It is well established that socioeconomic disparities exist in today’s P–12 schools. One high school has an Astroturf football field and an indoor swimming pool; the high school next door runs out of copy paper in March, so teachers make-due through the end of the school year. A first-grade teacher in one classroom holds a master’s degree in literacy; the first-grade teacher across the hall is certified in middle school mathematics. English learners at a third school perform poorly on the eighth-grade achievement test although eighth graders overall achieve a score of 90 percent or higher.
How Leaders Shape, Signal, and Build Cultures: A Discussion Guide for Academic Leaders and Their Teams
Among the many desired traits most prized in academic leadership, the ability to shape (or reshape) institutional culture is sometimes overlooked in favor of fiscal acumen, the ability to drive
Lisa Jasinski
May 4, 2026
