Follow-Up to School Culture
A Look at “From Good to Great”
Kenny Moles
Title I School Improvement Coordinator
Essential Question
• How do we as administrators help shape our
school or district culture?
– List two areas of school culture that you feel are
exceptional at your school
– List two areas of concern
– What is the district’s role in shaping culture
throughout the school or district?
– How do your 4 areas lend themselves to hindering
or helping to improve the academic performance
of the students you serve?
The Highly Successful Administrator
Exhibits
Professional
Will and
Personal
Humility
Gets “First
Who…Then
What”
Builds
Relationships
Exhibits the
Hedgehog
Concept
Characteristics
of Highly
Successful
Administrators
Exudes a
Culture of
Discipline
Has
Compelling
Modesty
Has
Unwavering
Resolve
Confronts the
Brutal Facts
Has Ambition
for the
Success of
their School
Build Relationships
Highly-Successful Administrators
1.
2.
3.
4.
Are part of the family
Are one of the leaders
Are truly collaborative
Build sound, enduring
human relationships
Comparison Administrators
1. Are isolated and not a part
of the family
2. Converse with a few,
specific set of teachers
3. Allow barriers to
relationship building to
remain in place
Exhibit Professional Will
&
Personal Humility
Highly Successful Administrators
Comparison Administrators
1. Are fearless
2. Act as a buffer between
school and external forces
3. Voice Priorities
4. Are humble
5. Are self-effacing
6. Are quick to praise others
1. Avoid confrontation
2. Relinquish beliefs
3. Are resigned to
helplessness
4. Are easily & constantly
frustrated
5. Are heavy-handed & brash
Compelling Modesty
Highly Successful Administrators
1. Accept blame
2. Credit others
3. Are charismatic- which is to
be “other-mindedness”
4. Minimize themselves
5. View personal success as
“luck”
6. Establish leaders for the
sustainability of greatness
Comparison Administrators
1. Place blame
2. Secretly seeks to be
recognized as successful
3. Demonstrate self-reliance
on all matters
4. Look to others for
affirmation instead of
formulation
Has Ambition for the Success of Their School
Highly Successful Administrators
1. Encourage Professionalism
and Leadership
2. Value targeted and
sustainable staff
development
3. Strive to see the school be
even greater after they’re
gone
Comparison Administrators
1. Make decisions in the best
of interest of themselves,
not children
2. Promote staff development
only as a time filler
3. Promote the
accomplishments of their
school for resume building
purposes
Unwavering Resolve
Highly Successful Administrators
1. Are relentless in working
towards the school’s mission
and vision
2. Are continuously involved
with the primary operations
of the school
a)
b)
c)
Classroom visitations
Committee work
Grade-level meetings
3. Are persuasive
4. Are results oriented and
communicate those results
Comparison Administrators
1. Start out as seemingly
driven, but hurdles such as
the teachers’ union
admonish their drive
“First Who…Then What”
Highly Successful Administrators
1. Clarify their vision and
expectations
2. Have difficult, yet
professional conversations
with “certain” staff
members
3. Know that people alone
are not the most important
aspect, the “right” people
are
Comparison Administrators
1. Resign themselves to the
status quo
2. Allow policies to restrain
their efforts
3. Do not articulate or foster
a working climate that
would set their school
apart
Confront The Brutal Facts
Highly Successful Administrators
1. Study- everything about
the school
2. Analyze and report on the
data, the good and
especially the bad
3. Work through sensitive
challenges
4. Show that unwavering
resolve to overcome the
brutal facts
Comparison Administrators
1. Limit thinking to a “inside
the box” mentality
2. Fail to let go of the
uncontrollable as excuses
3. Tend to stay within their
comfort zone
4. Fail to push others outside
of their comfort zones
The Hedgehog Concept
Highly Successful Administrators
1. Know what the school does
best
o
Know what your teachers do
best
2. Know what drives the
“educational engine”
o
Reject programs that detract
from the engine
3. Exude passion for their
school’s vision and mission
o
Model the way
Comparison Administrators
1. Fail to stay true to their
passions
2. Change directions rapidly
and often
3. Fail to identify the best of
their respective schools
A Culture of Discipline
Highly Successful Administrators
1. Build a freedom &
responsibility based
culture
o
Collaboration & Focus
2. Fill the culture with selfdisciplined people
o
o
Establish clear expectations
Provide focused support
3. Adhere consistently to the
hedgehog concept
o
Never forget the 3-circle rule
Comparison Administrators
1. Express hope, not certainty
2. Allows freedom as a way of
avoiding the brutal facts
and not for professional
will
3. Consistently stay in various
stages of building their
culture of discipline
o
Changing directions
Questions?