Hello, if you are interested in doing interviews about San Diego Unified’s updated Restorative Discipline practices, we can help arrange interviews today (6/23) or tomorrow (6/24 with Ebonee Weathers, Executive Director of Equity and Belonging and/or Farshad Talebi, Executive Director of Investigations, Compliance, and Accountability. Thanks, James
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
James Canning, jcanning@sandi.net, 313-580-2845
Tara McNamara, tmcnamara@sandi.net, 619-559-6596
SD Unified Seeks to Strengthen Restorative Discipline Policy for 2025-26 School Year
Board of Ed to Vote Tuesday on Updates that Prioritize Safety, Accountability and Community
SAN DIEGO (June 23, 2025) — The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education will vote Tuesday to approve updates to its Restorative Discipline Policy (Board Policy 5144), to further strengthen an evidence-based approach that research shows is an effective method for student discipline and support.
Restorative practices are research-based, proactive, and responsive tools that build strong school communities through relationships, responsibility, and mutual respect, resulting in environments where harmful behavior is less likely to occur. When conflicts do arise, we prioritize safety of our students and staff in addition to implementing restorative practices to address what happened and plan for moving forward, focusing on four key principles: holding students accountable for their actions, repairing harm, supporting the healing process for those affected, and helping students reconnect with their school community.
Since adopting the original Restorative Discipline Policy in October 2020, San Diego Unified has seen positive results and gathered invaluable insights from the school community. Expulsions have reduced over the years using Restorative Discipline practices: 21/22 = 111, 22/23 = 49, 23/24 = 35 and 24/25 = 29
According to the 2024 California School Dashboard released in November, San Diego Unified School District suspension rate was just 2.5% of students suspended for one day, a lesser suspension rate than Long Beach Unified and Fresno Unified, which are among the five largest urban school districts in the state.
"The reduction of our suspension and expulsion rates are not indicative of a sacrifice to student safety and accountability. The changes we’ve made give administrators a wide spectrum of tools to address problematic behavior before punitive measures are necessary, which include proactive interventions and placements in smaller learning environments or specialized programs that can better support their individualized needs,” said Farshad Talebi, Executive Director of Investigations, Compliance, and Accountability.
“Ultimately, success is measured by consistent outcomes and equity across the system. All of our school communities should be safe and welcoming learning environments, and all students should be equally supported, protected and held accountable regardless of their race, socioeconomic status or neighborhood."
Key policy updates to strengthen successful practices include:
- Focus on progressive discipline: The updates include a focus on discipline that progressively increases accountability based on severity, frequency, and duration of behaviors
- Increased consequences: Harmful behaviors that threaten community safety and wellbeing will result in more serious consequences, like sexual misconduct (Title IX), harassment, bullying and threats of violence.
- Enhanced organizational structure: The policy now features five defined behavior levels instead of four, with Level 3 specifically addressing suspendable behaviors and Level 4 covering permissive expulsion behaviors, providing clearer guidance for educators and administrators.
- User-friendly formatting & language: Updated policy includes a new behavior level matrix-A 2-page at-a-glance guide designed to help staff quickly identify appropriate interventions for various behaviors, clickable links to California Ed Code references, and colors and icons that help to clarify levels of behavior and appropriate responses.
- Expanded proactive supports & resources: Enhanced digital resources and strategies to support schools in implementing restorative practices effectively, while focusing on relationship building and prevention.
To see the updated Restorative Discipline Policy the San Diego Unified Board of Education will vote on Tuesday, click here.
This evolution represents San Diego Unified's continued commitment to evidence-based practices that create equitable, supportive learning environments where all students can thrive academically and socially. The policy updates reflect feedback from students, educators, administrators, and families to ensure the district's restorative approach truly serves and protects every student.
Ebonee Weathers, Executive Director of Equity and Belonging, emphasized how the policy updates reflect years of commitment to balanced, student-centered approaches.
"The updated Restorative Discipline Policy represents our district's commitment to making sure our students experience strong foundations of caring relationships and positive school culture while upholding our responsibility to the safety, equity, and social emotional development of each and every child in our care," Weathers said. “Restorative practices, while focusing on fostering community and repairing harm, do not mean a lack of consequences; instead, they aim to make consequences more intentional and focused on learning pro-social skills and accountability for behavior.“
The updated policy will take effect for the 2025-26 school year, with comprehensive staff training beginning this summer to ensure seamless implementation of the refined approach.
For more information about Restorative Justice Practices in San Diego Unified School District, visit: https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/rjpdepartment/home
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James Canning (He/Him)
Executive Director, Strategic Communications & Information
San Diego Unified School District
jcanning@sandi.net | www.sandiegounified.org
Mobile Phone: 313-580-2845
4100 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103
Note: I may send and respond to emails outside of my normal workday or workweek. Please do not feel obligated to reply outside of your normal work schedule. Thank you.
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