Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division (Leading the Four Types of Teachers and Creating a Positive School Culture)

by Anthony Muhammad

Overview

With foreword by Richard DuFour and Rebecca DuFour

Transforming School Culture provides a school improvement plan for leaders to overcome staff division, improve relationships, and transform toxic school cultures into healthy ones.

Dr. Anthony Muhammad contends that in order to transform school culture, we must understand why teachers continue to hold on to models or beliefs contrary to those put forth by their school or district. He explores the human behavior, social conditions, and history that cause the underlying conflict among the four different types of teachers in a school.

The second edition of this best-selling resource delivers powerful new insight into the four types of educators (Believers, Fundamentalists, Tweeners, and Survivors) and how school leaders can work with each group to create positive school culture. The book also includes Dr. Muhammad's latest research as well as a new chapter dedicated to answering frequently asked questions on culture and school leadership in education.

How this new edition will help you create a positive school culture:

• Study the author's research and observations of 34 schools—11 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, and 9 high schools—and how each school's staff supported or hindered student achievement.
• Consider the characteristics of positive school cultures and how your school's culture and climate may differ.
• Learn how laws such as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and No Child Left Behind ( NCLB) impact teachers and school culture.
• Understand why teachers must work together to improve student performance.
• Obtain tips for creating a positive school culture and producing synergy.

New in This Second Edition:

• An updated research base, including over 60 new references
• Connections to ESSA as well as reflections on NCLB's impact on education
• Additional insights into the four types of educators
• Further guidance on what it takes to be a transformational leader and redirect Fundamentalists through communication, trust, capacity, and accountability
• A new chapter of frequently asked questions in regard to school culture, leadership, and the four types of educators

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781945349300
Publisher:	Solution Tree Press
Publication date:	07/25/2017
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	430,028
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

Table of Contents

About the Author xi

Foreword Richard DuFour Rebecca DuFour xiii

Introduction 1

1 From Status Quo to True Reform 5

Challenges of the 21st Century 9

From No Child Left Behind to Every Student Succeeds 12

The Dawn of a New Day 17

School Culture Research 19

The Importance of Closing the Gap 21

Technical Change Versus Cultural Change 22

The Impact of Beliefs 24

2 The Framework of Modern School Culture 27

Schools in the Era of Accountability 27

Who Is to Blame? 27

What About Student Outcomes? 29

Predetermination 31

Perceptual Predetermination 31

Intrinsic Predetermination 33

Institutional Predetermination 35

A War of Paradigms 38

3 The Believers 43

Intrinsic Motivation 45

Connection to the School and Community 46

Flexibility 47

Positive Pressure 49

Willingness to Confront 51

Pedagogical Skill 54

A Unifying Force 55

4 The Tweeners 57

A Loose Connection 58

An Enthusiastic Nature 60

The "Honeymoon Period" and Compliance 61

Tweener Attrition 65

The Importance of Leaving Nothing to Chance 68

5 The Survivors 69

Flight Response 70

Student Bargaining 72

Pedagogical Characteristics 73

Organizational Response 73

Stress and Pressure 74

6 The Fundamentalists 77

Opposition to Change 78

The Old Contract Versus the New Contract 79

Belief in the Normal Distribution 83

Skill Levels 86

Warring Paradigms 86

Emotional Versus Rational 87

Formal Versus Informal Culture 89

The Three Ds 91

Defamation 91

Disruption 94

Distraction 96

A Necessary Evolution 97

7 "Drop Your Tools": A Lesson in Change and Our Best Chance at Eliminating Fundamentalism 99

Inspiring Fundamentalists to Drop Their Tools 102

Level One Fundamentalists (Why?-Having Communication) 103

Level Two Fundamentalists (Who?-Building Trust) 105

Level Three Fundamentalists (How?-Building Capacity) 109

Level Four Fundamentalists (Do!-Having Accountability) 112

Ending Division 115

8 Implications for Practice 119

Developing a Systematic and Schoolwide Focus on Learning 120

A Collective Focus on Purpose 121

Effect on School Culture 124

Celebrating the Success of All Stakeholders 125

Institutionalized Celebration 126

Impromptu Celebration 127

Celebration and Positive School Culture 128

Creating Systems of Support for Tweeners 129

Removing the Walls of Isolation 132

Providing Intensive Professional Development 134

Implementing Skillful Leadership and Focus 135

9 Frequently Asked Questions 137

School Culture 137

Leadership 140

Believers 143

Tweeners 145

Survivors 147

Fundamentalists 149

Epilogue: A Significant Impact 153

Appendix: Study Design 157

Sample 157

Data Collection 157

Variables 158

References and Resources 161

Index 171

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Historically, schools have been bombarded by efforts designed to improve the system in place. These efforts are usually disguised as a new project or program. They usually fail! Teachers see them as a storm that will blow through rather than a long-term and fundamental climatic change. Anthony Muhammad, in Transforming School Culture, Second Edition, has not only shined a light on why such change efforts rarely work — due to ignoring a school's culture — but has gone on to describe how school leaders can and should address sustainable cultural change. A must read!"

―Lawrence W. Lezotte, Educational Researcher, Consultant, and Speaker; Effective Schools

"Anthony Muhammad has crafted a superb new edition of Transforming School Culture, adding meaningful, relevant, and insightful new examples, practical wisdom, and important ideas. Initially providing a portrait of the contemporary educational context, he then turns to an in-depth and engaging look at the cultures of schools. Using case examples and clear descriptions of teachers and school cultures, he provides a rich analysis of school leadership and strategies to transform cultures. This is a book to be read and absorbed by any school leader desiring to shape strong, positive cultures."

—Kent D. Peterson, Emeritus Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"As we've come to expect, Dr. Muhammad is unflinchingly unapologetic regarding the hard truths of school culture. But, once again, he separates himself from so many who take the stage, admire the problems, and offer no solutions. Dr. Muhammad both diagnoses and prescribes. No magic bullet or easy fix, but hope in the form of choices that will shift our paradigms and create transformational results. As he did with the first edition, this second edition of Transforming School Culture awakens you, demands your attention, and then hits you where you live."

―Kenneth C. Williams, Author, Speaker, and Consultant; Unfold the Soul

"The second time around is better than the first. Dr. Muhammad has done it again by reminding us in powerful, impactful ways that a positive school culture is where any type of school success starts. As someone who works with districts across the country in being culturally responsive, I believe this book provokes thought, reflection, and action for the adults to be better so the students can be their best."

—Sharroky Hollie, Author and Executive Director, Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning, Los Angeles, California