When punishment fails, connection leads: UNM educator earns national recognition for restorative work

At a time when schools across the country are grappling with student disconnection, discipline disparities and rising conflict, one University of New Mexico educator is helping reframe what accountability, and even peace, can look like.

Layla Dehaiman, lecturer in the College of Education and Human Sciences (COEHS), has been named a recipient of the 2026 Career Achievement award, part of the Paul Bartlett Ré Peace Prize. Administered through the UNM Foundation, the prize honors individuals whose work advances harmony, healing and nonviolent approaches within their communities.

For Dehaiman, the recognition affirms work that has long centered on a simple but urgent problem.

"The biggest problem that I saw was that kids were disconnected," she said. "They didn't feel connected to adults. They didn't feel connected to their peers. And they didn't understand how to navigate relationships or resolve conflict in a healthy way."

Rethinking discipline

That disconnection, she said, is often compounded by traditional school discipline systems that prioritize punishment over understanding.

"In our traditional punitive systems, there's no repair to the relationship that was harmed," Dehaiman said. "We focus on the rule that was broken, but we don't ask what happened, what led up to it or what support is needed. So the behavior repeats."

Rather than creating accountability, she explained, exclusionary practices like suspension can deepen harm, removing students from learning environments without addressing root causes or equipping them with tools to change.

Through restorative practices, Dehaiman works with students and educators to shift that approach. The process centers on reflection, dialogue and repair, helping students build self-awareness and emotional regulation.

"We're helping kids recognize what's happening in their bodies and their minds," she said. "That awareness is what allows them to stop the behavior before it escalates again."

Students as leaders of change

That philosophy comes to life through the Circle Keepers program, developed at Garfield STEM Magnet & Community School and led by Erin Chávez, with whom Dehaiman has partnered over the past four years.

Chávez trains middle school students to facilitate peer mediation and lead restorative circles, structured conversations rooted in Indigenous traditions that center voice, accountability and community healing.

Over time, students begin to take ownership of the process.

"They'll come in and say, 'We don't need you, you already taught us,'" Dehaiman said. "They recognize when something is wrong and seek out a space to work through it. It's a really beautiful process."

Since its launch, the program has facilitated hundreds of mediations and contributed to a significant reduction in school suspensions, demonstrating the impact of student-led, relationship-centered approaches.

Each year, Circle Keepers students visit the UNM campus to present their work, engage in circles with faculty and teacher candidates, and share artwork reflecting themes of peace, identity and belonging. The program is now featured in a public exhibit at UNM COEHS in Travelstead Hall, expanding its reach and visibility.

Addressing inequities through relationships

Dehaiman's work also directly addresses longstanding inequities in school discipline.

Nationally, students of color and students with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by exclusionary practices. Dehaiman approaches this challenge by working not only with students, but with educators.

"If a child doesn't know how to read, we teach them. If they don't know math, we teach them," she said. "But when a child doesn't know how to behave in a classroom, we remove them. We marginalize them. We push them out."

Instead, she equips teachers with tools to build relationships, understand context and respond with cultural awareness, shifting classrooms from reactive to relational environments.

Building a foundation for belonging

At a systems level, Dehaiman sees the absence of strong relationships as the root issue.

"There's not a foundation of connection in many schools," she said. "Without that, it's very hard to resolve conflict because there's no trust and no shared understanding."

Her work emphasizes building that foundation first, through connection circles, shared norms and intentional community-building, before conflict arises.

"If we're not doing that work ourselves as adults, we can't expect our students to do it," she said.

A personal commitment to the work

Dehaiman's path to this work is deeply personal.

As a high school student in Albuquerque, she experienced frequent suspensions and was labeled a "bad kid." It wasn't until a teacher took the time to ask what was happening that her trajectory changed.

"He pulled me aside and asked, 'What's going on?'" she recalled. "It was the first time someone had asked. That conversation changed everything."

She later revealed she had been experiencing bullying and harassment, leaving her feeling unsafe at school. With support from that teacher, she developed the tools to advocate for herself and ultimately graduate.

"That one teacher changed my life," she said. "This work is about paying that forward."

Recognition of impact

Colleagues say Dehaiman's work reflects a deep commitment to both individual students and broader systems change.

"Layla is a positive force to heal discord and restore peace through her thoughtful approach in work and in life," said Dr. Yen Pham, chair of UNM's Department of Special Education. "She promotes both internal and external harmony and challenges us to engage in meaningful, collective problem-solving."

Pham also emphasized the broader significance of restorative practices in schools.

"These approaches center relationship-building and healing rather than punishment," she said. "They give students the tools to resolve conflict, repair harm and contribute to a more compassionate school community."

Preparing the next generation of educators

At UNM, Dehaiman brings this work directly into the classroom, preparing future teachers to lead with empathy, cultural awareness and practical strategies for conflict resolution.

Her students, many of whom are training to become PK-12 educators, are encouraged to rethink traditional approaches to discipline and see themselves as agents of change.

"Teachers are the front line," Dehaiman said. "They have the power to shape how students experience school, how they understand themselves and how they navigate relationships."

A broader vision for education

For COEHS Dean Kristopher Goodrich, Dehaiman's recognition reflects the college's broader mission.

"Layla Dehaiman's work exemplifies what it means to prepare educators who not only teach content, but transform lives," Goodrich said. "She is equipping both students and future teachers with the skills to build stronger, more connected communities across New Mexico and beyond."

As schools continue to navigate complex social and emotional challenges, Dehaiman sees restorative practices not as an alternative, but as essential.

"We have to start rethinking what accountability looks like," she said. "It's not about punishment. It's about connection, reflection and repair."