CADRE is pleased to announce Marshall Peter, founding director of CADRE, as recipient of the 2015 Keys to Access Award.
It may seem odd to some that this organization’s highest honor be presented to its Director, but at this point in his professional career and the life of CADRE, there simply is no more worthy recipient.
Marshall Peter is the Executive Director of Direction Service and the founding (1998) Director of the Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) which is funded by the United States Department of Education as the National Center on Dispute Resolution.
After receiving an M.S. in Special Education from the University of Oregon, Peter substitute taught in classes for students who had emotional/behavioral disorders. He began working in 1976 at Direction Service, a multi-program family support agency, as a parent advocate where he provided ongoing support and advocacy services to more than 500 families who have children with disabilities. Peter's early work as an aggressive advocate evolved into an interest in developing methods for facilitating home school partnerships that are respectful, considerate and yield equally powerful results for children and families.
Peter’s work in the area of conflict resolution has included presentations, training and consultation throughout the United States on appropriate dispute resolution, interest-based advocacy, consumer empowerment, wraparound services and conflict resolution system design. Peter served on the City of Eugene Human Rights Commission, the Oregon State Advisory Council for Special Education, the Oregon Disabilities Commission and as Chair of the Eugene School District Equity Committee.