This 3 hour interactive presentation explores a variety of strategies found in systems thinking that merit discussion regarding the practicality of incorporating one or more of the strategies into special education mediation.
There are occasions in special education where the mediation or resolution of conflict involves a group of interested persons who are jointly engaged in conflict with a school district. In that case, the typical mediation strategies may not be as appropriate or may need enhancement. Conflict within an organization (school system) may be due to disagreement over the scope of programs and services to be provided. If left unresolved over time, the response by advocates and attorneys may be ongoing litigation against the district.
In this presentation we will explore the following systems oriented theories which can help practicioners study conflict and resolution in new and different ways. Theories to be presented are Peter Senge's eleven Laws of the Fifth Dimension, Chris Argyris' single and double loop learning, Kurt Lewin's Force Field Theory of restraining and driving forces and the use of systems maps to study the interconnectedness of elements and those which are unconnected and the patterns that emerge. Finally, we will review Brams and Taylor's system called Adjusted Winner which centers around the issue of fairness in conflict resolution.
