Rantz: Mercer Island High School replaces detention with ‘Reflection Time’ meditation

Mercer Island High School appears to be replacing traditional detention with after-school “Reflection Time.” One parent is calling it the district’s “latest woke-Marxist policy.”

According to an August 29 email shared with “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH, the district describes Reflection Time as a “teaching moment and a relationship-building moment.” The goal, the email said, is for staff to “focus on student relationships” in order to “remove barriers for students” and allow them to feel like they belong.

“There will be a period of reflection, research and educational aspects during Reflection Time,” the email reads, but does not elaborate.

But what is reflection time? The district refuses to offer a clear explanation, hiding behind vague terms and meaningless buzzwords. Spokesperson Ian Henry has ignored multiple emails requesting clarification.

Does Mercer Island High School know what Reflection Time is?

There is a national movement amongst educators to do away with punitive measures, such as detention and suspensions when dealing with students who misbehave. Proponents of this approach argue that punitive measures “disproportionately” target black or Latino students and lead to recidivism and apathy. Reflection Time is a tool that’s part of this trend.

The goal of Reflection Time is clearly outlined in the district email: “to work with students to be more engaged in their own learning, to work with them to help remove those barriers that prevent them from being fully present in their day and leaving school each day with a feeling of success.”

It would be used in cases of unexcused absences, tardiness, phone violations and, ironically, missed Reflection Time. Cases of plagiarism, safety issues, drugs/alcohol and other more serious issues do not appear to result in Reflection Time.

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But what do students do?

It’s not entirely clear what students do in Reflection Time.

“Reflection Time: If a student is struggling to understand the impact of their behavior after student/teacher conversations, interventions and contacting home. The teacher, staff member, will refer the student to Kelly/Erica/Alpha Administrator and this can result in Reflection Time,” the email reads.

It may be that students sit in a room and reflect on their behavior with specific prompts to help them think about the root causes of why they landed in Reflection Time. Some schools around the country have been experimenting with literal meditation in place of detention. Though Reflection Time includes “research and education aspects,” they’re undefined by the district email.

“Student behavior matters, and as a learning institution, we aim to understand its importance,” the email reads. “By addressing the why of the behavior, students will use this time to learn from the experience, understand the harm and impact, and restore relationships.”

In similarly titled “Reflection Rooms,” as described by educators in other schools, students might write narratives about conflict from the perspectives of the others involved. For example, a student who is always late to class may ask to write about it from the perspective of the teacher.

‘Orwell’s nightmare and Mao had a baby’

One parent ripped into the Reflection Time concept on Nextdoor. Since then, it’s been shared by parents in and out of the Mercer Island School District.

“Mercer Island High School just announced their latest woke-Marxist policy in an email earlier today. Orwell’s nightmare and Mao had a baby and they’ve implemented it in our public schools,” the father said, noting this type of policy is why he pulled three of his four kids from the district.

“I hope the district can correct, but at this point, it is a shell of its former self,” he continued.

There’s no reason to believe the district will course correct anytime soon.

‘Reflection Time’ is very Mercer Island

The Mercer Island School District has fully embraced left-wing approaches to education. They did so before the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020, which inspired radical changes to policies and curriculum across the country.

Their policies on student discipline read like a utopian wish list for hyper-progressive activists who view “emotional discomfort” as the reason for student disruption. It’s packed with every buzzword you can think of — restorative justice, trauma-informed care, social-emotional wellness. It’s essentially a handbook for turning classrooms into therapy circles where “feelings” trump discipline, and teachers play the role of amateur therapists instead of educators.

To the district, students are all emotionally fragile. It became so absurd that the district banned students from playing tag in order to “ensure the physical and emotional safety of all students.” After national attention to the move due to a “Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH report, the district rescinded the policy.

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