Schools As Collaborative Cultures

This collection of 12 essays examines the school's need to establish a collaborative environment as a precondition for its own development. The following chapters explore the necessary shift in schools from a bureaucratic to a professional mode: (1) "Recanting Bureaucracy: A Democratic Structure for Leadership in Schools" (D. L. Clarke and J. M. Meloy); (2) "Teacher Professionalism: Why and How" (L. Darling-Hammond); and (3) "What Are Schools of Education For?" (S. B. Sarason). The following chapters examine critical issues of fundamental change: (4) "A Fundamental Puzzle of School Reform" (L. Cuban); (5) "Education Reform Strategies: Will They Increase Teacher Commitment?" (S. J. Rosenholz); (6) "Teaching Incentives: Constraint and Variety" (G. Sykes); and (7) "Healing Our Schools: Restoring the Heart" (T. E. Deal). The following chapters investigate the changing roles, relationships, and culture of the school: (8) "The Social Realities of Teaching" (A. Liebermann and L. Miller); (9) "Teachers as Colleagues" (J. W. Little); (10) "Leadership for Curriculum Improvement: The School Administrator's Role" (G. A. Griffin); (11) "Staff Development and School Change" (M. W. McLaughlin and D. D. Marsh); and (12) "Schools for the Twenty-first Century: The Conditions for Invention" (P. C. Schlechty). Two figures are included. Each chapter includes a list of references. (FMW)

Teachers are some of the kindest, most altruistic and smartest people on the planet yet despite the best of intentions, fearful atmospheres can arise organically within schools, leaving people feeling disempowered, anxious, isolated and frustrated. Why is this? What are the impacts? And, crucially, how do we resolve it? Ofsted, accountability, funding, workload and societal difficulties have led to a response in many schools that is fear based, generating staff cultures that affect teacher wellbeing and are leading to large numbers leaving the profession. This impacts not only staff morale and wellbeing but also has a highly detrimental effect on teacher performance and the outcomes for pupils and students. This book examines what underpins these patterns and sets out a practical model for embedding a trust-based culture in all schools. Drawing together four key psychological concepts, the book explores what a trust-based culture looks like and the conditions that are needed for this to develop. It looks at the paradoxes that lie in how staff create harmonious and collaborative cultures and the practical steps that are needed to create a culture where staff that crave and give open, robust feedback are pro-active, learn from failure and have the ability to thrive through challenging questions. Providing a comprehensive blueprint for schools to follow, this is essential reading for school leaders and thinkers who want to create a rich, healthy environment where collaboration, creativity and excellence in teaching and learning can flourish.

A collection of articles from a group of commentators on American education, this book covers areas such as the creation of community in schools, the use of such ideas as commitment, the use of incentives and the promotion of colleagueship and leadership.

A school-wide model for addressing individual needs The greatest goal of education is to ensure equity while enhancing learning and academic success for all students. And yet, it is impossible for one teacher to meet the extensive needs of all students in his or her classroom. The traditional schooling model cannot provide for this complexity and leaves educators perplexed. The solution is a collaborative approach where “every child deserves a team” to surround them with supports that recognize their strengths and challenges. Collaborative Response offers a school-wide model for addressing students’ individual needs. The three fundamental components of the model are: collaborative structures and processes; data and evidence; and continuum of supports. In this book, readers will find: Entry points for beginning this work Potential pitfalls of the approach Case studies from schools that have adopted the model Access to a website with tools, templates, case studies, and more With a focus on quality classroom instruction, this book shares examples from schools and districts that have transformed how they respond to the needs of all learners.

Provides school principals with information on how to keep on top of the human relationships and dynamics at work in their schools.

Ensure Conversations About Collaboration Get Results. This book lays out the theory and practice of Collaborative Professionalism. Through five international case studies, the authors distinguish Collaborative Professionalism from professional collaboration by highlighting intentional collaborative designs and providing concrete examples for how to be more purposeful with collaboration. Additionally, the book makes Collaborative Professionalism accessible to all educators through clear take-aways including: Ten core tenets, including Collective Efficacy, Collaborative Inquiry, and Collaborating With Students. Graphics indicating how educators can move from mere professional collaboration to the deep and transformative work of Collaborative Professionalism. Analysis of which collaborative practices educators should start doing, keep doing, and stop doing Collaboration can be one of your most powerful educational tools when used correctly, and turned into action. This book shows you how.