From Reactive to Restorative: Building Schools that De-escalate, Regulate, and Restore

Presenters

• Sara Folk, Cobb County School DistrictFollow
• Alexis Gonzalez, Cobb County School DistrictFollow
• Lucrecia Hare, Cobb County School DistrictFollow
• Jennifer Hellman, Cobb County School DistrictFollow

First Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

M.A.

Year First Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2019

First Presenter's Field of Study

Middle Grades Education; Teacher Leadership

Institution Where First Presenter Received Highest Degree

Thomas University

First Presenter's Institution

Cobb County School District

First Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Sara Folk brings 23 years of experience in education, including 19 years at the school level as a middle school math teacher and academic coach, and the past four years serving at the district level supporting school climate across the Cobb County School District. As Supervisor of the Positive School Culture Support Department, Sara leads a team of District PBIS Coaches and Wellness Specialists who provide professional learning and coaching in PBIS, Zones of Regulation, Restorative Practices, Sources of Strength, and Trauma-Informed Practices. Her team’s work centers on aligning social, behavioral, and emotional supports within a tiered system to create safe, connected, and emotionally regulated learning environments. Drawing on her experience in both instruction and behavior systems, Sara designs and facilitates professional learning that empowers educators to respond calmly and restoratively to student needs while fostering a culture of wellness, belonging, and success for all students and staff.

Second Presenter's Institution

Alexis Gonzalez

Second Presenter’s Email Address

alexis.gonzalez@cobbk12.org

Second Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

M.A.

Year Second Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2013

Second Presenter's Field of Study

Elementary Education

Institution Where Second Presenter Received Highest Degree

Kennesaw State University

Second Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Alexis Gonzalez is a District PBIS Coach with the Cobb County School District, where she supports schools in implementing and sustaining Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) with fidelity. With over 19 years of experience in education and a background as both a classroom teacher and PBIS team leader, Alexis brings a practical, data-driven approach to improving school climate and student outcomes. She collaborates with administrators, teachers, and support staff to strengthen tiered systems of support, integrate restorative practices, and build staff capacity through professional learning and coaching. Her work focuses on helping schools create consistent, positive, and equitable environments where all students can thrive.

Third Presenter's Institution

Lucrecia Hare

Third Presenter’s Email Address

lucrecia.hare@cobbk12.org

Third Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

Ed.S.

Year Third Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2019

Third Presenter's Field of Study

School Counseling

Institution Where Third Presenter Received Highest Degree

University of West Alabama

Third Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

With 26 years of experience in education, Lucrecia has served as a classroom teacher, school counselor, and currently as a Wellness Specialist. Throughout her career, she has focused on nurturing safe, supportive learning environments where students feel seen, valued, and empowered. In her current role, she leads district-wide implementation of The Zones of Regulation and Restorative Practices, providing coaching, professional learning, and ongoing support to school teams. Her work centers on aligning emotional development with positive school climate initiatives, helping educators strengthen relationships, build community, and guide students in developing emotional awareness and self-regulation. She has supported multiple schools in designing sustainable systems that foster belonging, reduce discipline challenges, and increase student engagement. Passionate about connection and student voice, Lucrecia is committed to helping schools create cultures where both students and staff can learn, grow, and thrive.

Fourth Presenter's Institution

Jennifer Hellman

Fourth Presenter’s Email Address

jennifer.hellman@cobbk12.org

Fourth Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

Ed.S.

Year Fourth Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2018

Fourth Presenter's Field of Study

Teacher Leadership

Institution Where Fourth Presenter Received Highest Degree

Thomas University

Fourth Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Jennifer Hellman currently serves as a District PBIS Coach for the Cobb County School District in Georgia, where she provides leadership and support to schools implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). With 31 years of experience in education, Jennifer has taught at the elementary level, served as an RTI Coordinator, and coached numerous school-based PBIS teams. She is also a Certified Check & Connect Mentor Trainer, supporting School Coordinators in implementing evidence-based student engagement practices. Jennifer holds degrees in Early Childhood Education, Teacher Leadership, and a Specialist in Teacher Support and Coaching. Her work is grounded in the belief that strong relationships are the cornerstone of educational success for both students and educators.

Location

Ballroom E

Document Type

Individual Presentation

Primary Strand

Restorative Practices

Relevance to Primary Strand

• Our session emphasizes relationship, respect, responsibility, repair, and reintegration.

• The de-escalation framework and restorative language fit perfectly into the theme of responding restoratively rather than reactively.

• We discuss practical, school-wide systems and adult mindset shifts that promote dignity and connection.

Alignment with School Improvement Plan Topics

Climate and Culture

Brief Program Description

What if your entire school responded to escalation with calm, consistency, and care? In this session, district PBIS Coaches and the Wellness Specialist share a framework for de-escalation, integrated with Zones of Regulation, restorative conversations, and PBIS expectations. Participants will engage in hands-on strategies for co-regulation, language to reduce power struggles, and tiered supports that promote safety and connection.

Summary

In moments of student escalation, the way adults respond can either fuel the fire or foster calm, connection, and growth. This interactive session introduces a practical and relational approach to de-escalation that integrates seamlessly with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Zones of Regulation, and Restorative Practices to promote a consistent, supportive response across all school settings.

Participants will explore how schools can shift from reactive discipline to restorative and preventive systems that promote emotional regulation, belonging, and safety. Through engaging scenarios, reflection, and modeling, this session highlights how using a de-escalation framework helps adults stay regulated, offer choices, observe needs, and listen with empathy—all while maintaining consistent PBIS expectations and supporting both academic and behavioral student success.

The presenters will share real district examples of how combining PBIS systems with regulation and relationship skills, restorative conversations, and staff wellness practices creates more supportive and sustainable school climates. Attendees will leave with strategies, language, and tools that can be implemented the next day to strengthen Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports for students and adults alike.

Join us to learn how your district or school can build systems where calm is contagious, relationships are prioritized, and every interaction moves students closer to regulation, responsibility, and restoration.

Evidence

The proposed approach integrates field-tested, evidence-based frameworks that have demonstrated effectiveness in improving school climate, reducing behavioral incidents, and enhancing student and staff well-being. The de-escalation framework is grounded in research on co-regulation, trauma-informed care, and restorative practices, which emphasize the importance of adult emotional regulation, relational safety, and student voice in promoting positive behavior change.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) serves as the structural foundation, ensuring that de-escalation and restorative responses are embedded within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS). Decades of PBIS research (Horner et al., 2015; Sugai & Simonsen, 2020) confirm its effectiveness in decreasing office discipline referrals, improving perceptions of safety, and strengthening school climate.

The inclusion of Zones of Regulation draws from self-regulation and neurodevelopmental research (Kuypers, 2011; Siegel, 2012), helping students identify, label, and manage emotions using consistent, developmentally appropriate language. Similarly, restorative practices are supported by studies demonstrating their impact on reducing exclusionary discipline and improving relationships and belonging (Gregory et al., 2016).

Field observations and district-level data from schools implementing these integrated practices have shown measurable reductions in behavioral incidents, improved adult-student relationships, and increased staff confidence in managing challenging behavior. Collectively, this evidence suggests that integrating PBIS, restorative practices, and emotional regulation strategies through a structured framework promotes safer, more supportive, and more connected learning environments.

Learning Objective 1

Define the core components of de-escalation and explain how it integrates within a multi-tiered system of supports (PBIS).

Learning Objective 2

Analyze how restorative practices and emotional regulation strategies can shift adult responses from reactive to restorative, improving overall school climate and student outcomes.

Learning Objective 3

Apply practical language, tools, and reflection strategies to maintain adult calm, promote co-regulation, and facilitate restorative conversations following conflict or escalation.

Start Date

6-2-2026 2:15 PM

End Date

6-2-2026 3:15 PM

Recommended Citation

Folk, Sara; Gonzalez, Alexis; Hare, Lucrecia; and Hellman, Jennifer, "From Reactive to Restorative: Building Schools that De-escalate, Regulate, and Restore" (2026). Southeast Conference on School Climate. 59.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/secsc/2026/2026/59

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.