Chapter 16: Stranger in a Strange Land: School Culture, Theory, and Practice

Within the rapidly changing political, economic, and social context of American education, successful principals possess the ability to analyze and support various elements of school culture. This chapter describes a first-year principal’s analysis and support of elements of school culture: collaborative leadership, teacher collaboration, professional development, unity of purpose, collegial support, and the learning partnership among students, teachers, and parents. The author summarizes school culttire theory and the organization of his principal preparation program. The author compares the collaborative nature of the principal preparation program and his ability to maneuver through the cultural landscape of the real world of the middle school principal. After providing a description of the various middle school practices utilized to enhance these elements of school culture, the author recommends continued dialogue among theoreticians and practitioners to enhance the ability of principals to decipher the various symbolic elements of the educational organization.