Leading School Culture through Teacher Voice and Agency helps school leaders uncover, understand, and build the skill set to engage teachers in the work of school culture as they navigate the changes needed to improve the achievement for all students. This book presents a Framework for School Culture that explores how school culture, when acted upon through teacher voice and agency, is an untapped resource that can move schools forward. By supporting teacher voice and agency, the school and its teachers and leaders move toward taking collective responsibility for sustaining a culture of improvement that is stronger and more responsive.
This research-grounded book is rich in practical tools to help leaders work with teachers, ensuring all the educators in a school are taking ownership over their own learning and developing the skills to reshape school culture to ensure students, teachers, and community members thrive.
Author(s): Sally J. Zepeda, Philip D. Lanoue, Grant M. Rivera, David R. Shafer
Publisher: Routledge/Eye on Education
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 216
City: New York
Cover
Half Title
Series
Title
Copyright
Contents
About the Authors
Preface
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1: Teacher Voice and Agency
Examining School Culture
Introduction
Framework for School Culture
Clarity About Teacher Voice and Agency
Teacher Voice Defined
Teacher Agency Defined
Teachers as Culture Leaders
Making the Connections to Support Teachers
Empowerment Then
Empowerment Now
Empowerment Defined
Autonomy
Self-Efficacy
Collective Efficacy
Chapter Summary
Suggested Readings
References
Chapter 2: Understanding and Framing School Culture
Examining School Culture
Introduction
Culture and Climate Differ
Culture Defined
Climate Defined
Internal Factors That Influence School Culture
Teachers
Workplace Conditions
Teacher Morale
Teacher Engagement
Teacher Retention and Attrition
Leader Mobility
External Factors That Influence School Culture
Poverty
Shifting Demographics
Student Mobility and Attrition
Divisive Political Environments
Chapter Summary
Suggested Readings
References
Chapter 3: Understanding Functional and Dysfunctional Cultures
Examining School Culture
Introduction
Leading Through a Culture Vision
Understanding the Culture
Culture Leaders
Leading With a Culture Lens
Functional Culture and Climate
Positive Culture and Climate
Positive Culture and Climate Intersect
Key Norms Support Positive School Culture and Climate
Dysfunctional School Cultures and Climates
Dynamics of Dysfunction
Collegiality and Collaboration
Changing the Culture Vision
Reculturing
Leading “Good” Disturbance
Stabilizing School Culture
Chapter Summary
Suggested Readings
References
Chapter 4: Transforming School Culture Is a Human Endeavor
Examining School Culture
Introduction
Relationships Matter
Care and Support
Normative Behaviors Send Explicit Messages
The Lonely Road of Isolation
Affiliation and Sense of Belonging
Collaborative Structures
Making Practice Public
Teacher Leadership
Professional Learning Communities
Online Learning Communities
Collaborative Planning
Mentoring and Induction
Chapter Summary
Suggested Readings
References
Chapter 5: Professional Learning Cultures Grow People and Systems
Examining School Culture
Introduction
Collaboration
Bringing Clarity to Collaboration
Leading a Collaborative Learning Culture
Creating a Collaborative Learning Culture
Professional Learning
Unpacking Professional Learning
Focusing on Professional Job-Embedded Learning
Promoting Supportive Collaborative Practices
Chapter Summary
Suggested Readings
References
Chapter 6: The Social Dynamics That Build School Culture
Examining School Culture
Introduction
School Capacity
Collective Ownership
Collective Responsibility
Coherence
Human Capital
Induction
Mentoring
Teacher Leadership
Social Capital
Relationship to Human Capital
Social Networks
Chapter Summary
Suggested Readings
References
Chapter 7: Leveraging Culture to Stabilize the School House
Examining School Culture
Introduction
Culture, Turbulence, and Disruption
Turbulence
External Turbulence
Internal Turbulence
Personal and Professional Turbulence
Readying for Tomorrow Through Culture
Leading Through Cultural Turbulence
Stabilizing Through Unifying Elements
Impact of Subcultures
Culture in the New School House
School Culture Expanded
Culture Tensions
New Focus
Chapter Summary
Suggested Readings
References
Chapter 8: It’s All About Culture
Introduction
Revisiting the Framework for School Culture
Unifying Elements of School Culture
Empowerment
Autonomy
Collaboration
Support, Care, and Safety
Sense of Belonging
Self and Collective Efficacy
Professional Engagement
Teacher Voice and Teacher Agency
Asking, Why Culture Now
Culture Supports Teachers
Teacher Effectiveness
Teacher Retention
Professional Learning
Workplace Conditions
Collective Responsibility and Ownership
Human and Social Capital
Key Takeaways About School Culture
References
Index
