THE WAY WE DO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
Every school has a culture. Some are positive, while others are toxic; many are somewhere in between. A school's culture affects the lives of everyone in the building. Educators working in a positive school culture(PDF) experience collegiality, trust, and tangible support as leaders and peers, creating an environment where there are high expectations, involvement in decision making, and open communication. Students entering a positive school culture feel safe, engaged, and connected and see school as a place where they can learn and contribute to the world around them.
We get used to our environments—our culture—and say, "This is how we do things here" and "This is the way it has always been." Author and founding director of the Harvard Principals' Center Roland S. Barth writes in Educational Leadership that "a school's culture can work for or against improvement and reform. Some schools are populated by teachers and administrators who are reformers, others by educators who are gifted and talented at subverting reform. And many school cultures are indifferent to reform."
So, how do we assess our schools' cultures and change them to support improvement? Whole child partner organization Character Education
Best Questions: School Culture — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Molly McCloskey]Best Questions: School Culture October 26, 2012 by Molly McCloskey We live in a parallel universe. Here at ASCD, we are committed to ensuring that each child, in each school and in each community, is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. And one of the things we know for sure is that for that to happen for kids, the adults around them must also be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. That parallel need is particularly striking this month as we consider the ... more »
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