Susan Bobbitt-Voth

I have had opportunities to practice ADR strategies in each position I’ve held and as a parent of a child with a disability. My efforts to build ADR systems as a SELPA director included training academies for parents and educators, taking staff to the annual ADR conference and Pepperdine’s Straus Institute. Many of the ADR.cal coaches were part of this work as trainers, SELPA staff and consultants. To develop a direct connection for parents, I advocated for a parent liaison position. The cultural change which resulted helped us shift to appropriate conflict resolution across the SELPA which resulted in a significant decrease in due process filings. The strategies were applicable to all problem-solving at the SELPA level. There are many videos from West End SELPA (WESELPA) posted on youtube.com which show my staff and I working to resolve conflict in public meetings. I would welcome the opportunity to work with parents (including in Spanish), district or SELPA staff and SELPA governance to find solutions in individual cases or assist in building a sustainable program to address conflicts at any level.