School Culture: A Priority Worth Nurturing
A few weekends ago, my colleagues and I took thirty students out to a farm in Pescadero for 24 hours of deep listening, solo reflection, and council practice around a fire. We prioritized being present with ourselves and each other. The patterns of activities, classes, social media, and homework were for a moment paused to make space to just be. In this space we queried our students: “What does a healthy culture look like? How do you know you’re part of something larger than yourself? What are you grateful for?”
It was in this space that we could see a path where these brave students could co-create a culture that centered joy, community, honesty, meaningful connection, and gratitude. This pattern interruption was an important reminder to both of us about the power of the practice of culture.
In the educational landscape, tangible priorities such as curriculum development, college preparedness, and resource allocation often dominate discussions about school improvement and strategic planning. However, an equally vital aspect deserves our attention: school culture.
While school culture is sometimes thought of in a passive sense as the accumulation of norms, values and behaviors, an alternative perspective views school culture as a terrain of practice, where thoughtful intervention and innovation can produce a host of positive outcomes. A school’s culture can significantly influence student well-being, academic performance, and overall community health.
One pressing concern within many educational environments is the rise of toxic achievement culture. As Jennifer Breheny Wallace discusses in her bestseller Never Enough, the prioritization of grades and accolades over holistic development fosters an environment where students feel immense pressure to perform. In such cultures, success is often equated with grades and test scores, sidelining essential skills like creativity, emotional intelligence, and resilience. Students may feel they must compete against one another, leading to stress, anxiety, and a reluctance to collaborate. When schools emphasize achievement at the expense of well-being, they risk cultivating a climate where mental health issues abound and students disengage from learning.
Schools operate within a broader societal context, which means they have the power to either amplify or minimize the toxicity and divisiveness present in the wider culture. Without intentionality, school cultures often absorb and replicate many of the harmful elements of society. This can manifest in various ways, such as reinforcing stereotypes, allowing bullying to go unchecked, or prioritizing academic rigor over emotional well-being. When institutions don’t actively engage in positive culture-building, societal issues—such as inequality, discrimination, or competition—are surreptitiously reproduced. Conversely, schools can serve as sanctuaries that challenge these elements of the broader culture, promoting inclusivity and empathy, and celebrating an expansive view of student and faculty excellence.
Intentional culture building positions schools not just as educational institutions but as catalysts for change. By prioritizing a positive school culture, educators can uplift and elevate the community, encouraging students to become compassionate, engaged citizens. When students feel safe and supported, they are more likely to thrive academically and socially, and they carry those values into the wider world.
Nurturing school culture is not an ancillary task, but a fundamental priority that deserves as much attention as academic programs and resource management. By addressing toxic achievement culture and fostering a supportive environment, schools can transform into spaces that uplift and empower students, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond the classroom.
If you or your school are interested in how to do this in practice, consider joining us on November 15 for School Culture is a Verb, presented by CATDC and Crystal Springs Uplands School. We look forward to seeing you!
Dot Kowal is the Head of Upper School at Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough, CA. She is a licensed clinical psychotherapist, and has extensive experience as a long time independent school college counselor and DEIB practitioner. Dot is a frequent CATDC collaborator, having co-facilitated workshops about Equity in College Counseling, Unpacking the Model-Minority Myth, and co-facilitated a community conversation about Asian Educators for Black Lives Matter. Her work is and always has been about making a difference in individual lives through equity-minded and inclusive practices and policies.
Eli Marienthal is the founder and Executive Director of Back to Earth, a nature connection, leadership development organization based in Berkeley, CA. He has spent the last ten years guiding wilderness immersions and rites of passage journeys for teenage boys in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Eli has also collaborated with middle and high schools across the Bay Area to develop unique outdoor education, leadership training, and school culture-building experiences. His work as an educator, mentor, and coach focuses on supporting people to connect deeply with nature, spirit, and themselves.