viable learning environment above all else
• "We've gone off the rails by making other goals the primary objective"

✨ What Effective Leadership Really Looks Like

• It's not just subject matter expertise - wisdom and backbone are crucial
• Having experience in a highly functional organization to model healthy leadership
• Keeping the main thing (learning) the main thing through the boring basics

✨ Why PBIS program research was solid, but it's being implemented incorrectly

Justin's advice? Fix the foundational pieces like progressive discipline first. Then build your creativity and innovatio

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