Breaking the Conflict Logjam: Getting Upstream of Disputes

1. Breaking the Conflict Logjam: Getting Upstream of Disputes Karen Hannan, Possibilities, Inc. Steve Woodcock, ODE

2. Intentions for the Session • Inform • Reflect • Create

3. Background • Observations from the field • Emotional costs • Financial costs • Turnover • $$$ • Questions • Why aren’t conflicts getting resolved at the local level yet resolution regularly occurs in mediation? • What really is driving the conflicts? If we learn this, might we be able to get ahead of the conflict? • What’s working already—what can be built on?

4. Background • Lake & Billingsley • J. Newman, Ph.D. dissertation (U of Penn) • Mueller Ph.D. dissertation (UCSB) • CADRE resources • www.directionservice.org/cadre • SACSE

5. Survey Design • Conflict categories & underlying factors • Strategies that work to address conflict • Pilot/feedback • Revisions • Partners: OrPTI, COSA • Total respondents: 1449 • Preliminary nature of findings

10. Qualitative Responses • Patterns within categories • Impacting both relationships and creation/content of IEPs • Denial/low expectations, mental health issues of participants, perspectives on needs, basic lack of partnership orientation • Specific skills missing – autism, mental health, behavior • Resource issues • Not enough time to work with students • Lack of follow-through • Additional categories • Assessment/eligibility • Leadership • Educator-educator issues (gen ed/sped and teacher/administrator) • Education model vs. others (medical model, other state agencies, etc.)

11. Views re: Services & Placement Educator Skills (inadequate) Lack of Trust Views re: Student Needs Resource Constraints Ineffective Meetings Leadership Issues

12. Qualitative Responses • Assessment/student needs & services/placement • Measurements/assessing progress • Decision-making • “Attitude”- rigidity, ego, lack of respect for parent knowledge • Interpretation of law – “intent” or “letter” • Lack of interpreters • Smaller districts—fewer resources & options

13. Factors Related to Conflict and IEP Implementation Beliefs re: educ. practices Leadership issues IEP interpretation Staff roles/duties Inappropriate parent expectations Resource constraints Educator lack of skill

14. Qualitative Responses • Lack of communication – among educators and home-school • Lack of follow-through • Gen ed/constraints /building culture • Caseload size, paperwork excesses, time, etc. • Creativity • Paraprofessional training/turnover • “Inappropriate expectations”

15. Factors Related to Relationship/Interpersonal Conflicts Lack of trust Power struggles Inadequate conflict resolution skills Ineffective meetings Ineffective communication Not enough communication Too much communication

16. Qualitative Responses • Communication patterns of “telling” and not listening • Parent input disregarded/lack of true collaborative stance • Blame, defensiveness and other expected conflict responses • “Gatekeeper” role and “no” – central administrators and school level teams/parents • Burnout/stress on all parts, then directed at others

17. Prof. Development $ for hiring personnel Time for Planning/Collaboration Kinds of services for kids Creative use of resources Skilled personnel available $ for equipment, materials, curriculum

18. Qualitative Responses • Questions about resource constraints: • Quantity or allocation of available funds • Lack of creativity/openness to new ideas • Organization issues • Planning, but no follow-through • Building leadership commitment • Rural, small districts particularly affected

20. Qualitative Responses • Parents need access to more training • Lack of knowledge decreases capacity to advocate for their children • Lack of knowledge/experience in some areas leads to defensiveness/lack of openness (inclusion, reading, students with ASD) • Paraprofessionals – often primary interveners but lack training

22. Qualitative Responses • Majority of responses -- “not observed” • Sense that districts are threatened by stronger parent participation • Exclusion/segregation of students linked to building leadership/school community • Not a replacement for effective program • Improvement on ideas: IEP draft; communication frequency; school Parent Liaison

23. What Else… • Conflict drivers/Systems level: • Basic lack ofcollaboration/sense of partnership among home/school/district • Intent of law vs. letter of law orientations • Resource constraints – impacts on multiple levels • People in state of “ongoing stress” • Lack of leadership • What works/suggestions: • Proactive communication/Fostering relationships and trust willingness/empathy • Actively supporting parents to learn, be engaged • Commitment to the child

24. Implications - Discussion • What stands out? • What questions come up for you? • What rings true or not? • How can we get out of the reinforcing loops? • What perspective or value might we embrace to create change? • What specific actions might we take? • What support do you need? • What could have the greatest impact?

25. “Developing leadership capacity is not about stuffing in a whole bunch of new information or trying out the latest technique. It’s about leading out of what is already in your soul.  It’s about liberating the leader within you.  It’s about setting yourself free.  It’s about putting your ear to your heart and just listening” “A Leaders Legacy”Kouzes and Posner What does your heart have to say?