School culture presentation by Linda Nelson of NCAIS at SAIS New Teacher Institute 2009.

1. UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL CULTURE Linda S. Nelson Executive Director North Carolina Association of Independent Schools

2. Beliefs Values Traditions Patterns of Behavior Climate Environment “The Way We Do Things” WHAT IS SCHOOL CULTURE?

3. WHAT THEY SAY vs. WHAT THEY DO Expressed Culture vs. Observed Culture Are they the same? Should they be?

4. THREE LEVELS OF CULTURE Level One What you might see on your first visit – first impressions Level Two Values, beliefs, “the way things should be done” These are “testable” in the physical environment Level Three Fundamental beliefs about school, students, etc. Reason for being

5. BOARD Broadly defines through Mission and Vision

6. It’s the head’s role to translate and communicate that “definition” of culture. Heads do not have a choice about whether they communicate; everything they do is a communication. They only have a choice about how and what and how consistently they will communicate. THE HEAD OF SCHOOL IS THE CULTURAL LEADER– LIKE IT or NOT…

7. The primary methods available to leaders to allow them to shape culture are: Paying attention to some aspect of school life Choosing to measure some aspect of school life

8. AS CULTURAL LEADER… If a head is consistently interested in one thing, it will become a centerpiece of school culture. If a head is inconsistently interested in many things, unclear in communicating with employees, or inconsistent in decision-making or defining priorities, people will spend a lot of time trying to figure out what’s going on. The head’s inconsistency will become a central feature of the school culture. (Understanding School Culture, Michael Thompson

9. HEAD OF SCHOOL IS: Symbol of Culture Potter who shapes the Culture Poet who uses language to describe the Culture Actor who plays out the values and vision Healer who presides over life transitions in the community

10. HEAD HAS A KEY ROLE IN DETERMINING IF EXPRESSED CULTURE AND OBSERVED CULTURE MATCH

11. ROLE OF TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS Supporting Cast Watchdog vs. Enablers

12. SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET Every school has skeletons These skeletons become a part of the culture – good or bad The way a community deals with these “skeletons: speaks volumes about its “culture” and commitment to self-improvement

13. ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY Independent Schools as institutions most closely resemble families and churches Everyone related to the school has a vested interest in what is going on and has strong opinions Personal and Professional lines can become blurred Strategic thinking, visioning, values can quickly become “situational”

14. WHERE DO “NEWBIES” FIT IN? Good Question… “Does the Shoe Fit?” Fresh Eyes Broader Perspective

15. QUESTIONS…FINAL THOUGHTS