Restorative Practices Training Comes to MOESC
Launch the media gallery 1 playerMid-Ohio Educational Service Center (MOESC) is pleased to host Restorative Practices training, a two-day professional development opportunity for school personnel on January 30th and 31st, 2020 at the Mid-Ohio Conference Center at 890 W. Fourth St. in Mansfield, Ohio. The training will be hosted by two guest presenters, Dr. Steve Burggraf and Herbert S. Ross.
Dr. Steve Burggraf is the founder and Executive Director of Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services in Mansfield, which was established in 1999. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Union Institute in 1999, and was licensed as a professional clinical counselor in the state of Ohio in 1996. He specializes in adolescent and family behavioral health, and has been treating tough adolescents and their families since 1996. Dr. Burggraf has experience in providing mental health evaluations, risk assessments, and counseling services for at-risk family members through Children’s Services and Juvenile Court. Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services has grown to ten offices, located in seven Ohio counties, serving over 3000 families annually, and employs a staff of 145. Dr. Burggraf has extensive training and experience in restorative practices and believes strongly in establishing school-based services that can assist in creating an improved learning environment.
Herbert S. Ross is the Richland County Restorative Practices Program Director. He is also a certified life coach, case manager, a chemical dependency counselor’s assistant, and Dream Team group facilitator for Richland County Juvenile Detention Center. Mr. Ross is also a community outreach advocate and group facilitator of “THE M.O.S.T.
CLUB”. Mr. Ross is the youngest of 6 biological children of whose parents raised over 125 foster children and adopted 6 more children. He has over 40 years’ experience working with youth of all ages, genders, nationalities, disabilities, and behaviors with his primary work being done in schools, detention centers, jails, and the community.
Restorative practices is a social science that studies how to improve and repair relationships between people and communities. The purpose is to build healthy communities, increase social capital, decrease crime and antisocial behavior, repair harm and, as the name says, restore relationships. It ties together research in a variety of social science fields, including education, psychology, social work, criminology, sociology, organizational development and leadership. MOESC Director of Student Services Jennifer Crum said, “This two-day training offers practical and effective tools for creating a positive classroom climate in both secondary and elementary schools, which teachers and administrators will be able to use immediately.”
Crum said those attending this training will hopefully see some of the following results: a stronger school community, more positive relationships, even with challenging students, an improved classroom climate, fewer disciplinary referrals, more instructional time, and the ability to create a positive classroom community at any grade level, “We also hope that they will learn how to more effectively manage classroom behavior, build trust, and engage students in their own education,” explained Crum, “so that the students will treat their classroom as a community and therefore support each other’s learning and hold each other accountable, which will improve academic achievement .”
Those that are interested in participating can sign up by January 24th at www.moesc.net/register. For participants from client districts, the cost is $100. Those from non-member districts will pay $125 per person. Those who have questions or want more information should contact Wendy Harvey at harvey.wendy@moesc.net or by calling 419-774-5520.