School Improvement for All. Sarah Schuhl

       CHAPTER 2

       Transforming Culture and Structures

      The greatest challenge to school improvement is the overwhelming perception that no matter what the teachers and administrators do, there seems to be no way out of failing results. With some of the lowest annual student-achievement results, there is a perception among staff that students’ poverty and low skills, as well as disengaged families, are more potent than any teacher’s impact, which leads to a sense of futility. Teachers often feel deflated by a sense that their best efforts are ineffective and unappreciated by students, families, or the system in which they work.

       —Sharon V. Kramer

      Sharon entered Washington Middle School just as students were starting to arrive, lining up to start their school day by walking through metal detectors while security staff searched their backpacks. As she watched the students enter, she was struck by how many of them looked down and avoided eye contact with others. So far, Sharon had witnessed little laughter or joy in the eyes of staff or students. Unfortunately, this scene plays out daily in schools that have repeatedly experienced failure. Missing is the joy and passion for learning of teachers and students alike, replaced instead by a feeling of compliance and hopelessness. Students are acutely aware when they attend a school that ranks as low or underperforming. They often come to school with a “Why try?” attitude of defeat.

      No amount of structural or technical change can overcome a feeling that failure defines us. Only a shift in culture can defeat this feeling. In PLCs, this is called reculturing (DuFour et al., 2016). Often schools attempt to fix problems related to failure by adopting a new curriculum or textbooks, revising the schedule, or implementing a new discipline program—all first-order changes. While these types of structural changes may be necessary, they alone are never enough to overcome a culture of failure. “Structural change that is not supported by cultural change will eventually be overwhelmed by the culture, for it is in the culture that any organization finds meaning and stability” (Schlechty, 2001, p. 52).

      School culture is “the set of norms, values, and beliefs, rituals, ceremonies, symbols, and stories that make up the ‘persona’ of the school” (Peterson, 2002, p. 10). It manifests itself in the stories the staff and administrators tell about their work, the students, and the school or district. Staff members in underperforming schools are often frustrated by students’ lack of progress. Unfortunately, a highly frustrated staff is also a highly unproductive staff. The constant feeling of having no control saps their energy. This leads to a toxic culture that permeates the entire school. Teaching and learning do not flourish in a toxic environment. Second-order change is necessary to reculture the school.

Determine Vision Versus Reality

      A toxic or dysfunctional culture promotes the belief that student success is based on students’ level of concern, attentiveness, prior knowledge, and willingness to comply with the demands of the school (Muhammad, 2009). In other words, schools with toxic cultures deflect blame from the school to the students. The stories teachers tell often reflect their frustration and shift blame to students or parents. Negativity replaces optimism among staff and students, leading to increased absenteeism. Both from our experiences and those of Anthony Muhammad, in schools with a toxic or dysfunctional culture, it is not uncommon for teacher absenteeism to be higher than student absenteeism (Muhammad, 2009).

      Often principals in underperforming schools inherit toxic cultures and staff division. In this scenario, principals regularly shift their focus to maintaining order in an attempt to support staff. This negative culture for teaching and learning creates an almost impossible learning environment. The following six familiar stories illustrate the most common characteristics of toxic cultures.

      1. Our students and parents have changed: In the past, our school had high-achieving students. Our scores were great and we were considered one of the best schools to attend. Then the students and parents changed. Now the students refuse to do their homework and the parents are unresponsive and uninvolved. Many of the students in our classes do not even speak English. We have a high rate of special education students who are too far behind to ever catch up. If only the students and parents were different, achievement would increase.

      2. Teachers are independent contractors who share a common hallway: I have been teaching in this school for over twenty years. I get pretty good results every year. I truly understand my curriculum expectations and teach it the way I believe it should be taught. Academic freedom and autonomy are the only ways to increase student achievement. My colleagues and I rarely meet because it is a waste of time. I get more done when I do things by myself. If the students don’t learn in my class, it is because they did not put forth the effort necessary to get the job done. I have a life after work and other important commitments. I put my time in and the students need to do the same.

      3. Students rule: Discipline is a mess here. The administration is very lax; administrators do not fully enforce the rules. They allow students to do whatever they want. Even when you call an administrator to the classroom for assistance, he or she rarely comes. When an administrator does show up, it takes a long time. The other teachers do not have the same expectations and standards for student behavior. This affects my class because the students can get away with being tardy or not listening in other classes. The students are out of control. They are more cohesive than the staff. How does the administration expect me to teach in this environment?

      4. Cliques and subcultures are the norm: All schools have subcultures, but in our school there is a definite “in crowd” and “out crowd.” The principal has his favorites and if he likes you, you can do anything you want. It is difficult to know whom you can trust. Some people tell the administration everything just to get in good with them. There is a really negative group of teachers who scream the loudest for what they want. The principal is afraid that they will complain to the district, union, or board members, so that group usually gets its way. It is best to lay low and share as little information and as few ideas as possible with others. At least that is what I tell all of the new teachers when they arrive. It is the only way to survive here.

      5. Power seekers control everything: Power can be both positive and negative. In our school, negative power seekers control everything.