Almost 50% of special education directors report an increase in school-parent conflict

Almost all – 98% – of local special education directors indicated that the majority interactions with families are favorable, while 95% confirmed that most customized education program gatherings involving parents and school staff are cooperative, as per findings from a survey by the Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education, a federally supported technical guidance center.

Nevertheless, almost half – or 45% – of the 463 respondents to the survey indicated that their district is witnessing a rise in disputes that cannot be settled through IEP team meetings.

Conflicts are natural and beneficial but could have adverse effects on students when left unresolved, noted presenters revealing the unpublished survey results on Thursday during a session at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs annual event.

Per Kelly Rauscher, a learning and development specialist at CADRE, unsettled disputes “might cause significant harm. They can damage relationships, erode trust, affect children. Hence, there is a need to alter the course,”

Rauscher co-led the session with Angela Balsley, the CEO of Unified Leadership, an entity offering services to educational leaders. Balsley also served as a former district special education director.