Habit 4: Think Win/Win

I work for a large district that has its own SELPA, where typically it serves several districts or county.  This could be a great opportunity to organize around the needs of our district, but that just hasn’t happened yet. The good news is this year we have a new director and a new superintendent. With new administration comes new opportunities but also period of uncertainty. With a step in the right direction the new director created a Special Education Leadership Committee. After our very first job alike meeting, we learned that there is no representation for classes like mine, Elementary Mild/Moderate Special Day Classes. With “The End in Mind” I volunteered after their were crickets in the room asking for volunteers. I then listened to the concerns of my colleagues and wondered how I can positively represent our classes and our needs at a meeting of Education Specialists all advocating for their programs. Each feeling the effect of changes in General Education increasing the referrals to Special Education.
I plan to teach this habit to a trusted colleague to better prepare us both for this role in this new leadership team. With a plan on how to Think Win/Win and approach the different needs of all interested parties, we will make steps in the right direction as a Special Education Department.  This approach will help us to end the separation of programs with separate agendas and unite in order to develop a more efficient service model for our students with special needs which is the ultimate Win/Win.