COFI/POWERPAC – Parent-to-Parent Guide (English)

This document is for parents and community members who are interested in learning more about Restorative Justice and how this practice plays a role in transforming school discipline. The guide provides historical background on COFI’s work to reform punitive school discipline in Chicago, including changes to the Student Code of Conduct to remove zero-tolerance language in 2007. It also includes an explanation of RJ practice and describes how RJ should be an integral part of school culture. Toward the end, this guide also provides Chicago-specific Know Your Rights information for parents facing punitive discipline actions against their children and steps for how to push back against these actions and demand healing responses and interventions instead.