Restorative Justice Coord

Restorative Justice Coordinator - Job Code 505051

Restorative Justice Coordinator (Dean of Students) Job Description - SSICP

SUMMARY

The SSICP Restorative Justice Coordinator serves as an equity focused, student-centered, restorative practices leader. The RJC/Dean of Students will support all SSICP scholars, teachers and parents by collaborating closely with the administrative team to ensure that the school's mission and vision is carried out through the implementation of restorative justice practices, priorities and goals as aligned to the school's Continuous Improvement Work Plan. An essential element of this role is a passion and belief that all SSICP scholars will attain academic excellence with the appropriate support and resources. The RJC Dean will lead the work of supporting scholars and holding them accountable to honoring school-wide expectations that are outlined in the TARSway. The RJC Dean will serve as the leader of restorative practices for the SSICP school community and will ensure district compliance in Aspen as well as full implementation of  the TARSway. This role requires the ability to engage multiple stakeholders and the initiative to engage scholars and staff in maintaining a positive and safe school environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Builds effective relationships with school leadership, staff, scholars, families and community members

• Liaison between parents and SSICP

• Supports the security team to implement Physical Restraint Time Out and Restorative Practices

• Ensure incident report entry and management on all required district platforms (Aspen, Focus, SSM, etc.) 

Core Values and Mindset

• Believes that all students can succeed

• Believes in the brilliance of the South Shore community

• Maintains an equity lens that is asset versus deficit based

• Respects and adapts to people across all lines of differences including racial, ethnic, and other identities 

• Believes in the value of professional learning by seeking out new information and requesting feedback to improve professional skills 

Professional Responsibilities

• Recommends disciplinary action for students in violation of established discipline codes

• Cultivates a culture of healing and safety through accountability, skill-building, and relationships

• Facilitate restorative practices across universal, targeted, and intensive tiers of support with all school community stakeholders

• Facilitate Tier 1 proactive restorative practices with administrators, staff, students, and families 

• e.g. check-ins, establishing shared values, community building, restorative conversations, classroom talking circles and restorative communication to build community and celebrate students and achievements

• Facilitate and connect students, families, staff and administrators to appropriate Tier 2 and 3 responsive restorative practices 

• e.g. Restorative Conversations, Peace Circles, Peer Conference, Re-entry Processes, Crisis or Trauma Support

• Sets up and maintains a physical space for the implementation of restorative practices (e.g. school Peace Room and assisting teachers in creating classroom-based spaces for restorative work)

• Provide training and coaching to build capacity within school community in restorative justice mindset and skills

• Models and co-facilitates restorative practices in classrooms and in staff meetings, with an objective of building staff capacity to facilitate, including a restorative discipline protocol to communicate school-wide expectations for restorative justice practices

• e.g. intro to restorative justice, restorative communication, restorative conversations, talking circles, peace circles

• Identifies trainers to support whole school implementation

• When individual student social, emotional, and/or behavior issues arise, consult with school staff on restorative prevention, de-escalation, and intervention strategies, and identify opportunities for minimizing or addressing behavior issues in the future

• Develops students’ restorative justice skills through Peer Conference, restorative justice workshops for students, and restorative justice leadership and facilitation opportunities for students 

• Includes student-led community events

• Participates in the Chicago and CPS restorative justice community to further the growth of restorative justice including communities of practice and coaching

• Attends regular professional development training and coaching in restorative justice, cultural competency, anti-racism, trauma responsiveness, circle practice, and related topics

• Develops data-informed strategic goals for schoolwide restorative practices implementation within the Connectedness and Wellbeing Priority area of the school’s Continuous Improvement Work Plan

• Collects and analyzes schoolwide data on the implementation of restorative practices to identify areas for growth, inform training and coaching offerings

   

Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

General skills in: 

• Analyzing problems and recommending effective solutions

• Communicating effectively to engage a variety of stakeholders 

• Ability to interface with students, families, teachers, school leaders, and classroom support staff to find creative solutions to challenging problems

• Providing excellent customer service

• Previous experience in a school setting/or working with adolescents

• Two years of training and/or experience in restorative justice and circle practice

• Ability to work after school and weekend hours

• At least two years of direct experience implementing conflict mediation (e.g. de-escalation, facilitating conversations to repair harm) and positive youth development in a school or community setting

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelors

• Restorative Justice Training

• Physical Restraint Time Out Training

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally utilize appropriate physical restraint techniques if a scholar is a physical danger to themselves or others. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Disclaimer
The following statements of the job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by an employee in this category. The description does not contain an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills and other requirements necessary to perform in this position.

Official CPS Job Description

Restorative justice is grounded in the worldview that fostering connection and belonging, addressing people's needs, and building their skills is more effective in creating a healthy and safe community rather than punitive measures. The Restorative Justice Coordinator reports to the school principal and works directly with students, staff, admin, families, and school stakeholders to facilitate restorative practices, build schoolwide systems and capacity for restorative justice, and advance the reach of restorative justice in the CPS community.

Main job function:

Cultivate a schoolwide culture of healing and safety through accountability, skill-building, and relationships.

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Facilitate restorative practices across universal, targeted, and intensive tiers of support with all school community stakeholders
   1. Facilitate Tier 1 proactive restorative practices with administrators, staff, students, and families (e.g. check-ins, establishing shared values, community building, restorative conversations, classroom talking circles and restorative communication to build community and celebrate students and achievements).
   2. Facilitate and connect students, families, staff and administrators to appropriate Tier 2 and 3 responsive restorative practices (e.g. restorative conversations, peace circles, Peer Conference, re-entry processes, responding to crisis or trauma, and offering support).
   3. Setting up and maintaining physical space for the implementation of restorative practices at all tiers (e.g. creating a school Peace Room or assisting teachers in creating classroom-based spaces for restorative work).

2. Provide training and coaching to build capacity within school community in restorative justice mindset and skills
   1. Design and lead training for staff and administrators on restorative justice (intro to restorative justice, restorative communication, restorative conversations, talking circles, peace circles). Develop scope & sequence that meets the school’s restorative justice needs and goals.
   2. Model and co-facilitate restorative practices in classrooms and in staff meetings, with an objective of building staff capacity to facilitate, including a restorative discipline protocol to communicate school-wide expectations for restorative justice practices
   3. Provide individual and team coaching for administrators and staff to develop restorative justice skills; observe the facilitation of restorative practices and provide constructive feedback. When individual student social, emotional, and/or behavior issues arise, consult with school staff on restorative prevention, de-escalation, and intervention strategies, and identify opportunities for minimizing or addressing behavior issues in the future
   4. Collaborate with and seek input from stakeholders, including parents and community members, through outreach, focus groups, and shared leadership
   5. Develop students’ restorative justice skills through Peer Conference, restorative justice workshops for students, and restorative justice leadership and facilitation opportunities for students (including student-led community events)

3. Participate in the Chicago and CPS restorative justice community to further the growth of restorative justice
   1. Participate in programming for Restorative Justice Coordinators, including communities of practice and coaching
   2. Connect the school to local restorative justice-related community partners, resources, tools, professional development, etc.
   3. Attend regular professional development training and coaching in restorative justice, cultural competency, anti-racism, trauma responsiveness, circle practice, and related topics

4. Develop data-informed strategic goals for schoolwide restorative practices implementation within the school’s Continuous Improvement Work Plan. Collecting and analyzing schoolwide data on the implementation of restorative practices to identify areas for growth, inform training and coaching offerings.

Required Training and Experience:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is required; Public Administration, Education or Human Services preferred.
• Previous experience in a school setting/or working with adolescents
• Two years of training and/or experience in restorative justice and circle practice
• Ability to work after school and weekend hours
• Four years of direct experience implementing conflict mediation (e.g. de-escalation, facilitating conversations to repair harm) and positive youth development in a school or community setting
• Four years of experience building relationships and collaborations with students, teachers, administration, parents, and/or community partners
• Ability to interface with students, families, teachers, school leaders, and classroom support staff to find creative solutions to challenging problems