EDUC 5 REVIEWER School as a Social Organization

The School as an Agent of Social Change

The systems theory is best to explain the nature of
schools as a social organization. Under the systems
• A school is a dynamic social organization that
theory, it is best to examine some of the
develops every learner for various social roles.
characteristics of schools including structure, culture,
It is influenced by a system anchored on a
climate, leadership, decision-making, and the
philosophy, mission, and vision.
relationships among personnel (Bozkus, 2014).
• School as an organization- it has its
own system if governance influences by a fixed • Structure: As social systems, schools’ structures
organizational structure or bureaucracy. In have characteristics of rational, natural and open
basic education, the Department of Education systems. They have hierarchies of authority,
determines the bureaucratic structure of goals, and role expectations similar to
schools from national, regional, division, bureaucratic organizations. Individual needs
district, and the local school level. At the affect employee behavior, organizational goals
national level, the DepEd Secretary Acts as the are not firm, informal organization derive from
head of the whole bureaucracy supported by interactions among individuals, and schools
the Undersecretaries and Assistant (Bozkus, 2014).
Secretaries. The Central Office is composed of
4 Bureaus namely (1) Bureau of Curriculum • Culture and Climate: School culture is
Development, (2) Bureau of Learning Delivery, preserved and transferred to new members by
(3) Bureau of Learning Resources, and (4) the socialization process (Kowalski, 2010). New
Bureau of Educational Assessment. The teachers learn shared values, beliefs, and norms
Regional Offices are headed by Regional when they interact and build relationships with
Directors supported different education their colleagues. The school culture is influenced
supervisors. The Division Offices are headed by the philosophy and core values of the school.
by the District Supervisor and supported by It is also continuously shaped by the culture of
educational supervisors. Lastly, at the school every individual members of the school.
level, the principal serves as the chief
administrative and academic officer of the Norms are influential in shaping students’
school. Master Teachers and classroom character and values system. Often times, the
teachers support the principal in accomplishing norms or school culture create a sense of place
various tasks. among students. School has become not only a
place for learning but also a home for them.
• School as a learning organization- its Much of who they are as a person including their
main function is to help learners to learn and views on various issues are influenced by the
develop knowledge, skills, and values essential hidden curriculum they got from the school. The
for every individual. Its main function us to institutional culture is a thread that binds all
implement the curriculum prescribed by the teachers, students, staffs, and alumni. It is their
Department of Education. Guided by the identity as a school.
different principles and theories of teaching
and learning, the school carries this function by Climate on the other hand represents an
helping to mold the minds and character of organization’s distinguishing characteristics,
students. Students in school with the help if feelings, and behavior that can be presented
teachers develop much knowledge and skills. with a framework which consist of four elements:
(1) physical frame is the physical factors of a
• School as a community- it is school like equipment, classrooms; (2) social
composed of teachers, administrators, frame is the social facto; (3) environment mostly
students, staff, and other stakeholders united related to social behavior of individuals with a
in one purpose and guided by common values school; and (4) structural frame represents
and cultures. As a community, the school is factors such as hierarchy, authority, role, and
guided by the following essential elements: symbolic frame is the parts of culture like
believes, norms, values (Kowalski, 2010).
o Vision – a sense of direction of
what the school hopes to • Leadership and Decision Making: In social
accomplish for itself, for the people, systems of schools an important aspect of
and for the society; leadership is the quality and systematic effects of
functions and behaviors or principals as leaders
o Values – provides a framework
(Bozkus, 2014).
for organizational culture and
behavior of the entire school;
The Governance of Basic Education Act
o Leadership – provides
provided a way to enhance the system of
administrative and management
leadership and decision making proves in the
support for the dayto-day activities
school. Currently, principals are now the local
and functions of the school; and
executives in their schools. They help to develop
o Culture - pertains to shared the vision and plans for improving the school and
values and behaviors if students, for helping students improve their scholastic
teachers, staff, and administration. performance. Annually, the schools are
mandated to submit their annual school
improvement plan (SIP), which serves as the
 basis for their budget and for evaluating their 3. Technology must be utilized to improve
performance. Likewise, the teachers are now access to quality education
empowered to develop innovations that will 4. Curriculum must be progressive and
improve students’ achievement and innovative
performance. 5. Alternative learning system must be
harnessed
Relationships: Social organizations like schools 6. New literacies and skills must be
are stemmed from interaction among people developed
both within and outside of the organization. 7. Teachers must be equipped with high
Relationships within school building and with the level of technological, pedagogical, content
community are essential elements of knowledge (TPCK)
socialization and have a significant impact on 8. Classrooms must be equipped with
many vital processes (Bozkus, 2014). technology
9. New subjects and courses must be
Social Change and its Effect on the Educational developed to respond to the needs of the
System society
10. Old disciplines must evolve to embrace
• Social change is a broad term and every new research and developments in the field
society develops and evolves in a unique way 11. Critical thinking, creativity, and
as influenced by various social factors and innovation must be developed among students
events. 12. Industry-school partnerships must be
• In general, sociologists define social change as developed
changes in the human interactions and
relationships that transform cultural and social
transformation. Social Changes and Challenges Brought by the 4th
• Digitalization and technological advances - Industrial Revolution
Technological advancement is impacting the
finance industry as new challengers are • The concept of Fourth Industrial Revolution,
emerging and growing customer expectations according to Davis (2016) builds on the Digital
drives significant IT infrastructure investment. Revolutions with cyber-physical systems
• Demographic and behavioral changes – The providing new mechanisms and allowing
changing demographics, geographical, and technology to be embedded within societies
behavioral profile of customers are forcing and even the human body. It is marked by
financial institutions to deal with divergent emerging technology breakthroughs in a
customer expectations, and new customer bases number of fields including robotics, artificial
and workforces. intelligence, nanotechnology, quantum
• Global talent and skill race – Talent capable of computing, and biotechnology, internet of
navigating a rapidly evolving financial landscape things, 3D printing and autonomous vehicles
will be required to respond to increasing (Bernard et al. 2016).
regulatory pressures, a changing approach to • Schwab (2016) describes how the 4th Industrial
risk management and the emergence of new Revolution is fundamentally different from the
markets. previous three industrial revolutions.
• Business Operating Model pressures – Accordingly, these new and emerging
Regulation and the increasing cost of capital is technologies have great potential to continue to
exerting pressure on business operating connect billions more people to the web,
structures, driving segmentation, and drastically improve the efficiency of business
disintermediation in the financial sector. and organizations, and help regenerate the
• Regulatory changes and complexity – natural environment through better asset
Regulatory pressures arising from the financial management. We are facing a world
crisis have increased the cost of capital, transformed by technology, in which the
prompted large-scale divestment, reshaped Internet, cloud computing, and social media
attitudes toward risk, and redrawn the boundary create different opportunities and challenges in
between retail and wholesale banking. all social institutions and particularly for the
• Changes in investment, capital sources and global education systems.
returns – Non-bank financial institutions, fintech • The Fourth Industrial Revolution brought
companies, and new investors are bringing fresh significant social transformation that created a
capital into the sector while banks meet capital new world economy characterized by:
requirements, manage stress tests, and spend
on compliance upgrades. a. Wider Employment Opportunities
b. Demand for Quality, Competitive and
These social changes, among others, demands that all Flexible Workers
educational institutions at any level must not only c. Globalization
respond to these changes but they must also evolve d. Millennial Workforce
and be changed. e. Mobility
f. Technological Advancement
1. New ways of teaching and learning g. New Behaviors
must be developed and introduced
2. Instruction must focus on the holistic • The 4th Industrial Revolution calls for the
development of every learners educational system to develop graduates who
are equipped with knowledge and new skills
 and prepared for responding to the various • Cultural forces are shared values,
social challenges that may come. In order to goals, and ideas about pedagogy,
produce qualified graduates, the curriculum relationships, and politics intended to build
needs a new orientation. The old literacies covenantal community that is used to compel
(reading, writing and math), have to be change
strengthened as well as by adding the new and • Democratic forces are democratic
emerging literacies, to produce qualified social contacts and shared commitments to the
human who can thrive in digital era. common good intended to build a community
• Education should adjust itself to different social that is used to compel change.
challenges and demands. There are three
literation that needs to develop to prepare
graduates for this 4th Industrial Revolution: Characteristics of a Good School as an Agent of
Social Change
1. Data Literation – the ability to read, to
analyze, and to use information in the digital To effectively serve as an agent of social change,
worl. schools need to evolve and be a model of a good
2. Technology Literation – The ability to social institution. Reviewing the current literatures on
understand mechanical (system) work, to use the characteristics of a good school makes us
the application of technology like (Coding, conclude that good schools are generally describe as
Artificial Intelligence, & Engineering being learner-centered. Good schools make an effort
Principles). to serve all types of students by providing a
3. Human literation – Humanities, good physical and socio-emotional environment for all
Communication, and Design. This calls for students. They provide instructional support system to
development of leadership skills, social help students to learn effectively and to develop
competence, collaboration and teamwork, curricular program to further enrich the knowledge and
professionalism, and new sets of values to be skills of the students. They respect the ethnic and
developed among students. linguistic differences among students.

• With the changes and challenges of the 4th Based on the study of MacBeath, Boyd, Rand, and
Industrial Revolution, schools need to revisit Bell (1995), there are six indicators or an effective
their academic programs and focus on what school that were also affirmed by Sergiovanni (2000):
are essentials skills that need to be learned for
human beings to become productive and enjoy As an agent of social change, a school must set an
the fullness of life. The World Economic Forum example of good social institutions. Schools need to
in 2016 identified examples of these skills: model a dynamic social organization characterized by
the following:
➢ Complex Problem Solving
➢ Innovation Skills • The school climate must be
➢ Critical Thinking professional and friendly to all;
➢ Creativity • There must be a positive relationships
➢ People Management among students, faculty, staff,
➢ Collaboration administrators, and stakeholders;
➢ Emotional Quotient • The classroom atmosphere must be
➢ Decision Making mentally and emotionally engaging for
➢ Negotiation Skills learning;
➢ Entrepreneurship • There is enough and adequate support
➢ Cognitive Fluency for learning;
• The teachers and other staff received
Change Forces support for professional and personal
growth;
Sergiovanni (2000, pp.154-155) identifies six forces • The school must be efficient in
affecting changes in schools: bureaucratic, personal, managing its resources;
market, professional, cultural, and democratic. Each of • There must be an efficient
these forces is influential in implementing changes in communication system among teachers,
schools: students, administrators, staff, parents, and
other stakeholders;
• Bureaucratic forces are rules, • The school has a system to recognize
mandates, and other requirements intended to good works and other achievements;
provide direct supervision, standardized work • There must be a strong school and
process, or standardized outcomes that are home relationships; and
used to prescribed change. • All members of the school community
• Personal forces are personalities, must be treated with respect.
leadership styles, and interpersonal skills of
change agents that could push for changes to
happen in school Responding to the Needs of the Country and Local
• Market forces are standards of Communities
expertise, codes of conduct, collegiality, felt
obligations, and other professional norms • We have the world-renowned University of the
intended to build professional community to Philippines Los Baños, which is famous in the
compel change field of research and in developing a lot of
 scientists in the field of agriculture, forestry, All schools under the K-12 Education Program are
and other professional fields in the Philippines expected to function as gents of social change and
and in the Asia-Pacific region. Some transformation. They are expected to contribute to
outstanding agriculture schools are Central nation building by developing holistically developed
Luzon State University, Central Mindanao and functionality literate learners characterized by:
University, Mariano Marcus State University,
Eastern Visayas State University, and many • A healthy mind and body;
other agricultural universities. • Solid moral and spiritual
• The University of the Philippines, Manila also groundings;
made an outstanding contribution in developing • Essential knowledge and skills
local doctors who are serving in local to continuously develop himself/herself
communities in the country. Its satellite to the fullest;
campuses in Leyte, Davao, and Aurora are • Engagement in critical and
excellent models on how schools can help creative problem solving;
serve the people. Siliman University, a private • Contribution to the development
protestant school established during the time of of a progressive and humane society;
the Americans in Dumaguete City is a good and
example of how a school can influence the • Appreciation of the beauty of the
transformation of the society. Siliman did not world and cares for the environment for
only produce outstanding leaders and a sustainable future.
professionals in various disciplines and fields in
the country. It has immensely influenced the
economics and cultural development of Responding to the Needs of a Culturally Diverse
Dumaguete City and the whole island of Global Community
Negros. Currently, Siliman has a strong
research in marine science that focuses on the
• Shim (2011) pointed out that from a global
conservation of our country’s marine
perspective, people now live in the world
resources.
wherein entanglement is an inherent condition
of human existence; constant border crossing
Other schools have done noble contributions to nation
among cultural and language boundaries using
building. The following are just a few examples:
technology becomes inevitable. As a result,
people live in countries, which are becoming
a. The UP Baguio research on the indigenous
more ethnically, racially, culturally, and
people culture in the Cordillera region.
linguistically diverse every year (Shim, 2011).
b. Ateneo de Manila University is also known for
This, the growing case of immigration in
its contributions in helping the poor people in
various countries also has made the society
various parts of the country and it has multicultural.
collaborations with other agencies and
institutions, like Gawad Kalinga, in its mission to
end poverty and serve the poor.
Roles of Administrators, Teachers, and Students
c. Miriam College partnership in developing
in Promoting Schools as Agents of Social
children’s literacy in poor communities.
Changes and Transformation
d. St. Scholastica’s College program for
empowering women and in promoting gender
Leadership and collaboration are essential elements to
equity.
ensuring success in all education endeavors. The kind
e. The UP College of Law, Law Center for
of leadership that school administrators provides could
providing free legal assistance to poor people.
inspire teachers, staffs, and other school personnel to
f. The Central Visayas Institute of Technology for
pursue important education goals, which could be
developing science literacy by building a good
translated in the successful achievements of students
science and mathematics program in a small
in their studies. When we speak of leadership, we
town of Jagna in the province of Bohol.
mean effective leadership that pushes more
g. Mindanao State University for advancing the
innovations in a creative organizational environment.
education of Muslims and other indigenous
And when we talk of collaboration, it should be
groups in Mindanao.
meaningful and constructive that allows creativity,
h. Mary Johnston College of Nursing for serving
critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making.
the health needs of poor families in Tondo,
Thus it is important to understand what drives effective
Manila.
leadership and meaningful collaboration in shools.
i. TESDA Schools all over the country are
helping to develop vocational and technical skills
What for effective leaders for? Fullan (2001) identified
of millions of students.
several strategies that leaders in school could do to be
effective in complex times:
There are also a good number of mission schools
established by various catholic and protestant 1. Educational leaders must be guided by
churches that are good models. The Seventh Day moral purpose. Moral purpose is about making
Adventist Church in the Philippines has pioneered a positive difference in the lives of students and
multigrade classes in different local communities in the striving to improve the quality working
Philippines. These schools have contributed a lot in relationship in the school.
providing access to quality education in the country.
2. It is essential for leaders to understand the
change process. Any form of changes in school
 or in the whole education system is not easy. All leaders regularly monitor students’ progress and
stakeholders must understand the change that is evaluate teachers’ performance. This means
going to happen and be guided in the process. It providing instructional leadership is important.
is essential to understand that opposition,
discontentment, discouragement, negative 6. Establishing a positive school climate –
feedbacks, is natural when undergoing some ensuring transparency, integrity, and honesty in
changes. An effective leader is a coach, a all school transactions, establishing clear
mentor, and a teacher in the change process. standards to follow, could do this exercising
fairness, and supporting professional growth of
3. It is essential to build relationships. If teachers and staffs.
relationships are improved, things will surely get
better. Thus leaders must be consummate 7. Establishing linkages and collaboration
relationship builder within the school with with parents, community, and all
teachers, staff, and students, and between the stakeholders – there is an old African proverb
school and with all stakeholders. Effective that says “it takes a village to educate a child”
leaders constantly foster purposeful interaction which simply means that ensuring support and
and communication. participation of all stakeholders in every school
activities and encouraging parents to have active
4. Leaders must commit to knowledge role in the education of their children are
creation and sharing. School leaders should essential.
commit themselves constantly in generating and
increasing knowledge inside and outside the
school organization. They also share vital The School as an Organization
information to all teachers, staff, and Organizational Theories
stakeholders.
• According to Kashyap (n.d.), ever since the
5. Effective leaders seek coherence in dawn of civilization, people have always
everything they do. This is difficult considering formed organizations to combine effort for
the issues, problems, and demands that schools accomplishment of their common goal. Some
examples are the Emperors of China who
and the total education system are facing.
used to construct irrigation system, the
However, ensuring coherence is important by
First Pope who created a universal church
constantly following logic and rationale thinking in
to serve as religion, and the Egyptians who
making decisions, being guided by the school constructed the great pyramids. In simple
values and philosophy, and being scientific and words, Kashyap (n.d.) defines it as a group of
systematic in conducting business in school. persons formed to seek certain goals.
• According to an article “Organization
There are other strategies that administrators, Theory,” (n.d.), “organization is basically
teachers, and other personnel can do to ensure defined as an assembly of people working
success of the school. together to achieve common objectives through
1. Strong principal leadership – the principal division of labor.”
plays a vital role in the school. The principal • McNamara (n.d.) also defined organization as
ensures that all educational goals, targets, and group of people intentionally organized to
plans set by the school and by the Department of accomplish an overall, common goal or set
Education should be implemented effectively. goals which have major subsystems that
functions with other subsystems in order to
2. Setting high expectations for students’ achieve the overall goal of the organization.”
achievement – the business of the school is to • In an educational organization setting, a school
ensure that all students should be successful in is established with a clear vision, mission
their students; ensuring that all curriculum goals, and objectives (VMGOs). School’s
competencies should be mastered by the VMGO is a declaration of the school’s
students and this is measured by the objectives which serves as a guide for planning
assessment of their learning performance. and decision-making.
• There are several theories that explain the
structure of organization and these are
3. Empowerment and providing positive
classified as classical or modern organizational
support to teachers – teachers need to be
theories which deal with formal organizational
empowered in making decisions for their classes
concepts. Among these are Taylor’s scientific
and in the subjects they teach. Trust and support
management approach, Weber’s
for teachers are important morale boasters that bureaucratic approach, and Fayol’s
drive teachers to do more innovations in their administrative approach.
classes. • According to Lagaard (2006), Frederick
Winslow Taylor was the primary contributor of
4. Creating a clear vision and mission – any Scientific Management which originated in
administrator should help the school community the beginning of the 20th century which was
to create a clear vision and a great sense of later adopted by industrial companies.
mission. This sets the foundation of good • “Scientific Management was based in idea of
leadership – a vision and mission that is shared systematization where attempts were made to
by all members of the school community. enhance efficiency of procedures to be best via
scientific analyses and experiments” (Lagaard,
5. Monitoring students’ progress and 2006, p.14).
teachers’ performance – effective school
• “Taylor’s work is based on the concept of 4. Unity of Command – all orders received
planning if work to achieve efficiency, must come from one manager only
standardization, specialization, and otherwise it will cause confusion to
simplification that promotes mutual trust employees.
between the management and workers in order 5. Unity of Direction – this ensures that all
to increase productivity” (Organizational actions are properly coordinated and
Theory, n.d.) Taylor’s work also proposed four requires employees to perform and carry
principles of scientific management articulated out activities as one team leading to the
below: same objectives using one plan.
6. Subordinate of Individual Interest – is
1. Science, not rule of thumb – develop a about prioritization of organization’s interest
science of each element of man’s work, over personal interest which applies to all
which replaces the old rule-of-thumb. members of the organization.
2. Scientific selection of the worker – 7. Remuneration – is about rewards and
scientifically select and then train, teach, compensations to efforts that have been
and develop the workman, whereas in the made which could be in form of monetary
past he chose his own work and trained or non-monetary that keeps employees
himself the best he could. motivated and productive.
3. Management and labor cooperation 8. The Degree of Centralization – this
rather than conflict – heartily cooperate implies the concentration of decision-
with the men so as to ensure all of the work making authority at the top management.
being done is in accordance with the 9. Scalar Chain – is about the hierarchical
principles of science which has been structure that is always present at any type
developed. organization. There should be a clear line
4. Scientific training of the worker – of in the area of authority from the top
workers should be trained by experts using management down to the lowest level.
scientific methods. 10. Order – this pertains to the order and
• The following concepts suggested by Taylor in safety of employees in order to function
order to increase the level of trust properly at work.
(Organization Theories, n.d.): 11. Equity – this implies equal treatment
among members of the organization.
➢ The advantages of productivity 12. Stability of Tenure of Personnel – this is
improvement should go to workers; about the proper deployment and
➢ Physical stress and anxiety should management of personnel by providing
be eliminated as much as possible; employees the opportunity to be
➢ Capabilities of worker should be considered for tenured position based on
developed through training; and their performance.
➢ The traditional ‘boss’ concept should 13. Initiative – this allows employees to
be eliminated. express ideas that will help benefit the
company.
• Henri Fayol also develop another approach 14. Esprit de Corps – this promotes unity
called the Administrative Theory. among employees, develops morale in the
• According to Laagard (2006), contrary to workplace, and created atmosphere of
Taylor;s scientific approach which is mutual trust and understanding.
categorized as bottom up approach Fayol’s
administrative principles is in the form of the • Another contributor to modern organizational
management’s hierarchical pyramid structure theories is Max Weber. He is a German
which is considered as a top approach and its sociologist known for bureaucratic theory of
focus is on administrative process rather than management and is considered as the father
technical processes. of sociology. “Weber believed that the most
• Van (2009) emphasized that Fayol laid the first efficient way to set up an organization is
foundation for modern scientific management through bureaucracy which is way better than
in the early 1900 which serve as guidelines for the traditional structure.
decision-making and management actions. • Bureaucracy is an organizational structure
Van (209) further articulated that this that is characterized by many rules,
management concept which is known as the 14 standardized process, procedures and
principles of management is considered as requirements, number of desks, meticulous
the underlying factors for successful division of labor and responsibility, clear
management: hierarchies and professional, almost
impersonal interaction between employees”
1. Division of Work – tasks is divided among (Mulder, 2017).
employees according to their field of • Mulder (2017) and Lagaard (2006) highlighted
expertise or field of specification. the three types of power that can be found in
2. Authority and Responsibility – the an organization based Weber’s Bureaucratic
management has the authority to give model and these are the following:
orders to subordinates that comes with
corresponding responsibility. ➢ Traditional authority – based on
3. Discipline – is about the core values historically created legitimacy where
anchored in the vision and mission of an authority is hereditary and based on
organization to form of good conduct which dependent subordinates;
essential to the successful operation of the ➢ Legal, rule-oriented authority- the
organization. bureaucratic type of authority, based on
 normative rules for career, hierarchy institutions, the operation is governed by
etc.; and specific policies, standards, and guidelines
➢ Charismatic authority – the personal which can be in a form of a memo or an
authority, based on a type of ‘seduction’ order. It serves as a guide for the members
and hence, the devotion of supporters. of the organization to follow.
5. Impersonal – Regulations and clear
• Mulder (2017) also articulated the following requirements create distant and impersonal
elements that support Fayol’s bureaucratic relationships between employees, with the
management: additional advantage of preventing
nepotism or involvement from outsiders or
➢ All regular activities within a politics. Decisions must be based on
bureaucracy can be regarded as rational factors rather than personal factors.
official duties; 6. Career orientation – Employees of a
➢ Management has the authority to bureaucratic organization are selected on
impose rules; and the basis of their expertise. This helps in
➢ Rules can be easily respected on the the deployment of the right people in the
basis of established methods. right positions and thereby optimally
utilizing human capital. Professional growth
• Mulder (2017) explained that “bureaucracy, and career development is encouraged to
according to Weber, is the basis for the support employees to become experts in
systematic formation of any organization and is their own field and significantly improve
designed to ensure efficiency and economic their performance.
effectiveness which is an ideal model for
management and administration in order to
bring an organization’s power structure into School Leadership
focus. Relative to this, Weber lays down the
basic principles of bureaucracy and emphasis • The following are some of the important
on the division of labor, hierarchy, rules and aspects of a school leader’s role highlighted by
impersonal relationship.” The following are the Christie, Thompson, & Whiteley (2009):
salient features of Max Weber’s Bureaucratic
Theory highlighted by Mulder (2017): ➢ Developing a deep understanding of
how to support teachers – school
1. Task specialization – sometimes called leaders should understand the need of
the division of labor wherein individual teachers that will capacitate them in order
tasks are divided into separate jobs which to become effective teachers.
allows to manage tasks easily. In a school ➢ Managing the curriculum in ways that
setting, each department has different promote student learning – learners
functions and each member has different have different learning styles; hence
field of expertise. Teachers for example are curriculum shall be carefully managed
usually assigned with teaching loads based accordingly by planning for appropriate
on their area of expertise while other strategies in curriculum delivery that will
functions that are administrative in nature suit the learning styles of students.
are assigned to non-teaching academic ➢ Developing the ability to transform
personnel. schools into more effective
2. Hierarchical of authority – Managers are organization to foster powerful
organized into hierarchical layers, where teaching and learning for all students
each layer of management is responsible – transformational leadership is one of
for its staff and overall performance. In a the leadership theories that requires
bureaucratic organizational structure has leaders to have passion and energy to
the greatest power to control the lower level achieve great things.
while the bottom layers are always subject
to supervision and control of the higher • Leadership is inherent to the teaching
levels. profession.
3. Formal Selection – All employees are • According to Jackson (cited in ASCD, 2015),
selected on the bases of technical skills teacher leaders transcends formally defined
and competencies, which have been roles in building which means that every
acquired through training, education and teacher, any teacher, at some point in their
experience and are paid accordingly. In the career, becomes a teacher leader.
Department of Education, formal selection • According to Gabriel (2005), teacher leaders
process is being followed using an possess a semblance of authority but no formal
established set of standards and power. While not all leadership positions are
requirements are applied. Education and formal in nature and are not fixed, every school
training backgrounds are the primary teacher do not serve or may not have served
requirement in school setting when as official leaders but may be assigned to
applying for a position including leadership roles. Among the roles that teacher
performance evaluation based on existing leaders may assume are the following:
standards is also required for promotion
and remuneration. ➢ Grade Level/Subject Coordinator –
4. Rules and requirements – Formal rules this may include instructional leadership
and requirements are required to ensure and administrative functions.
uniformity, so that employees know exactly ➢ Department Chair/Coordinator –
what is expected of them. In a bureaucratic serves as liaison officer between
form of organization like the educational administration and colleagues.
 ➢ Curriculum and Assessment serves interests of systematic thrivability by
Specialist – leads teachers to follow promoting patterns of joint optimization of
curriculum standards and develop shared visions, values, and individuals among
appropriate assessment. groups rather than the maximization of any
➢ Mentor/Coach – serves as a mentor for subset of particular individual interest”
co-teachers. (Chatwani, 2018
➢ Facilitator – facilitates professional • It is believed that leadership can be more
development. effective when it is distributed among group of
individuals with different competencies but a
• Leadership according to Yukl (2013) is shared mission and vision to foster culture of
different from managers. It includes motivating learning.
subordinates and creating favorable conditions
for doing their work which is considered as one
of the important managerial roles. The School as an Educational Organization
• Leaders can influence the effectiveness of an
organization through the following: • The establishment of a basic education school
➢ The choice of objectives and strategies in the Philippines requires a School
to pursue; Principal/Administrator, Academic Non-
➢ The motivation of members to achieve Teaching Personnel (registrar, librarian, school
the objectives; physician, school dentist, school nurse, school
➢ The mutual trust and cooperation of office staff, guidance counselor, support staff,
members; etc.), and teaching staff as embodied in DECS
➢ The organization and coordination of Order No. 12, series of 1991.
work activities;
➢ The allocation of resources to activities • Administrator/Principal – each school
and objectives; need a leader that will guide faculty
➢ The development of members skills and members and support staff in fulfilling
confidence; school’s mandate. School administrators
➢ The enlistment support and cooperation who work in elementary, junior high school,
from outsiders; and senior high school are known as
➢ The design of formal structure, Principals who are responsible for leading
programs, systems’ and the entire organization of school. They are in
➢ The shared belief and values of charge of managing the major administrative
members. tasks and supervising all the teachers and
students which include evaluation of
• School leaders involved various leadership teachers, handling student discipline,
styles which include transformational, developing, implementing and evaluating
instructional, and distributed leadership. school programs and projects, policy
development, hiring of teachers, delegating
Instructional Leadership tasks and teaching assignments, and
• Instructional leadership is based on three- maintaining a positive relationship with
dimensional approach which includes defining parents, community and other stakeholders.
the school’s mission, managing the
instructional program, and promoting a positive • Teaching Personnel/Faculty Members –
school climate Hallinger, 2010, as cited in they are licensed teachers assigned to
Nedelco, 2013). In short, it promotes teach in different subject areas in different
collaboration between the School Principal and grade levels and are responsible for
teachers to develop curriculum and instruction managing the classroom environment,
in order to improve student’s performance. facilitating instruction and assessment of
• Hallinger defines this as a leadership being student learning. They work with school
focused predominantly in the role of a school administrators, parents and the community
head in coordinating, controlling, supervising, to improve student learning and to promote
and developing curriculum and instruction. school programs and projects.

Transformational Leadership • Academic Non-teaching Personnel – they

are the non-teaching personnel assigned to
• According to Bass & Riggio (2006), this support to help maintain a positive learning
leadership theory was conceptualized by environment and to keep the school clean
James MacGregor Burns in 1978. and safe from harm. They work as teacher
• Transformational leaders are type of leaders aids, librarians, guidance counselors, office
who inspire their followers to achieve personnel, and security and maintenance
extraordinary outcomes by inspiring them and, staff.
in the process, develop their own capacity
(Bass & Riggio, 2006). This Leadership • Students – they are the primary
approach supports the instructional leadership stakeholders that benefits from the school.
style. It focuses on developing one’s capacity They come from different age groups,
to innovate and support the development of cultures, and backgrounds whose ultimate
changes to practices of teaching and learning goal is to be trained and educated. They
(Hallinger, 2010, as cited in Nedelco, 2013). make teaching profession a challenging
Distributed Leadership work for teachers and serve as bridge in
connecting with parents and the community.
• Distributed leadership is considered as a
shared effort by more than once person. "It
 • Community – it is the location where the National Historical Institute, Record
school is situated. It plays a very important Management and Archieve Office, and the
role in creating a positive learning National Library which are previously under the
environment. The partnership between the DepEd were administratively attached to the
school and the community help to National Commission for Culture and Arts
strengthens the relationship of teachers with (NCCA). Sports and physical fitness activities
parents, government officials, and private remained under DepEd.
organizations that help promote school
programs and projects.
The Enhanced Basic Education
The organizational structure of a school involves • According to the Senate Economic Planning
various theories which include formalization of school Office (SECO) (2011), the Philippines, together
procedures, centralization/decentralization of decision with Djibouti and Angola of Africa are the only
making, and specialization of tasks and roles within three remaining countries in the world that
the organization. retains 10-year basic education system. SECO
• The formalization of procedures involves (2011) articulated that the continuous
development of written policies that serve as a deterioration of the quality of education in the
guide for members of the organization to follow Philippines despite of the constitutional
which may also include plans, vision, mission, guarantees has prompted DepEd to push for
goals, and objectives. the implementation of the K to 12 program,
which entails the institutional of the
• Centralization/decentralization of decision
kindergarten and the additional two more years
making on the other hand is the division of
of high school in the basic educational cycle.
tasks in decision making from the top
management or the Administrator/School The following are the issues that influenced the
Principal and Instructional Leaders/Head implementation of the K to 12 programs highlighted by
Teachers known as top down approach or in SECO (2011):
some cases uses the bottom up approach
where middle managers make decision and 1. Net elementary participation rates have
relay to the top management for approval. declined from 90.1 percent in 2002 to 88
• Departmentalization is one of the horizontal percent in 2010. Fewer children of school
specializations often used in an educational age proceed to high school and an even
organization. It could be a Language smaller number pursue college education.
Department, a Science Department, a Math 2. Access to education is unequal, with the
Department of a Physical Education poor having significantly lower participation
Department, etc. Faculty members from these rates than the non-poor.
departments are considered experts in their 3. Efficiency is a problem as manifested in the
own field and are given teaching assignments still high, albeit declining dropout school
that are aligned with their field of leaver rates.
specializations. 4. The results of Functional Literacy,
Education and Mass Media Survey
(FLEMMS) showed that out-of-school with
ages 6 to 15 years old do not attend
Reforms in the Department of Education
classes mainly due to lack of personal
• When the trifocalization of the Philippine interests, high cost of education, too young
educational system took place in the early to go to school.
nineties, technical-vocational education and 5. Low score in the country’s national
training and higher education were separated assessment test.
from the basic education. 6. The result of international test such as
• By virtue of RA 7722 and RA 7784 the Trends in International Mathematics and
Commission on Higher Education and Science Study (TIMMS) shows that
Technical Education and Skills Development Philippines is among the worst participating
Authority were created. The mandate of the countries.
Department of Education Culture and Sports There are many compelling reasons why the
(DECS) was then refocused to basic education Philippine government pushed for enhancement of the
which covers elementary, secondary, and non- basic education system. In an article published by k-12
formal education, including culture and sports Philippines (2015), six reasons were highlighted why
(DepEd,n.d.) In 2001, Republic the Philippines should shift to k to 12, these are the
• Act NO. 9155 otherwise known as following:
“Governance of Basic Education Act,” was
passed transforming the name of DECS to the • The Philippines is the only country in Asia
Department of Education (DepEd) and with a 10-year basic education
redefining the roles of its offices from the • Poor quality of education
national level down to the school level. The RA • Too many non-practical subjects
9155 provided the overall framework for school • Not prepared for college education
head empowerment by strengthening their • Too young for labor force
leadership roles and school-based • No global recognition
management within the context of transparency
and local accountability (DepEd, n.d). Finally, in 2012, RA No. 10533 otherwise known as
• By virtue of RA 9155, culture and sports- the “Enhanced Basic Education Act” was passed
related functions, programs, and activities were institutionalizing the K to 12 curriculum which added
transferred to other relevant government Kindergarten and two more years of Senior High
agencies. The Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, School in the basic education program. The K to 12
Program have brought development opportunities to kindergarten level by virtue of DepEd Order
the basic education. No. 31, series of 2012.
• Mother tongue is seen as an important medium
The following are the salient features of the K to 12 of instruction by using a local language
highlighted by DepEd: understood by the learners. Rutus Foundation
1. Strengthening of the Kindergarten in the (2018) articulated the following benefits
Philippines associated with an education that takes into
2. Making the curriculum relevant to learners account children’s mother tongue:
3. Building proficiency
4. Ensuring integrated and seamless learning 1. Children learn better and faster in a
5. Gearing up for the future language they can understand
6. Nurturing the holistically developed Filipino 2. They enjoy school more and feel more at
home
Institutionalization of Kindergarten 3. Pupil tend to increase self-esteem
4. Parents’ participation is increased by
• General kindergarten program refers to the 10-
helping kids in their homework and
month program provided to children who are at
participating in school activities
least five years old in regular elementary
5. When children take advantage of their
schools using thematic and integrative
multilingualism they also enjoy higher socio-
curriculum to ensure the development of
economic status including higher earnings
foundational skills among children to prepare
6. On average, schools perform better,
them for grade 1 (DepEd 2012).
reporting less repetition
• Prior to the implementation of the K to 12 7. Finally, children stay in school longer
curriculum in the Philippines, kindergarten is
optional to parents.
• By virtue of RA 8672 otherwise known as the Contextualized Curriculum
“Barangay – Level Total Protection of Children
Act of 1990,” has mandated the local • The enhanced curriculum also aims to provide
government units in coordination with students the opportunity to acquire in-depth
Department of Social Welfare and knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes through
Development (DSWD) to establish a day-care continuity and consistency across all levels and
center in every community covering subjects (K12 Official Gazette, n.d.).
kindergarten program. The implementation of • Curriculum was also made seamless using
early childhood education was then spiral progression concept by teaching the
strengthened by the passage of RA 8980 simplest concept to more complicated concept
known as the “Early Childhood Care and through grade levels which will ensure a
Development Council (ECCD) Act 2001” which mastery of knowledge and skills after each
mandated the ECCD through DSWD to provide level.
programs needed by young children that will Senior High School
promote their optimum growth and
development. • The additional 2 years of Senior High School is
• In 2011, Republic Act No, 10517 otherwise one of the most relevant reforms that may be
known as the “Kindergarten Education Act,” considered. The 2 years of senior high school
was passed institutionalizing the kindergarten was made to provide students sufficient time
into the basic education system. The passing for mastery of concepts and skills, develop
of the said law is on consonance with the lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for
Millennium Development Goals on achieving tertiary education, middle-level skills
Education for All (EFA) by year 2015. development, employment, and
Kindergarten was applied to elementary school entrepreneurship (K12 Official Gazette, n.d.).
system being the first stage of compulsory and • As such, the following tracks were included in
mandatory formal education and was made the senior high school:
integral part of the basic education system of
the country. RA10517 also provided equal o Academic Track
opportunities for all children to avail of ▪ Accountancy, Business and
accessible mandatory and compulsory Management (ABM)
kindergarten education that effectively ▪ Humanities and Social Sciences
promotes physical, social, affective, cognitive, (HUMSS)
and creative-aesthetic development that will ▪ Science, Technology,
prepare them for formal elementary schooling. Engineering and Math (STEM)
• With the passage of RA10210 otherwise known ▪ Pre-baccalaureate Maritime
as the “Early Years Act of 2013,” children ages
0-4 became the responsibility of the ECCD o Technical-Vocational-Livelihood
Council while the responsibility to help develop ▪ Agri-Fishery
children in their formative years between ages ▪ Home Economics
5-8 was given to DepEd by virtue of RA 10533 ▪ Information and Communications
known as the “Enhanced Basic Education Act Technology
of 2012 which covers the inclusion of ▪ TVL Maritime
kindergarten in basic education system.”
o Sports
Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education o Arts and Design
• The mother tongue0based multi lingual
education (MTB-MLE) was made as medium of
instruction for teaching and learning in the
Organizational Structure of the Department of custom, and any other capabilities and
Education habits acquired by man as a member of
society.
• When the Department of Education as
restructured in 2001 through the passage of • Deal and Peterson (2002) claimed that the
RA 9155, DECS was renamed to DepEd and term culture best denoted the complex
shifted the focus of its mandate to basic elements of values, traditions, language,
education. and purpose in a given setting.
• By virtue of Executive Order No. 366, series of
2004 directing initiated a rationalization plan • Wincek (1995) further stated that culture is
which includes the rationalized structure and comprise of intertwining of assumptions,
staffing pattern of offices in central, regional, values, and beliefs from which a group’s
and schools division levels (Department of norms, practices, rituals, and meaning
Education, 2015). emerge.
• According to DepEd, the new DepEd • Clifford Geert, another anthropologists
organizational structure is a result of the refurbished the definition of culture to the
thorough study conducted by the DepEd fabric of meaning in terms of which human
Change Management Team (CMT) vis-à-vis beings interpret their experience and guide
the long term education reforms. Consistent their actions; culture is an ordered system,
with the pertinent provisions of RA 9155, of meaning and of symbols in terms of
DepEd also continued to adopt the which social interaction takes place (Tharp,
decentralization and shared governance to 2009).
ensure accountability and relevance to the
needs and demands of its stakeholders. • Bower (1966) defined culture as the way we
• Organizational strands were also identifies by do things around here.
the DepEd CMT that reflects the similarity of
functions and objectives of offices. As such, • Schein (1985) provides a comprehensive
new organizational structure was adopted and definition, calling it is a pattern of basic
took effect in January 1, 2016. assumptions – invented, discovered, or
developed by a given group as it learns to
• In the new organizational structure, there are
cope with problems… that worked well
newly created offices while other existing
enough to be considered valid and,
offices were renamed, merged, transferred,
therefore, to be taught to new members as
and some are abolished like the Bureau of
the correct way to perceive, think, and feel
Physical Education. Under the Office of the
in relation to those problems.
Secretary (OSEC) there are 5
Undersecretaries for Curriculum and • Among the given definitions, Geertz’ definition
Instruction, Governance and Operations, Legal of culture used more widely today according to
and Legislative Affairs, Finance and Tharp (2009), however, Deal and Peterson
Administration, and Strategic Management (2009) argued that from the many different
including 5 Assistant Secretaries for Curriculum conceptions of culture, none is universally
and Instruction, Governance and Operations, accepted as the once best definition.
Legal and Legislative Affairs, Finance and
Administration, and the Chief of Staff.
• The organizational structure of the Department Definition of School Culture
of Education is an example of a typical
structure where there is hierarchy of the chain • School culture is characterized by deeply
of command. The person at the top which is rooted traditions, values, and beliefs, some of
the DepEd Secretary oversees the next level which are common across schools and some
down which are the undersecretaries for of which are unique and embedded in a
Curriculum and Instruction, Governance and particular school’s history and location.
Operations, Legal and Legislative Affairs,
Finance and Administration, and Strategic • Culture informs the ways in which “things get
Management Office including Field Operations done around here” and, just as important,
attached Offices and Coordinating Councils. frames how change efforts are perceived.
• Undersecretaries which are the next level of • Schein (1985) defined school culture as
managers to the Secretary oversee the first line
complex webs of traditions and rituals that’s
of managers who are in charge in different
have built up over time as teachers, students,
departments that are broken down based on parents, and administrators work together and
their specialization.
deal with crises and accomplishments.
• School culture affects the way people in a
The School as a Cultural Institution school think, perform, and learn (Starrat, 1993).

Definition of Culture • Waller (1932) opined that schools have a

culture that is definitely their own. There are, in
• As a result of anthropological investigation of the school, complex rituals of personal
people, culture evolved in the twentieth relationships, a set of folkways, mores, and
century. irrational sanctions, a moral code based upon
them. There are games, which are sublimated
• The first modern definition of culture can be
wars, teams, and an elaborate set of
rooted with the definition of Edward Tyler, a
ceremonies concerning them. There are
well-known anthropologist who defined
traditions, and traditionalists waging their
culture as a complex whole which includes
world-old battle against innovators.
knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law,
 • School culture, therefore, is most clearly seen
in the ways people relate to and work together;
the management of the school’s structures, 1. Moving refers on the following:
systems, and physical environment; and the • Boosting pupils’ progress and development
extent to which there is a learning focus for • Working together to respond to changing
both pupils and adults, including the nature of context
that focus (Stoll & Fink, 1998) or simply the • Know where they are going and having the
distinctive identity of the schools (Selznick, will and skill to get there
1957).
• Possess norms of improving schools

Other Cultures in a School 2. Cruising focuses on the following:

Hargreaves (1994) highlights the four existing teaching • Appear to be effective

cultures: • Usually in more affluent areas
• Pupils achieve in spite of teaching quality
1. Individualism - refers to classrooms as “egg- • Not preparing pupils for changing world
crates” or “castles”. Autonomy, isolation and
• Possess powerful norms that inhibit change
insulation prevail, and blame and support are
avoided.
3. Strolling highlights the following:
2. Collaboration – refers to the teachers who
choose, spontaneously and voluntarily, to work • Neither particularly effective nor effective
together, without external control agenda. This • Moving at inadequate rate to cope with pace
include: “comfortable” activities sharing ideas of change
and materials – and rigorous forms, including • Meandering into future to pupils’ detriment
mutual observation and focused reflective • Ill-defined and sometimes conflicting aims
enquiry. inhibit improvement
3. Contrived collegiality – refers to the teacher’s
collaborative working relationships which are 4. Struggling centers on the following:
compulsorily imposed, with fixed times and
places set for collaboration, for example • Ineffective and they know it
planning meetings during preparation time. • Expend considerable energy to improve
• Unproductive ‘thrashing about’
• Will ultimately succeed because have the
4. Balkanization – refers to the teachers who are will if not the skill
neither isolated nor work as a whole school. • Often identified as ‘failing’, which is
Smaller collaborative groups form, for example demotivational
within secondary school departments, between
senior and junior teachers, and class teachers
and resource support teachers. 5. Sinking refers on the following:

Some tangible things that my give an initial indication • Ineffective: norms of isolation, blame, self-
include the following (Starrat, 1993): reliance, and loss of faith powerfully inhibit
improvement
• School’s statement of purpose • Staff unable to change
• School management plan • Often in deprived areas where they blame
• School policies such as the student welfare parenting or unprepared children
policy • Need dramatic action and significant support
• School’s prospectus
• School’s motto
School Mission, Vision, and Values
• Information booklet for casual teachers
• Information/induction booklet for newly • The foundation of school culture’s elements
appointed staff lays at the mission and vision of the school.
• School’s newsletter Every school crafts their mission and vision
• Interactions between teachers and students statements to draw the directions of the
institution. The mission and vision mirror what
Foster and Bates (1984) proposed that influencing the school wishes and hopes to eventually
school culture could result in positive or negative become and accomplish (Peterson& Deal,
orientation depending on the agenda of the leader. 2009).
• The Department of Education created their
vision and mission that every public school
Typology of School Cultures
should reinforce. Below are DepEd’s vision,
• Stoll and Fink (1996) developed a model in mission, and core values.
determining the school culture. They focused
on the school’s current effectiveness, but also
argue that the rapidly accelerating pace of THE DEPED VISION
change makes standing still impossible and
therefore schools are either getting better or We dream of Filipinos who passionately
getting worse. These two concepts enable Love their country and whose values and
school cultures to be examined on two competencies enable them to realize their full potential
dimensions, effectiveness-ineffectiveness, and and contribute meaningfully to building the nation.
improving-declining.
As a learner-centered public institution, the 1. Shared goals - “we know we’re going”
Department of Education continuously improves itself 2. Responsibility for success - “we must succeed”
to better serve its stakeholders. 3. Collegiality - “we’re working on this together”
4. Continuous improvement - “we can get better”
5. Lifelong learning - “learning is for everyone”
THE DEPED MISSION 6. Risk taking - “we learn by trying something
new”
To protect and promote the right of every Filipino to 7. Support - “there’s always someone there to
quality, equitable, culture-based, and complete basic help”
education where: 8. Mutual respect - “everyone has something to
offer”
Students learn in a child-friendly, gender-sensitive,
9. Openness - “we can discuss our differences”
safe, and motivating environment.
10. Celebration and humor - “we feel good about
Teachers facilitate learning and constantly nurture ourselves”
every learner.
Administrators and staff, as stewards of the School Rituals, Traditions, and Ceremonies
institution, ensure an enabling and supportive
• Peterson and Deal (2009) defined school
environment for effective learning to happen.
rituals as procedures or routines that are
Family, community, and other stakeholders are infused with deeper significance. Every school
actively engaged and share responsibility for has hundreds of routines that later on become
developing life-long learners. rituals such as greeting the teacher as students
encounter them along the corridor, conducting
flag ceremonies every morning, and observing
DEPED CORE VALUES the honoring gesture or “pagmamano” gesture.

Maka-Diyos • School traditions are significant events that

have a special history and meaning and occur
Maka-tao year in and year out. Unlike ceremonies, they
need not be large communal events (Peterson
Makakalikasan & Deal, 2009). Some examples of school
Makabansa traditions are conducting freshman orientation,
holding recollection activities to the graduating
batch, and arranging school camping.
• According to Ott (1989), values are the core of • School ceremonies are elaborated as culturally
what the school considers important. Values sanctioned events that provide a welcome
are the standards set for what is good, what spiritual boost. Some examples of school
quality means, what defines excellence in other ceremonies are holding the annual graduation
words, what is valued. rites, joining some local cultural activities and
celebrating Christmas through Christmas
• Beliefs are understandings about the world
Parties.
around us. They are consciously held,
cognitive views about truth and reality (Ott,
1989). In addition, beliefs are how we
understand the world and people around us School History and Stories
while assumptions are a set of beliefs • Peterson and Deal (2009) shared that learning
perceptions, and values that guide behavior. from past mistakes and successes is vital to
• The term norms encapsulate all of these creating and maintaining a positive school
aspects. Norms are unspoken expectations culture.
and rules that staff and students are supposed School Artifacts, Architecture, and Symbols
to follow based on the beliefs, values, and
assumptions of the school (Peterson & Deal, • These three-school artifacts, architecture, and
2009). symbols are the key to create and sustain a
positive school culture.
• Norms are the unspoken rules for what is
regarded as customary or acceptable behavior • The artifacts and symbols are the tangible
and action within the school (Stoll, 1998). objects that represent the intangible values and
Sarason (1996) shared that norms shape beliefs of the school (Peterson & Deal, 2009).
reactions to internally or externally proposed or Moreover, these have variety of possibilities
imposed improvements. It is, therefore, such as logos, mascots, banners, awards,
important for those working in schools and flags, trophies, and the like. In addition, even
outsiders supporting them ti understand their school administrators may serve as a walking
norms because acceptance if improvement symbols as he or she send messages through
projects by a school depends on the fit words, actions, and body language.
between the norms embedded in the changes
and those within the school’s own culture. • Confeld (2016) claimed that physical
environment of the school building and the
• Stoll and Fink (1996) determined ten cultural surrounding area are essential in influencing
norms that influence school improvement. how individuals think and feel about what is
Because norms are frequently unspoken, values.
catchphrases articulate their core messages.
The ten cultural norms of improving schools
are: Levels of School Culture
 • Starrat (1993) crafted a diagram that might 12) Organization History
help us imaging the school as being
compromised of layers resembling an onion.
The outer represents the operational level of Along with these are the six types of school cultures:
the school. This is the level of school life one 1. Toxic
experiences on walking into a school building, 2. Fragmented
seeing children on their way to class, etc. 3. Balkanized
4. Contrived-Collegial
• Underneath that layer is the organizational
5. Comfortable-Collaborative
level of the school. This layer is made up of all
6. Collaborative
those organizing structures of the school such
as the weekly schedule of classes. The next
Toxic School Cultures
layer is made up of the programs of the school.
This includes various components of the • School culture is the underlying set of norms,
academic program, as well as the values, traditions, ceremonies, and unwritten
extracurricular programs. Under program layer rules of behavior, action, and thinking. The
is the policy layer. It is here that we find the school culture is built over time as educators
policies by which the school is run. cope with problems, deal with changing
students and staff, and deal with successes
• Beneath that layer, we find the goals and
and failures.These are what Deal and Peterson
purposes level. Here we find the general goals
(1998) called toxic cultures.
of the school. The mission statement if there is
one, sometimes even a philosophy stamen. • Toxic school cultures lack a mission and vision,
These statements tell what the school values laziness and apathy, appreciate
community is striving to do, or become or separateness and exclusivity, and have
achieve. negative peer relationships (Peterson, 2002).
• Nearing the center or core of the onion, we find • According to Gruenert and Whitaker (2015),
the level of beliefs and assumption. Here would these cultures focus on failures and use these
be what might be called the school’s tacit as an excuse to remain stagnant. Also, they
educational platform. We say tacit, because added that toxic cultures encourage individuals
most of the beliefs and assumptions are rarely to see failures as the inevitable results of
explicated. We assume that children come to circumstances outside of their control rather
school to learn, we believe that parents have than as opportunities for improvement.
the best interest of the children at heart in
enforcing mandatory school attendance laws • According to Peterson (2002), schools with
etc. The list of beliefs and assumptions is negative or toxic culture:
potentially infinite, for they include beliefs about
1. Lack a clear sense of purpose.
the most basic matters in life.
2. Have norms that reinforce inertial.
• At the core of the diagram, sometimes flowing 3. Blame students for lack of progress.
into the layer of beliefs and assumptions, are 4. Discourage collaboration.
the myths and meanings by which people 5. Often have actively hostile relations
make sense out of their lives, by which they among staff
define value, by which human striving is to be
judges, which help to place oneself in a
Moreover, in toxic cultures, staff:
definable order of things. The core is almost
beyond articulation. 1. View students as the problem rather than
as their values clients.
2. Are sometimes parts of negative
Assessing School Culture
subcultures that are hostile and critical of
• In assessing the culture within your school, you change
may use the instrument developed by Gruebert 3. Believe they are doing the best they can do
and Valentine (2015). The culture Typology not search out new ideas
Survey allows individual to recognize and rate
the degree to which he or she observes and 4. Frequently share stories and historical
engages in certain behaviors within the school perspectives on the school that are often
environment. negative, discouraging, and demoralizing.
• There are twelve key aspects of school culture 5. Complain, criticize, and distrust any new
and six types of culture. The twelve key ideas, approaches, or suggestions for
aspects are: improvement raised by planning
committees
1) Student Achievement
2) Collegial Awareness 6. Rarely share ideas, materials, or solutions
3) Shared Values to classroom problems
4) Decision Making
5) Risk Taking 7. Have few ceremonies or school traditions
6) Trust that celebrate what is good and hopeful
7) Openness about their place of work
8) Parent Relations These schools are not fun places to work in and
9) Leadership seldom try to improve what is going on. Toxic cultures
10) Communication inhibit and limit improvement efforts in several ways.
11) Socialization
 • In these cultures, staffs are afraid to offer and community relations that breed further
suggestions or new ideas for fear of being successes for diverse student populations.
attacked or criticized.
• Visualizing school wide and classroom
• Planning sessions lead by the school goals that support the goals of a school site
improvement council or committee are and district to generate key results and
often half-hearted due to the negativity and offering staff development training that
sense of hopelessness fostered by hostile supports these results.
staff that refuse to see that improvement is
possible. Moreover, Deal (1985) identifies eight attributes of
effective schools with strong cultures:
• New staffs that bring hope and a sense of
1. Shared values and consensus on “how we
possibility are quickly squelched and re-
get things done around here.”
socialized into negative ways of thinking.
2. The principal as a hero or heroine who
• Programs that are planned are poorly
embodies core values.
implemented because the motivation and
commitment to change is weak or non- 3. Distinctive rituals that embody widely shared
existent. beliefs.
• Plans fail for lack of will. 4. Employees as situational heroes or heroine.
• No one wants to work in these kinds of 5. Rituals of acculturation and cultural renewal.
schools. But, it takes leadership, time, and
focus to rebuild these festering institutions. 6. Significant rituals to celebrate and transform
Fortunately, most schools are not this core values.
negative, though many have some of these 7. Balance between innovation and tradition
cultural patterns that make change and between autonomy and control.
problematic.
8. Widespread participation in cultural rituals.
How do schools deal with “toxicity” in their culture?
Deal and Peterson (1999) suggest several things
educators can do. These include:
In addition, Phillips and Wagner (2003)
• Confront negativity and hostility head-on identifies following 13 possible characteristics for
and work to redirect negative energies. cultural improvement in schools:

• Protect emergent sources of positive focus 1. Collegiality- the way adults treat each
and effort. other.

• Actively recruit more positive and 2. Efficacy – the feeling of ownership or

constructive staff. capacity to influence decisions.

• Vigorously celebrate the positive and the 3. High Expectations – excellence is

improving sides of the school. acknowledged; improvement is celebrated.

• Ensure that improvement efforts and plans 4. Experimentation and Entrepreneurship –

are successful by supporting with time, new ideas abound and inventions occur.
energy, and resources. 5. Trust and Confidence – participants
believe in the leaders and each other.
• Reconnect staff to the mission of schools:
To help all children learn and grow. 6. Tangible Support – efforts at improvement
are substantive with abundant resources
made available by all.
Creating a Positive School Culture
7. Appreciation and Recognition
• School with string cultures will have effective Improvement – people feel special and act
leadership with exceptional student special
performance (Jones, 2009). To create a new
8. Humor – caring is expresses through
culture of change, school principals and
“kidding.”
teacher leaders must focus on an overall
organizational transformation that includes the 9. Shared Decision-Making by all participants
following successful practices: – anyone affected by a decision is involved
in making and implementing the decision.
• Defining the role of the school principal,
teacher, and school community through 10. Protect what is Important – participant
open communication and academic growth keep the vision and avoid trivial tasks.
activities that can best serve the needs of a
particular school community. 11. Traditions – celebrations.

• Scheduling effective communication 12. Open and Honest Communication –

mechanisms, such as staff lunchroom visits information flows throughout the
department forums, staff meeting pop-ins organization in formal and informal
and all district personnel rallies. channels.
13. Metaphors and Stories – evidence of
• Sharing successes through employee
behavior being communicated and
union newsletters, internal correspondence,
influenced by internal imagery.