Hartford Public Schools paid consultant over $400,000 for restorative practices trainings, which includes $83,000 for ‘travel expenses.’

According to documents available through the district’s board website, Hartford Public Schools contracted with the International Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP) for $445,195 over three years; fees include $83,000 for “Travel Expenses” and $27,460 for “Materials.”

On September 21, 2021, the board approved a contract with IIRP for $123,335.00 to train district staff to implement restorative practices in the schools. The stated plan is to “provide training to all school staff (Administrators, certified teachers, support staff para educators and non-certified staff)” and to “ensure that these practices are embedded in all aspects of the school’s structures and routines.”

The district board approved a “contract continuation” with IIRP on September 20, 2022, for $92,650.00 drawn from ESSER funding. According to the proposal, the consultant contract included nine training sessions, $3,450 for “Restorative Justice Conferencing” books, and $20,000 for “Travel Expenses.”

On December 19, 2023, the district board approved a third contract with IIRP for $229,210.00 for five days of trainings. According to the proposal, costs also include $24,010.00 worth of “Materials” and $63,000 for “Travel Expenses.”

At the 2015 IIRP World Conference, a breakout session titled “Racism Stops with Me: How White Folks Can Use Healing Circles to End Racism” included a handout with sample questions. Circle questions include:

• “What’s your earliest memory of becoming aware of your own white identity?”
• “What privileges do you have that others do not?”
• “Talk about a time when someone else did or said something racist and you didn’t speak up and why.”
• “Describe a situation in which you sought approval or reassurance from a person/people of color?”
• “What do you think of when you hear the term white supremacy?”
• “What’s something you have done to make things right after you learned that your actions had racist outcomes?”