Hello, I am student of Charlottesville high school. my name is Nargis Haidary. I support the HB 836 student. Every student should feel safe at school and I want to support my classmates. I think we should support each other because we protect human rights, prevent the separation of families, and maintain the safety and stability of communities.

My name is Carissa Henry, and I’m commenting on behalf of the Transformative Changes Black Youth Mental Health Collaborative. Through the Safe & Restorative Schools Learning Tour, legislators, youth, and community partners didn’t just hear about restorative practices — they experienced them through collaboration that acknowledged harm and focused on repair instead of punishment. Young people shared what happens when schools don’t have consistent tools: a student who reported bullying was nearly pulled into a fight instead of being heard; a fourteen-year-old made a mistake and was treated like a criminal rather than a child; another student shut down emotionally and was moved from office to office instead of being met with care. When schools respond with exclusion, silence, or criminalization, the harm deepens. When they respond with care, accountability, and support, students stay connected and can repair harm.That’s why the current “consider” language is not strong enough. When restorative practices are optional, implementation becomes inconsistent — and inconsistency is exactly how racial, disability, and discipline disparities persist from one school division to the next. House Bill 298 was meant to create a baseline of evidence-based practice with safety protections and state support. This bill doesn’t remove discipline; it improves it. And students across Virginia deserve more than optional care. I urge you to strengthen and support HB 298.

Helpful in comparing what is happening around the country. see pg. 2 Recommended Citation Schreiber, A., Miller, B., Dressler, K. (2022). An Introduction to Restorative Practices. National Center for School Safety. https://www.nc2s.org/resource/an-introduction-to-restorative-practices

VASSP has some concerns regarding HB298. While we appreciate the feedback we have received from Delegate McQuinn's office, the concerns still linger. These are listed below. -Is there any data to support the assumption that these practices are successful in reducing the instances of student behavior that require disciplinary action? -How do you define "connection to the community", as listed in the bill? -How is section v (determines responses through a collaborative process that involves students, families, educators and community members) going to be supervised? How will there be enough time to involve all these stakeholders on a regular basis? This could take hours each week, depending on the school and the situation. -the training that will be required to implement this type of practice is going to be extensive, which adds another responsibility to teachers and staff. -we are still concerned that this bill will limit the ability of school administrators to provide a safe learning environment.

I strongly support HB 298 because I believe Virginia’s schools need discipline systems that truly help students learn, grow, and feel safe. For too long, school discipline has relied on exclusionary practices like suspension and removal from the classroom. These approaches may seem effective in the moment, but they often fail to address the real causes of student behavior. Instead of creating change, they push students out of learning environments and leave underlying issues unresolved. Restorative approaches offer a proven alternative that promotes accountability, repairs harm, and strengthens safety and belonging without removing students from the classroom. I know from personal experience that exclusionary discipline does not lead to positive outcomes. As a student, I was removed from the classroom multiple times as a form of discipline. While I was sent away, nothing was done to help me understand or resolve the challenges I was facing. When I returned to class, the same problems were still there. Within a week or two, I would be removed again for the same exact behavior. This created a recurring cycle that disrupted my education without providing any real support or solution. HB 298 establishes a clear framework for the statewide use of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices. This bill shifts school discipline away from exclusionary punishment and toward approaches that keep students engaged in learning while addressing harm at its root. Restorative practices focus on responsibility, reflection, and repairing relationships, which leads to lasting improvement rather than repeated punishment. By moving away from exclusionary discipline and toward restorative, evidence-based approaches, HB 298 helps break harmful cycles like the ones I and many other students in Virginia have experienced. It represents a necessary step toward a more equitable, effective, and supportive school discipline system for students across Virginia.

Personal Statement — CEO, Kids On First Foundation In Support of Restorative Discipline and HB 298 As the CEO of Kids On First Foundation, my work centers on one simple belief: every young person deserves to be seen, supported, and given a fair opportunity to grow—both in the classroom and in life. Through our programs, we work with students from diverse communities across Virginia, many of whom have faced systemic barriers that extend far beyond school walls. Too often, I have witnessed how exclusionary discipline removes students from learning environments at the very moment they need connection, structure, and support the most. Virginia’s current discipline system continues to rely heavily on practices that isolate students rather than address the root causes of behavior. These policies do not impact all students equally. Black students and students with disabilities are disproportionately disciplined for subjective, non-violent behaviors, resulting in lost instructional time and strained relationships between families and schools. When students feel pushed out instead of guided forward, trust erodes—and the opportunity to build resilience, accountability, and belonging is lost. At Kids On First, we believe discipline should be rooted in growth, restoration, and community—not exclusion. Young people thrive when they are given space to reflect, repair harm, and remain engaged in meaningful learning experiences. Restorative practices align directly with what we see working in youth development and mentorship programs every day: students respond positively when they feel heard, respected, and connected. HB 298 represents a meaningful step toward a more equitable and effective approach to school discipline across Virginia. By establishing a clear statutory framework for evidence-based restorative practices, this legislation promotes accountability while prioritizing safety, belonging, and long-term student success. Instead of pushing students further away from opportunity, restorative approaches strengthen school climate, reduce conflict, and keep students connected to the learning environments that help them grow. As a youth advocate and organizational leader committed to empowering the next generation, I strongly support efforts that keep students engaged, valued, and supported. Our schools should be places where young people learn not only academics, but also responsibility, empathy, and resilience. HB 298 moves Virginia closer to that vision—one where discipline becomes a pathway to growth rather than a barrier to opportunity. Sincerely, Sherron Cerny CEO, Kids On First Foundation

VOTE YES: I’m in support of HB298 because suspensions are not just ineffective—they are harmful. I’ve seen this with young children who are still learning emotional regulation, and with older students who may be carrying stress, disabilities, or trauma. When these students are sent home instead of supported, it doesn’t teach the skills they were missing. It teaches them that school is a place where they can be removed when they’re overwhelmed. This is exactly what Dr. Ross Greene’s work shows: kids do well if they can, and challenging behavior is a sign of lagging skills, not a reason for exclusion. When we respond with support and collaborative problem‑solving, students learn the skills they need to do better. When we respond with suspension, they don’t. HB298 takes a balanced, research‑based approach by requiring at least one evidence‑based restorative practice before excluding a student. This keeps kids connected, helps repair harm, and builds real skills. All students—from early elementary through high school—deserve support, not punishment that causes lasting harm. I urge you to support HB298.

Public Comment in Support of HB298- VOTE YES I’m writing in strong support of HB298 because suspensions in early elementary school are not just ineffective—they are traumatic. Young children who are still learning how to regulate their emotions and communicate their needs are being removed from school instead of being supported. I’ve seen how this harms kids, especially our most vulnerable students, including those with disabilities, those experiencing stress at home, and those who already struggle to feel safe and connected at school. Suspending a five‑, six‑, or seven‑year‑old doesn’t teach them the skills they were missing. It teaches them that school is a place where they can be sent away when they’re overwhelmed. Many children come back more anxious, more dysregulated, and less trusting of the adults who are supposed to help them. That is not a path toward better behavior or better learning. HB298 takes a reasonable, research‑based approach by requiring schools to try at least one evidence‑based restorative practice before excluding a child, except in the most serious situations. Restorative practices help children repair harm, understand what went wrong, and build the skills they need to do better next time—without pushing them out of the classroom. Our youngest learners deserve support, not punishment that leaves lasting emotional scars. HB298 is a necessary step toward safer, more compassionate, and more effective school environments. I urge you to support this bill.

It is time to break the School to Prison Pipeline. Too often police are called to schools over minor issues that could be handled in better ways. Very often when students act out there are other issues occurring and the behavior is triggered by someone else's act. An arrest and prison sentence ruins a child's life - not just in preventing them from achieving future goals, but in the destruction of self worth. Where restorative behavioral practices have been implemented, research has shown a sharp decrease in future behavior problems. This leads to students finishing their education and becoming active, positive members of society, instead of ending up in jail for increasingly severe issues.

I strongly support HB298, a bill that takes a necessary and evidence-based step toward dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline by centering restoration, accountability, and child development instead of exclusion and punishment. As a former special education teacher, I saw firsthand how traditional disciplinary systems fail children, especially students with disabilities, trauma histories, learning differences, and unmet behavioral health needs. Too often, suspension and expulsion were used not because they were effective, but because they were familiar. Those exclusions did not address harm, build skills, or promote safety. They removed children from learning environments and set them on trajectories toward system involvement. HB298 recognizes what educators, families, and researchers have long known: children’s behavior is communication, and accountability must be paired with understanding, support, and repair. By requiring schools to first implement evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices, this bill keeps students connected to school while still addressing harm responsibly. I am especially encouraged that HB298: *Grounds discipline in the science of children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development *Emphasizes healing, relationship repair, and community involvement *Requires data collection and public reporting, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement *Supports educators through guidance, professional development, and technical assistance From a survivor-led justice perspective, we know punishment does not create safety, connection does. HB298 does not eliminate accountability; it strengthens it by making discipline child centered, trauma-informed, and humane. This bill affirms a simple but powerful truth: children should not be pushed out of school for struggling to survive systems that were never designed for them. I urge the Committee to support HB298 and invest in schools that interrupt harm rather than reproduce it.

Restorative discipline approaches are more effective in helping students stay in the learning environment in a way that allows all students to learn, when compared with traditional punitive measures such as suspension or expulsion. This is especially important for students who are neurodivergent or have other cognitive differences, as well as for students of color who are disproportionately likely to be disciplined more severely than white students. This is a good step in the direction of making our educational system more just and beneficial.

1229 while hard to understand the context got a thumbs up from fellow autistics. That’s good enough for me. And 298 I’ve been getting voters’ attention about for weeks. I wish we had both these bills when I was a student.

HB 298 would force schools to use restorative discipline before they can suspend or expel students in most cases. That sounds reasonable until you look at the evidence. This approach has already been tried in major school districts across the country, and it has not worked. Districts like Oakland and New York City saw suspensions go down, but classroom disruption, teacher frustration, and safety concerns go up. A RAND Corporation study found no meaningful improvement in school climate and, in some cases, worse academic outcomes. Lower discipline numbers looked good on paper, but behavior did not improve. HB 298 repeats the same mistake by mandating a process instead of trusting school leaders to use judgment. It delays consequences, weakens authority, and sends the message that serious misbehavior is negotiable. Virginia should learn from failed experiments elsewhere, not lock them into law.

I support this legislation. As a former school board member and Alternative Dispute Resolution practitioner I see how Restorative Justice improves accountability and helps to restore relationships.

HB 298 strengthens school discipline statewide by: Standardizing restorative discipline practices through codifying the Virginia Department of Education’s Model Guidance for Positive, Preventative Codes of Student Conduct and Alternatives to Suspension Requiring schools to use restorative practices first—before suspension, expulsion, or exclusion—except in cases involving serious offenses or defined aggravating circumstances Improving accountability and transparency by directing VDOE to collect and publicly report data on restorative practice use and add restorative indicators to the Student Behavioral Administrative and Response Survey Ensuring consistent and equitable implementation through statewide guidelines, professional development, and technical assistance Reducing exclusionary discipline by repairing harm, strengthening relationships, and maintaining accountability through evidence-based restorative interventions

For HB298, I'd like to express strong support for this. As a former teacher, I know the value of a restorative approach to harm in schools. As a nonprofit leader now, I know the importance of building into systems, particularly schools, approaches to harm that move individuals toward repair and not retribution.

Greetings Chair and Members of the Committee, On behalf of Transformative Changes, I write in strong support of House Bill 298, patroned by Delegate McQuinn. Transformative Changes’ mission is rooted in advancing healing-centered, community-led solutions that create safe, supportive, and equitable systems for young people, and our advocacy for restorative discipline is grounded in both lived experience and data. Through our Safe and Restorative Schools Learning Tour and our work with the Black Youth Mental Health Collaborative, we engage directly with students, families, educators, and practitioners across Virginia who are experiencing the harms of exclusionary discipline. We consistently hear that suspensions and expulsions, particularly for Black students and students with disabilities, remove students from learning without addressing the root causes of behavior or making schools safer. Statewide data make clear why a different approach is needed. According to statewide data, across many Virginia school divisions, Black students and students with disabilities are punished far more often than their peers for similar behavior: - In Lancaster County, students with disabilities are suspended more than twice as often as other students, and Black students are suspended about twice as often as non-Black students. - In Richmond City, students with disabilities are suspended well over twice as often as students without disabilities, and Black students are suspended nearly twice as often as their peers. - In Chesapeake City, students with disabilities are suspended roughly twice as often as students without disabilities. - In Franklin City, Black students are suspended more than twice as often as non-Black students. - Similar patterns appear in Newport News, Hopewell, Petersburg, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Sussex County, where Black students and/or students with disabilities are one-and-a-half to two times more likely to be suspended than other students in the same schools. These disparities are not simply about student behavior; they reflect how schools respond to behavior. Exclusion removes students, but it does not repair harm, build accountability, or prevent future incidents. House Bill 298 offers a proven, evidence-based solution. By prioritizing restorative discipline practices, the bill shifts the focus from punishment to accountability, responsibility, and repair. Restorative practices require students to understand the impact of their actions, take responsibility, and actively work to repair harm while keeping them connected to their school community. This approach improves school climate, reduces repeat incidents, and addresses the very disparities reflected in the data. The bill also ensures accountability at the system level by requiring the Department of Education to track outcomes, report publicly on effectiveness, and provide training and technical assistance so restorative practices are implemented with support, consistency, and integrity. House Bill 298 reflects what communities, research, and lived experience all affirm: safe schools are built when accountability and healing go hand in hand. We respectfully urge your support for this bill as a meaningful step toward safer, more equitable learning environments for students across the Commonwealth. Thank you for your leadership and consideration. In care and solidarity, Carissa Henry Co-Executive Director Transformative Changes