Hamilton County Commission Appropriates $70,000 to The CALEB Fund to Address Discipline Disparities And Restorative Practices In Hamilton County Schools

In July of 2022, The Hamilton County Commission voted to appropriate $70,000 to the CALEB fund to address discipline disparities and restorative justices practices in Hamilton County schools. CALEB is a non-profit organization that works to identify issues in criminal justice, economic mobility, and education reform across Hamilton County, Tennessee.  

CALEBs website states, “Hamilton County Schools, like many other school districts across the US, report a disproportionate number of black and brown students being suspended, expelled, and thrown into juvenile detainment.” CALEB also adds, “This overuse of exclusionary discipline decreases our youths’ chances to succeed within our communities and the school system by increasing risk factors and involvement with the criminal justice system.”

CALEB takes credit for piloting restorative practices at Orchard Knobb Elementary for the 2021-2022 school year. Teachers went through a two-day training during which they received an overview of restorative practices and learned how to implement restorative circles. After the training, follow ups included fidelity checks and classroom observations conducted by an intern from Southern Adventist University.  CALEB claims that suspensions at Orchard Knobb Elementary were reduced by 50%.