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SFUSD board adopts 'Safe and Supportive Schools' resolution to expand restorative practices
Summary
After extensive public testimony from students, teachers and community groups, the San Francisco Unified School District board unanimously approved a resolution directing the superintendent to implement restorative practices, reduce suspensions and produce a 120-day implementation plan and biannual reporting.
The San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday directing the superintendent to establish a districtwide Safe and Supportive Schools policy that expands restorative practices, creates alternatives to suspension and requires regular data reporting.
The board passed the measure after roughly 15 minutes of public testimony from students, parents and community groups who described how restorative practices kept young people in class and out of the school-to-prison pipeline. Commissioner Matt Haney read the substitute resolution and summarized its key provisions, which include a three-year rollout of schoolwide positive behavioral interventions, a tiered behavioral discipline matrix, suspension-appeal clarifications and a requirement that the superintendent present an implementation plan within 120 days.
Why it matters: Supporters said the policy aims to reduce racial disparities and preserve instructional time by shifting the district away from punitive discipline. Carrie Berkowitz, the district restorative-practices administrator, outlined an oversight structure that would include an SFUSD oversight team, a guiding team inside Student Family Community Support, and working groups to design alternatives to suspension and the behavior matrix.
Board members pressed staff about likely barriers — time, competing demands from Common Core implementation, the need for additional restorative-practices coaches and how to measure impact. Staff said budget details for additional coaching were still under development and emphasized the need for sustained professional development at sites. Several commissioners said they would expect follow-up reports at committee meetings so trustees can monitor progress.
Public testimony: Students and youth organizations including Coleman Advocates and Brothers Making Change described personal experiences where restorative interventions kept pupils in class, improved relationships with teachers and supported graduation. United Educators of San Francisco and several teachers urged robust PD and adequate funding for the program to succeed; one union speaker pointed to a district reserve discrepancy that should be resolved as PD is expanded.
Next steps: The board adopted the resolution in a roll-call vote and directed staff to prepare the requested implementation plan, to convene oversight bodies and to report progress to the board, including biannual public data on disciplinary measures and disaggregated subgroup reporting.
The board left open further budget deliberations and noted labor negotiations and site-level capacity as key dependencies for effective implementation.
