The document outlines strategies to transform school culture and establish a collaborative environment, focusing on the importance of a shared vision and stakeholder involvement. It discusses the detrimental effects of toxic culture and provides methods for fostering positive relationships, trust, and staff engagement in school change. Key themes include the need for collaboration, leadership, and continuous improvement to enhance the educational experience for students.

1. Practical Ideas to
Transform Your
School Culture and
Create a Vision
NC Association for
Middle Level Education
Bruce Vosburgh -
PAMLE

2. Bruce Vosburgh – Schools to Watch
Director in Pennsylvania,
- PAMLE State Executive Board
- Retired middle level teacher, team
leader, coach, administrator
- President Elect – National Forum to
Accelerate Middle Grades Reform

3. THIS WE BELIEVE
CONNECTIONS
a shared vision developed by all
stakeholders guides every decision
leaders are committed to and
knowledgeable about this age group,
educational research, and best practices
leaders demonstrate courage and
collaboration
organizational structures foster
purposeful learning and meaningful
relationships

4. Schools to Watch
A shared vision of what a high-
performing, developmentally
appropriate school is and does drives
every facet of school change.
1. The shared vision drives constant
improvement.
2. Shared, distributed, and sustained
leadership propels the school forward
and preserves its institutional memory
and purpose.
3. Everyone knows what the plan is and
the vision is posted and evidenced by
actions.

5. EXPECTED OUTCOMES
participants will learn how to transform
toxic cultures into collaborative
endeavors
participants will analyze and discuss
their current school culture and begin
the development of a plan to make it
more collaborative

6. ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What is school culture and
how does it affect the
effectiveness of your school?

7. HOW BIG IS THE GORILLA IN
YOUR SCHOOL?
In most schools, the
800 pound gorilla
that impairs
performance and
stifles change is
CULTURE.

8. CHANGE IN THE GULCH
trailblazers
pioneers
settlers
survivors
saboteurs

9. TRICKS TO DEALING WITH
COMPLAINERS
disperse their negative power
do not treat them as a group
realize they cannot influence the
believers
remember they complain
EVERYWHERE
Leading School Change

10. TRICKS TO DEALING WITH
COMPLAINERS
redesign staff meeting arrangements
meet with them INDIVIDUALLY to
discuss plans for change
do not put them in adjacent classrooms,
common teams or PLC’s
match them up with trailblazers and
pioneers
Leading School Change

11. What are the causes of the
resistance to change we
often find at our schools?

12. FOUR TYPES OF
CULTURE
collaborative
contrived
Secluded
isolated
Where is the culture in YOUR school?

13. RATE YOUR SCHOOL CULTURE:
A SINGING VERSION
Toxic Healthy
I Can’t Get No Satisfaction
Who Let the Dogs Out?
I Will Survive
16 Tons
Take This Job and Shove It
Help!
Hard Day’s Night
Wrong Again
Send in the Clowns
The Sounds of Silence
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Rainy Days and Mondays
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
Stairway to Heaven
Celebrate
We Are the Champions
Top of the World
I Am a Believer
We Are Family
The Hero Is In You
Lean on Me
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Imagine
One Moment in Time
I’m A Believer

14. THE LOOK OF A TOXIC
CULTURE
toxic
negative
values
fragmented
destructive
lack of
integrity and
values
negative
relationships
pessimistic
staff
negative
beliefs
Shaping School Culture

15. SHIFTING SCHOOL
CULTURE
 teaching
 teacher isolation
 pass/fail mindset
 compliance
 curriculum overload
 general goals
 static assessment
 independence
 planning to plan
 time and staff fixed
 learning for most
 learning
 collaboration
 elimination of failure
 commitment
 guaranteed curriculum
 specific goals
 dynamic assessment
 interdependence
 planning to improve
 learning fixed
 learning for all
FROM TO

16. THREE LEVELS OF
CHANGE
Procedural
Structural
Cultural
Leading School Change

17. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO
DEVELOP A
COLLABORATIVE CULTURE
IN YOUR SCHOOL?

18. Collaborative Culture
trust
risk-
taking
absence
of threat

19. • be a role model for the change – all staff
• realize that the first impression when instituting change is
all important
• emphasize that the change is in the best interests of the
students
• instill an awareness of both the existing culture and the
need for change
• invite teachers to be part of the change
• support positive cultural elements and staff

20. • gather support of the superstar teachers
and then bring the others along
• pretend almost everyone is on board
• focus on recruitment, selection, and
retention of effective, positive staff
• focus on eradicating the negative
• meet the negativity head-on

21. • diminish fear and apprehension
• rebuild around positive norms and beliefs
• consistently celebrate the positive and the
possible
• develop new stories of success, renewal,
and accomplishment
• help toxic teachers make the move to a new
school

22. Successful
Collaboration
common
understanding
common
commitment
efficiency and
effectiveness
data to monitor
performance
adjust efforts
based on data

23. SHAPING A SUCCESSFUL
CULTURE
focus on a student-centered mission
and purpose
strengthen positive elements of
existing culture
build on established traditions and
values
hire staff who share the values of
the culture
use history to fortify and sustain
values and beliefs
Shaping School Culture

24. Creating A Vision
 Create Small focused groups to
brainstorm and discuss the following
questions
 1. How are we different from other
schools?
 2. What kind of school do we hope to
be?
 3 What can we do differently?
 4. What do you think should be included
in our vision statement?
• Radnor MS

25. Bringing the Vision to Life
 Branding
 Create a logo
 Develop posters, T-shirts, stickers
 Display in all school communications
 Create Vision Days, Pep Rallies
• Radnor MS

26. POWERFUL, POSITIVE
CULTURES
collegiality
experimentation
high expectations
trust and confidence
tangible support
reaching out to the knowledge bases

27. POWERFUL, POSITIVE
CULTURES
appreciation and recognition
caring, celebration, humor
involvement in decision making
protection of what is important
honor traditions
honest, open communication
Butler and Dickson, 1987

28. TODAY’S PRINCIPAL
provides an atmosphere conducive to shared decision-
making and collaboration at all levels
asks questions rather than providing answers
facilitates the process of school improvement rather
than prescribing how it should be done
collaboratively explores alternatives to ineffective
policies and practices rather than dictate the ones that
will be used
This We Believe in Action

29. TODAY’S TEACHERS
are active leaders in the school learning
communityparticipate in instructional discussions within learning
communities that are centered on student success
are involved members of their teams
seek ways to make curriculum integrative, relevant, and
challenging for students
This We Believe in Action

30. TODAY’S TEACHERS
share instructional strategies to help meet individual
student needs
discuss data with their colleagues and use it to inform
instruction
share their expertise to help the school solve
problems, make decisions, and set policy and direction
This We Believe in Action

31. SCHOOL RITUALS AS PART
OF CULTURE
RITUALS
coffee and
doughnuts
attendance
dismissal
schedule

32. SCHOOL CELEBRATIONS AS
PART OF CULTURE
Celebration is a key element in building and maintaining a positive,
collaborative culture – embrace ALL partners in your celebrations

33. TICKET OUT THE
DOOR
What do you need to do at your school?

34. Bruce Vosburgh
 bvosbur@comcast.net
 610-945-4434
 www.pamle.org
 http://middlegradesforum.org