How does it work?

School Meeting

Judicial Committee

The Judicial Committee

The School Meeting at The Clearwater School authorizes a Judicial Committee (JC) to address violations of school rules. The purpose of the JC is to protect the rights of the community and the privileges to enjoy the freedom of the school. When rules are broken, any member of the School Meeting can "write up" a complaint. The Judicial Committee, consisting of rotating students and staff members, meets each day that complaints have been submitted to decide what actions should be taken in a timely manner.

The Judicial Committee follows "due process"--investigating each complaint to determine what happened and whether rules have been broken. When rules have been violated, the JC works to decide on fair and effective solutions. JC actions include issuing warnings to individuals who have violated rules, assigning consequences or sentences to individuals who break rules, and suggesting changes in rules to the School Meeting. The JC strives to avoid punitive actions, but may revoke individual freedoms in order to protect the well being of the whole school.

The Judicial Committee is effective at maintaining order in the school. This Committee is deemed so important that each member of the school is required to serve. Any school member who is called by the JC must appear at the JC meeting to provide information about the case. JC members can be likened to a jury—citizens of the school community who determine what actions to take in order to protect individual rights and insure the safety of the school. Students who serve on JC learn how to collect evidence, judge whether rules have been violated, evaluate extenuating circumstances, and determine just actions. Students who are written up for breaking rules experience consequences of their actions. They receive direct feedback about how transgressions affect the larger community. All members of the school value the importance of using JC to ensure the effective and safe functioning of the school.