The Past, Present, and Future of Secondary Alternative Education with Dr. Michael G. DeAntonio

Restorative Works!

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Michael G. DeAntonio, Ph.D., to the Restorative Works! Podcast.

Dr. DeAntonio tells the story of how Buxmont Academy, comprised of six alternative schools in eastern Pennsylvania, USA, came to be from the minds of the founders, Susan and Ted Wachtel. He explains how their ideas became the foundation of how we use restorative methods with children in alternative school environments. He shares a powerful example of how restorative intervention diverted a young man who vandalized a classroom from criminal prosecution by bringing together those who he had harmed and working to repair that harm in both a socio-emotional and physical sense. In true restorative fashion, Dr. DeAntonio reminds us of where we’ve been, where we are, and where he would like to see United States education move towards in the future.

Dr. DeAntonio has three decades of experience as an educator and administrator in public education. He's the executive director at Buxmont Academy, one of the IIRP’s model programs. He served as an instructor in the Department of Secondary Education at Kutztown University and as an educational liaison for Buxmont Academy. Before that, Mike served as a principal and assistant principal and sits on the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Association of Student Assistance Professionals. His experience ranges from middle school science teacher to instructor of graduate students. His doctoral dissertation focused on the role that restorative practices play in high school environments.