Education
“Without racial justice there is no justice at my school site.” Making Restorative Justice a reality requires dedication from school leaders through everyday choices. Joining us this episode is Suzanne Caverly, a middle school principal in the Long Beach Unified School District. Suzanne shares her experiences in navigating power dynamics in order to practice authentic restorative leadership in a school community. Suzanne also discusses why positive relationships with staff are an important and impactful foundation for creating a school wide culture that values each student’s dignity by investing time in creating real community. Underlying all of her reflections is Suzanne’s journey as a white educator to understand and act on her responsibility for challenging racism in her relationships with staff, students, and families. Suzanne closes her reflections by offering key lessons she’s learned for other white educators working to practice anti-racism in their classrooms.