MEET THE TEAM BEHIND THE RJ SOLUTION

We've been practicing restorative justice in schools since 2009, with a team that has conducted hundreds of restorative conversations and made restorative circles an everyday practice in our own schools.

Jen Kirksey’s prior experience as a school principal and therapist, and Jen Gallegos’ Special Education Coordinator endorsement and experience with SED populations provide a unique and invaluable training dynamic for your school, business, or family.

CO-FOUNDERS & TRAINERS

JEN KIRKSEY, MEd, MA, LIMHP

CO-FOUNDER, TRAINER

With over 30 years of diverse experience, Jen Kirksey brings a unique blend of education leadership, management skills, mental health expertise, and law enforcement knowledge to the table. Her recent role as the Director of a youth residential psychiatric treatment facility showcased her ability to navigate complex challenges and create safe and structured environments.

Jen has served as a principal and administrator in large, high-performing, alternative, and high-risk middle and high schools. Jen’s commitment to restorative practices has been a hallmark of her work for over a decade.

“Living a restorative life involves balancing empathy, conflict resolution, and accountability for yourself and others, adhering to the motto: Get Better Every Day.”

Before entering the education field, Jen served as a dedicated Lakewood Police officer, where she played a crucial role as a SWAT Team negotiator. Her experiences during the tragic events at Columbine High School in 1999 left a profound impact on her, shaping her commitment to creating safe and nurturing learning environments for students.

Jen’s current venture is her private practice, Loss Therapy, which provides personalized therapy to individuals and families affected by loss and grief.

JEN GALLEGOS, MEd

CO-FOUNDER, TRAINER

In January 2022, Jen left education and is a full-time RJ trainer. She served as the Manager of Student Discipline for a large school district and for six years was an active member of the State RJ Council in Colorado. In her role, she has implemented Restorative Practices in schools for the last 10 years, working at all levels as a teacher, dean of students, administrator, and elementary school principal. She also holds a director of special education license.

Jen plays a key role in supporting schools throughout Colorado in becoming restorative in practice and philosophy and has trained hundreds of schools and numerous school districts in best practices around discipline and the RJ philosophy.

“I get fired up when I hear from schools during their implementation journey about the successes they have seen with both individual students, adults, and the school community as a whole. I know this work is so important to our community, and these stories keep me inspired and determined.“

As a life-long learner, Jen is always searching for opportunities to learn something new. It should come as no surprise she holds several degrees including a master's of education from Regis University, and her undergrad work earned a BA in sociology along with a minor in business from CU Boulder.

ASSOCIATE TRAINERS

ALLISON MEIER, B.A.

Instructional Designer and Training Facilitator for the State of Colorado

Allison Meier was introduced to restorative practices as a high school social studies teacher in highly impacted communities. She was particularly drawn to a philosophy that allowed her to be her authentic self with the young people she shared a space with every day. After watching countless colleagues leave the profession, often d struggling to manage classroom behaviors, Allison transitioned out of the classroom to support teachers in adopting these practices to build meaningful connections and teach the skills of self-discipline to the next generation.

As the Project Manager for the Denver Restorative Practices Partnership between the school district, the teachers union, and community organizations, Allison authored an implementation guide and created a school site visit program to support educators across the country in bringing restorative culture to their schools. Most recently, she has served as the district coordinator of Restorative Practices for both Denver and Jefferson County Public Schools.

Allison has a bachelor's degree in education from DePaul University and is actively pursuing a graduate certificate in organizational behavior from Harvard Extension School. Currently, Allison is an instructional designer and training facilitator for the State of Colorado.

CHRISTINE AHMED, MEd

Director of Social Emotional Learning and School Culture, KIPP Texas

Christine has been a trainer and facilitator with The RJ Solution for several years. Her work supports teachers in changing the way they look at learning, teaching, and discipline.

“Knowing that if you've changed just one educator's outlook on classroom management and student-level intervention--the potential outcome is thousands of students that I can positively impact.”

Christine is the Director of Social Emotional Learning and School Culture for KIPP Texas and is on the Board of Advisors for The Thinking Project.

As a first-generation college student, she earned her undergraduate degree in English Literature, and a master's degree in School Leadership, and is working towards a doctorate in Education Policy.

SARAH BIXLER, M.A.

Director of Pathway Alignment, Greater Phonix Chamber

Congratulations Sarah! She is the new Director of Pathway Alignment for the Greater Phoenix Chamber and ElevateEdAZ! This position allows her to continue to move education forward by increasing dual enrollment and CTE options for students across the AZ valley, as well as supporting teacher certification in these areas. As a former dean of students in Arizona, Sarah supported students in finding their pathway to graduation and beyond. She actively collaborated with school staff, students, and the community providing meaningful alternatives and solutions to suspensions.

“Creating trusting and respectful relationships with students who need it most is why I wake up and go to work every day.“

As a new mother, she is enjoying a newfound perspective as she watches her son interact with the world around him and sees life through his eyes.

Sarah earned her master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado in educational leadership and special education administration and her BA in secondary education and history from Arizona State University.

KATHRYN ZALESKI, M.A.

Teacher Trainer

As a social studies teacher, Kathryn models the practices of Restorative Justice as well as facilitates the trainings. Kathryn comes from a family of gardeners and as such, her work can be seen as cultivating the seeds of restorative justice in her school community. She loves facilitating RJ conferences between teachers and students and is always eager to incorporate new information and facts she picks up from her podcast sessions on government, politics, and history.

“The best part is when I ask students about what needs to happen to move forward and getting to hear their ideas of what they see as appropriate.”

Kathryn regularly attends the NACRJ Conference, participates in anti-racism training, CEA events, and is actively involved in the Longmont Community Justice Partnership.

Her education matches her love for travel to unique destinations and her fluency in the language of Macedonia. Kathryn earned her bachelors of science in secondary education social studies and holds a master in language, reading, and culture.

RYAN BAZZ, MEd

Trainer/Principal - Mt. Evans Outdoor Lab

A key proponent of Restorative Justice is conflict resolution. Ryan has been in the Jeffco Public School district for more than 15 years. In addition to monitoring mountain lion activity as part of his job, Ryan trains school staff to resolve conflict among students and peers.

“Seeing students experience life-changing moments at a residential outdoor education program is what keeps me going.”

Ryan is actively involved with the Outdoor Lab Foundation, a charitable organization located in the mountains of Colorado, and strives to give all students the opportunity to explore and experience subjects such as earth science, wildlife biology, astronomy, and forestry in a unique mountain setting. He is also a member of the Residential Outdoor Environmental Education (ROEE) organization and regularly attends conferences.

Ryan holds a BS in environmental science from Metropolitan University of Denver and a master of education, educational leadership from Regis University.