When you walk into a thriving school, you feel it before you even see it. There’s energy. There’s purpose. And most importantly, there’s connection. But this culture doesn’t just happen. It is built deliberately, every day, by leaders who know that school culture is not about programs or posters. It is about people.
Culture Isn’t Changed by Programs. It’s Changed by People.
I’ve worked under leaders who transformed school culture, and others who unintentionally drained it. One built a space where teachers felt seen and trusted. Another led through control and fear, and I watched morale crumble.
Those experiences shaped how I lead and what I believe.
The most powerful school cultures are built on trust, transparency, and truth-telling:
Trust that teachers are the experts in their classrooms.
Transparency about the challenges we face and the support we need.
Truth-telling that honors student voice and does not shy away from hard conversations.
Culture lives in the moments between the meetings. It is how we treat each other under pressure. It is how we respond when things don’t go as planned. It is whether teachers go home feeling valued or defeated.
If we want schools where everyone belongs, where learning is joyful, and where educators want to stay, we need leaders who build from the inside out. I’ve seen what happens when culture is intentional. And I’ve seen what happens when it is not.
The Cultural Gap: Inclusion as a Leadership Priority
My research uncovered a challenge familiar to many school leaders. Inclusion services are often well-intentioned but inconsistently applied. In one secondary setting, only 47% of students with disabilities passed the Algebra I end-of-course exam, and just 53% demonstrated reading proficiency. These statistics, which trail significantly behind their general education peers, are more than numbers. They are a call to action.
So how do we begin to close these gaps?
We start by transforming the culture that supports the educators who serve these students.
Leadership Moves that Shift Culture
Transforming school culture requires more than enthusiasm. It demands intention, systems, and a shared mission. Based on my findings and the latest research, here are five evidence-based leadership practices that can reshape a school’s culture from the inside out:
1. Make Collaboration the Default, Not the Exception
When collaborative planning becomes a cultural expectation rather than a logistical afterthought, student outcomes improve. Leaders should prioritize protected time for general and special education teachers to co-plan, co-instruct, and co-reflect. This can be accomplished through structured professional learning communities (PLCs), shared planning periods, and administrative modeling of collaborative decision-making (Ni Bhroin & King, 2020).
2. Strengthen Inclusion Knowledge Across Your Faculty
Many general education teachers report feeling underprepared to meet the needs of students with disabilities. This can be remedied with targeted professional development that focuses on IDEA compliance, IEP interpretation, accommodation implementation, and co-teaching strategies (Yell et al., 2020; Sundeen, 2022). When educators feel empowered with tools and knowledge, their confidence increases, and so does their commitment to inclusion.
3. Lead With Data and Stories
Data shows trends. Stories show impact. Use both.
Share student achievement data alongside personal narratives that humanize the challenge and inspire empathy. Leaders who do this well create a sense of urgency rooted not in blame, but in shared responsibility and hope (Cavendish et al., 2020). Culture is built not just through analysis, but through connection.
4. Build Systems That Reinforce Your Vision
Culture does not depend on personality. It depends on structure. One simple but effective strategy involves ensuring every teacher has easy access to up-to-date accommodation information for students they serve. This can be done through secure digital folders, or printed binders refreshed each quarter (Lubke et al., 2019). When inclusive practices are systematized, fidelity increases, and students receive the consistent support they deserve.
5. Foster Belonging for Staff and Students
Belonging is not just a student issue. It is an educator issue. General and special education teachers must feel equally valued, supported, and integral to the school’s mission. That starts with leaders who affirm their contributions, celebrate co-teaching successes, and nurture trusting relationships (Bea Francisco et al., 2020). Culture is sustained through how people feel on the hardest days, not just how they act on the best ones.
Final Thoughts: Inclusion Reflects Leadership
Inclusion is more than a service delivery model. It is a mirror that reflects what we truly believe about equity, access, and human potential. If we want schools where students thrive and teachers stay, we must lead with heart, lead with consistency, and lead in a way that people remember for the right reason.
