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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. No matter what I want to do, I have to check with them to make sure they approve before I can proceed. Otherwise, it becomes a union issue usually concerning working conditions. For instance, they believe that if I decide to tutor after school, everyone will be required to do the same. That, they say, is a change in working conditions. So I had to stop tutoring even if it was on my own time and exactly what my students needed. This is a hard place to work because of the negative people who are in control of everything! Some people thrive on negative power and a constant attempt to stir up negative feelings. No one is really here for the students.

6. Negative stories become reality: In our school we never celebrate the good things that teachers do. It would be great if someone appreciated all of our hard work. When we do try to celebrate individual teacher accomplishments, teachers are usually embarrassed by it. No one wants to be singled out in front of the entire school. Those who are not recognized are resentful and talk about it afterward. Now we only celebrate personal events like weddings, the birth of babies and grandchildren, anniversaries, and so on. Social interactions among the staff are nonexistent. Even when we try to do something together, almost no one shows up. Instead, teachers meet in their small private groups to talk about poor student performance, parent apathy, and the lack of district support.

Each of these scenarios shows a toxic culture—cultures that are difficult to change. Terrence E. Deal and Kent D. Peterson (2016) note, “When a school is mired in a noxious past and dysfunctional present it is hard to envision a more promising future” (p. 190).

In contrast, a healthy culture is a school in which educators have an unwavering belief in the ability of all students to achieve success, and they pass that belief on to others in overt and covert ways (Muhammad, 2009). Their actions support the belief that all students can learn at high levels. The entire school staff takes collective ownership of the ability of all students to successfully learn at high levels. Educators create policies and procedures and adopt practices that support their belief in these abilities.

We base the healthy culture we describe on the findings of the effective schools research of Ron Edmonds, Larry Lezotte, Wilbur Brookover, Michael Rutter, and others, who have discovered that all students can learn and schools control the factors that ensure students master the core curriculum (Lezotte & Snyder, 2011). Teachers in a healthy culture know that they possess both the skill and the will to make a difference for the students they serve (Muhammad & Hollie, 2011). They seek out the tools they need to increase student success. Teachers understand that they cannot do this alone, so they work collaboratively with others to accomplish their goal of universal student achievement.

Robert J. Marzano (2003) concludes, “An analysis of research conducted over a thirty-five-year period demonstrates that schools that are highly effective produce results that almost entirely overcome the effects of student backgrounds” (p. 7). Teachers and administrators have within their control the ability to ensure all students learn at high levels. Their efforts are more powerful than the obstacles of poverty or learning in a second language. Despite the fact that students come to school with differing levels of prior knowledge, preparation, and support at home, educators can still influence them to ensure high levels of learning for all. In a healthy culture, teachers believe they are making a difference in the learning and lives of their students.

Start Now

To move from a toxic or negative culture to a healthy culture requires a shift in mindset for the staff. The movement from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset transforms the culture and breathes new life into a school (Dweck, 2006). We can demonstrate the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset with this simple question that any teacher may ask his or her students: “Mary scored 100 percent on her paper. Why do you think she scored 100 percent?” Too often, the students’ response is predictable: because she is smart. This implies that Mary is smart but others may not be. This also indicates that there is just so much smart to go around and some people get it while others are not as fortunate. A fixed mindset says that no matter how much effort and preparation a student puts forth, the outcome will not change.