Education World – Staff Writer
“”School culture is the set of norms, values and beliefs, rituals and ceremonies, symbols and stories that make up the ‘persona’ of the school,” says Dr. Kent D. Peterson, a professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Education World recently talked with Peterson about the differences between positive and negative school cultures and how administrators and teachers can create a positive culture in their schools. Included: Tips for creating a positive school culture. “The culture of a school consists primarily of the underlying norm values and beliefs that teachers and administrators hold about teaching and learning,” according to Dr. Kent D. Peterson. That culture is also composed of “traditions and ceremonies schools hold to build community and reinforce their values,” says Peterson, a professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and co-author of Shaping School Culture: The Heart of Leadership.”(more)