Pocomoke High School builds accountability by using “Restorative Practice” techniques to emphasize community
POCOMOKE CITY, Md. – Worcester County Public Schools is moving towards a new technique to increase school safety. One of their top schools is Pocomoke High School, and the administration emphasizes fostering relationships between staff, students, and the community.
Dr. Annette Wallace, Chief Safety Officer, said starting this new method “I think much of the success we’re seeing in our district began several years ago when we began our restorative practice work.”
70% of students at Pocomoke High School are within the minority population – or economically disadvantaged. The school is currently tied for 1st in graduation rate statewide.
Dr. Jenifer Rayne, who is the principal of the school. She said the reason is because of restorative practices. One of the many things they do is build community. “On Mondays and Fridays at noon, we have school-wide community circles, so every classroom is circling up to have healthy community building circles.”
Restorative Practices is a new social science system that shifts away from traditional disciplinary methods like suspension, to building relationships between students, administration, and teachers. Carlton Cartwright works as the Community School Liason, and leads one of the restorative circles, hopes it builds character.
“It can be something as simple as saying hello to kids and calling them by their name. Those are ways we build community and relationships. I call it putting social capital in the bank that you may have to use later on.”
Chief Academic & Safety Officer, Dr. Annette Wallace, previously served as a former principal for the school. She was a catalyst in bringing this method to the county.
So far, she feels it has been a success.
“Bringing restorative practices in our district gave us that science that would add to the art that administrators already had, and those administrators that didn’t, it taught them how to deal with things in a positive way.”
Pocomoke High School’s class of 2024 achieved a 100% graduation rate, while using restorative practices.
