Transforming School Culture : How to Overcome Staff Division

by Muhammad, Anthony

• ISBN13: 9781934009451
• ISBN10: 1934009458
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-06-01
• Publisher: Solution Tree

Summary

Transforming School Culture provides a framework for understanding how school cultures operate and how leaders can overcome staff division to improve relationships and transform toxic cultures into healthy ones.

Author Biography

Anthony Muhammad, Ph.D, is a much sought-after educational consultant. An educator for more than 20 years, he has served as a middle school teacher, assistant principal, middle school principal, and high school principal.

Table of Contents

About the Author	p. xi
Foreword	p. 1
From Status Quo to True Reform	p. 5
Challenges of the 21st Century	p. 7
No Child Left Behind	p. 9
The Dawn of a New Day: High Anxiety	p. 10
School Culture Research	p. 12
Closing the Gap	p. 14
Technical Change Versus Cultural Change	p. 15
The Framework of Modern School Culture	p. 17
Schools in the Era of Accountability	p. 17
Who Is to Blame?	p. 17
Student Outcomes	p. 19
Predetermination	p. 21
Perceptual Predetermination	p. 21
Intrinsic Predetermination	p. 23
Institutional Predetermination	p. 25
A War of Paradigms	p. 28
The Believers	p. 31
Intrinsic Motivation	p. 32
Connection to the School and Community	p. 34
Flexibility	p. 35
Positive Pressure	p. 37
Willingness to Confront	p. 39
Pedagogical Skill	p. 40
A Unifying Force	p. 41
The Tweeners	p. 43
A Loose Connection	p. 43
An Enthusiastic Nature	p. 45
The "Honeymoon Period" and Compliance	p. 47
Why Are Tweeners So Important?	p. 50
Leaving Nothing to Chance	p. 52
The Survivors	p. 55
Flight Response	p. 56
Student Bargaining	p. 57
Pedagogical Characteristics	p. 58
Organizational Response	p. 58
Dealing With Stress and Pressure	p. 59
The Fundamentalists	p. 61
Opposition to Change	p. 62
The Old Contract Versus the New Contract	p. 63
Belief in the Normal Distribution	p. 67
Skill Levels	p. 69
Warring Paradigms	p. 70
Emotional Versus Rational	p. 70
Formal Versus Informal Culture	p. 72
The Three Ds	p. 74
Defamation	p. 74
Disruption	p. 78
Distraction	p. 80
A Necessary Evolution	p. 81
"Drop Your Tools": A Lesson in Change and Our Best Chance at Eliminating Fundamentalism	p. 83
"Drop Your Tools"	p. 85
Implications for Drop Your Tools	p. 86
Fundamentalists	p. 86
Fundamentalists	p. 89
Fundamentalists	p. 92
Fundamentalists	p. 95
Ending Division	p. 98
Implications for Practice	p. 99
A Systematic and Schoolwide Focus on Learning	p. 100
A Collective Focus on Purpose	p. 101
Effect on School Culture	p. 104
Celebrating the Success of All Stakeholders	p. 105
Institutionalized Celebration	p. 106
Impromptu Celebration	p. 107
Celebration and Positive School Culture	p. 108
A System of Support for Tweeners	p. 109
A Multifaceted Approach to Mentoring	p. 111
Removing the Walls of Isolation	p. 112
Intensive Professional Development	p. 113
Effect on School Culture	p. 114
Skillful Leadership and Focus	p. 115
Epilogue: A Significant Impact	p. 117
Appendix: Study Design	p. 121
Sample	p. 121
Data Collection	p. 121
Variables	p. 122
References	p. 125
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