Discover what it really takes to sustain restorative practices in today's complex school systems.

In this episode of Restorative Works, host Claire de Mezerville-López, alongside co-hosts Dr. Michael Washington and Dr. Doug Judge, welcomes veteran educator and systems leader Saundra Hensel. With more than 35 years in education and nearly a decade leading district-wide implementation, Saundra brings unmatched clarity to one of the field's biggest questions: What makes restorative practices stick?

Saundra unpacks how her district scaled training across 70 schools while staying grounded in a critical truth: that training alone doesn't guarantee faithful implementation. Instead, she reveals a blueprint built on intentional design that includes whole-school engagement, long-term investment, and a commitment to building internal capacity before rollout ever begins. She discusses initiative overload as a common tension in education. Rather than positioning restorative practices as "one more thing," she shows how they strengthen and align with existing frameworks like PBIS, social-emotional learning, and trauma-informed care.

Saundra Hensel has been an educator in various roles for over 35 years. She left a career in higher education administration to teach high school in Chicago Public Schools, then moved to Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, KY, in 2009. In fall 2016, Saundra was asked to join a team at the district level that was to begin implementing restorative practices. She is currently the behavior systems manager, supporting schools in implementing restorative practices and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. Saundra is a National Board Certified Teacher in English, with a bachelor's degree in interpersonal and small group communication and a master's degree in education and school administration.

Tune in to hear how sustainable change demands both patience and precision, because meaningful change doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen with intention.