Conflict Managers

The conflict magagers program was introduced at Lu Sutton during the 2006 school year as a way for students to help other students with behavior issues on school grounds.

Students in the 3rd and 4th grades complete an application and explain why they want to be a conflict manager for the following school year and how they think they can contribute to the program. .The students who are approved find out in June and begin training the first week of school the following school year in August.

It takes six weeks of training before the children are allowed to act as an official conflict manager. Some will be on the playground helping to solve problems with fellow schoolmates while others will be in classrooms helping teachers during small groups, in the library or during computer time.

Since the implementation of the program, the behavioral referrals have gone down from an average of 5 a day to approximately 1 to 2 a day. The huge success of this program is due largely in part to the eagerness of the children who participate in the program and to those who enlist their help in solving disputes. It’s a win/win situation. The children in the program learn skills to help others and those who need the help become better communicators in the future.