Article The Unity and Individualism of Climate and Culture
Jasmine Gilliam As we start the new year, let’s start in truth: the climate and culture in many of our schools are crumbling. Students are reporting anxiety in response to the challenges of returning to in-person learning. Tensions between teachers and administrators are at an all time high. Teachers, like many other professions, are participating in what is being called the “Great Resignation,” exacerbating teacher shortages and stretching everyone thin. If climate and culture are the heartbeat of our schools, then many of us need openheart surgery. Unfortunately, while most educators would agree that climate and culture are key to a successful school, these terms are used to describe so many intangible things, from student behavior to staff morale, that it renders the terms almost meaningless. How can schools rally around terms that mean something different for each person? Before we can work to improve climate and culture, we need to be clear about what they are, and understand that they are not interchangeable. “Climate describes the shared perceptions of the people in a group or organization, while culture includes how people feel 32
