Listen to Episode 13 of the Student-Centered World Podcast above,
“What Do You Do With a Toxic School?”
I once saw on Facebook the plight of a teacher who had a total, unannounced administrative observation the morning after returning from winter break. This is the stuff of school culture nightmares.
That first day back from any break (let alone the morning) is all about recreating a routine, no matter the grade level. What were these school administrators thinking?
How often do you find yourself asking that exact question?
Hopefully, you’re in the position where you just read these nightmare scenarios on the internet but haven’t actually lived through them.
Or perhaps you’re like the rest of us.
Working in a toxic school culture sucks the life (and love) out of teaching faster than anything. Maybe you have a completely unsupportive administrative team, or perhaps opinionated parents have more pull than you do. There are one hundred different ways that you may find yourself working in a toxic school culture.
None of them are fun.
Signs of a toxic school culture
If you’re working in a toxic school environment, I don’t have to explain to you what that looks like. According to the ASDC (2019), there are 10 signs to look for:
- No clear sense of purpose.
- Hostile relations among staff, students, and parents.
- Emphasis on rules over people or mission.
- An absence of honest dialogue.
- More self-preservation than collaboration.
- Active back channels over formal lines of communication.
- Punishment instead of recognition, and rewards and behavior are motivated by the avoidance of punishment.
- A palpable lack of safety.
- A small group that controls the conversation.
- An absence of risk-taking
The last school district I worked in was so focused on implementing procedures properly that the kids were merely an afterthought. It was a classic example of a negative school culture that prioritized compliance over connection.
I could have written this list myself based on the day-to-day interactions within the district and the school’s culture. What I know now, looking back through the lens of current research on educational administration and effective schools, is that the absence of a clear vision and shared values from the instructional leadership team was the primary driver.
The importance of school culture cannot be overstated; it is the invisible hand that shapes every interaction, every decision, and every outcome within a building. The cultural influence of a few toxic individuals can unravel the organizational culture school administrators are desperately trying to build, often because they focus on the wrong metrics. They weren’t looking at the cultural factors that lead to strong relationships and a positive school climate; they were looking at classroom rules and school dress codes.
The final straw (after many red flags) was when I went to my administrator to tell him a student had confided in me that he cut school, and when he did, he found himself accidentally in a very compromising situation. My administrator’s reaction?
Did you write him up for cutting??
Literally, the LEAST important aspect of this entire conversation was the only one that sparked any interest.
I knew something had to give because this was not the school culture for me. There was no sense of belonging for students or staff members. The school’s values, if they were ever articulated, were certainly not the foundation for daily practice. When you are operating in an environment where the unwritten rules supersede the school’s mission, it’s a recipe for burnout and failure. We were not fostering student success; we were managing behavior.
Why Toxic Schools are Leading to the Teacher Shortage
The national teacher shortage, especially in the United States, has reached critical levels, and the impact is being felt across the entire education system. The shortage of qualified educators, particularly in subject areas like math and science, as well as in special education and bilingual education, has created a perfect storm in the teaching profession.
Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics indicate that the teacher turnover rate is rising, leaving many public schools struggling to fill vacant positions. Teacher preparation programs are not producing enough new hires to meet the growing demand, and the number of people pursuing college degrees in education has dwindled in recent years.
Raise your hand if you’re surprised… nobody? Read on…
Low teacher salaries, challenging working conditions, and a lack of support have deterred many potential educators, especially in high-poverty schools and rural areas. School districts, particularly in underfunded rural districts, have difficulty recruiting and retaining quality teachers. In many cases, long-term substitute teachers and underqualified educators have had to fill the gaps, ultimately affecting the quality of education students receive.
The lack of social support and peer support for new teachers is a primary driver of this turnover. Without strong leadership and professional development that focuses on best practices for student engagement, new educators feel isolated and unsupported, leading them to leave the profession.
Furthermore, the pandemic exacerbated the issue, with many teachers and support staff opting for early retirement or pursuing other career opportunities. The teacher shortage crisis is not just affecting full-time teachers; it extends to all school employees, from bus drivers to support staff, straining public school systems and the overall quality of education. This exodus erodes the strong culture that many districts had spent years cultivating, making it even harder to achieve common goals.
To address this issue, state officials, the U.S. Department of Education, and school districts must work together to improve teacher recruitment and retention, providing better job satisfaction, competitive salaries, and professional development opportunities to reverse the trend. The focus, however, must shift towards improving the school’s climate.
Education policy is slowly beginning to reflect what the National School Climate Center has been saying for years: a positive school environment is the bedrock of a healthy educational system.
…but now with the massive changes at the Department of Education? Who knows.
What happens when the toxicity is too much in our schools?
The consequences of toxic school environments, combined with the national teacher shortage, are dire for our public education system. New teachers, already grappling with the challenges of the profession, are often placed in classrooms with underqualified educators and are overwhelmed by overcrowded classes. Class sizes continue to grow, making it increasingly difficult for teachers to provide a quality education to all students.
Learning Policy Institute research shows that these conditions not only lead to low job satisfaction but also contribute to high teacher turnover rates, particularly in critical areas like math and science, as well as special education and second language instruction. This directly affects academic achievement and student performance. When young people are in unstable environments with a revolving door of educators, academic standards inevitably slip. This directly affects academic achievement and student performance.
The impact of this crisis reverberates across all levels of education, from elementary school to middle school and high school. The U.S. Department of Education has noted the alarming number of open positions and teacher vacancies, especially in rural schools and low-income communities. The most recent data from the National Council on Teacher Quality reveals that many new teachers are not adequately prepared to tackle the challenges they face. They are entering a profession in crisis, often without the strong connections or cultural knowledge needed to navigate a toxic school culture.
The shortage of quality educators affects the overall quality of teaching and diminishes the potential for quality education for students, particularly in high-poverty areas. District officials, in collaboration with the federal government, must take substantial measures to address toxicity in schools and provide more support, better teacher training, and competitive compensation to ensure an adequate number of well-prepared teachers to meet the needs of our educational system. This includes investing in instructional leadership and creating a starting point for systemic change.
But what if you’re one of the teachers in the mix? What can you do when most of the issues plaguing your classroom are above your pay grade?
HOW TO COUNTER A TOXIC SCHOOL CULTURE
I was discussing my plight about my last school system with an educational colleague whom I had grown to respect (and who had no connection to my school community). After listening to my concerns, he looked me in the eye and said one simple statement.
“You’re not a tree.”
That may have been one of the most profound things I had heard about my career up to that point.
We often get so stuck in this cycle of despair and the feeling that we can’t do a darn thing about it. In actuality, there is a lot we can do about it because let’s be serious:
It’s not as easy as it is in other professions to find another job. Where I come from, you need to give 60 days’ notice to vacate a position or risk losing your teaching license. Schools often eliminate positions instead of creating them and, of course, when you have too much experience, you’re “too expensive” and won’t even be considered for an interview. A school’s culture can trap you, but it doesn’t have to define you.
Puts you in a tough spot, doesn’t it?
Overall, you have three options if you find yourself in a toxic school culture and want to stay in education. Remember, educational leaders and school leaders at every level have a vital role to play, but so do individual educators. Your collective responsibility starts with taking positive action for your own well-being.
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1. Hope for Change
This is where most people get stuck. They feel trapped in a situation they can’t control or change. Maybe they’re too close to retirement, or they can’t fathom commuting to a new school. Regardless, they just go through the motions and grin and bear the toxic culture that surrounds them.
This is fine as long as you can sustain it.
Perhaps the issues at your school are truly something that you can close your door to, so to speak, and still make it through the day.
Your best bet is to try to get to the root of what you see as the issue in your specific toxic work environment. Is there one particular person who may be close to retiring? Is there a positive culture that can be built in your own classroom, a micro-culture of excellence and good behavior? If you can keep it under the radar or spark change, this may be a good option for you. You can be an agent for positive school culture from within, even if it’s just in your own corner of the building.
If you decide to stay in the same toxic environment, it is important to stay very in tune with your mental health. Look for red flags that show you’re not okay. Early warning signs, like consistently losing patience or avoiding difficult conversations with staff members, show that your school’s culture is starting to affect you negatively.
Remember, you’re the most important thing; if you are not on your game, you won’t have a positive impact in the classroom. Student achievement and student learning will start to suffer, which will have an even bigger impact on your mental health. You may feel a sense of responsibility to stay for your students, but if your own experiences don’t allow you to be the teacher you know you should (and can) be, you may need to reassess. Focusing on student outcomes is impossible when your own well-being is depleted.
If you do stick around, know that your school culture can change quickly with school leaders who share a vision for improvement and address staff concerns about what matters to them. The toxicity won’t be there forever. Cultural change is possible, but it requires strong leadership and a commitment to continuous improvement.
2. Change your path
There are multiple avenues in the educational system that aren’t necessarily in the classroom and look at school culture differently. Do some soul-searching and decide if one of them may be right for you. There are many different ways to make a difference in education.
Personally, this is the path I took. I began to love presenting workshops on Student-Centered Learning, and many of my colleagues pushed me toward it as a new path. I was always frustrated that it took me so long to master student-centered learning because nothing out there explained how to do it effectively…so I decided to be that person.
Starting my own business wasn’t necessarily the traditional way to make this change, but I knew the universe was pushing me toward consulting, and this seemed like the most logical next step. I now have the opportunity to see the “aha” moments with teachers and then watch as their students make positive changes in a specific behavior or in academic success.
During COVID, I listened to their main concerns and came up with a list of things to try. With teachers all over the world giving these a shot and coming back with what worked and what didn’t, I had an opportunity I wouldn’t have had if I were only working with the demographics in my own classroom. I found long-term solutions that worked across the board and provided actionable insights I could implement immediately. This is the essence of professional development that respects teachers’ time and expertise.
It wasn’t easy leaving the classroom, or even my school, because of my students. Let me tell you something, though… at the end of my last school year, when I shared with them what I was planning to do, I couldn’t have had a bigger group of cheerleaders. There were lots of tears (on both sides) on the last day of school, but walking out the door and knowing that I had the full, uncontested support of the young adults whom I had the privilege of teaching…because they also believed in the methodology I was going to teach to other educators…was enough motivation for me to know I was making the right leap. It was the ultimate validation that my focus on student success and academic achievement had mattered.
It’s not just consulting out there. There’s guidance, instructional coaching, or administration. Higher education offers all kinds of specialists and research opportunities. Really consider what excites you, then take the first step to figure out what you would need to do to get there. Perhaps you want to be a school leader who actually champions a strong school culture.
3. Make like a tree…
You may love the classroom so much but just can’t take it where you are because of your school culture.
There’s no shame in that.
The last true option is to find a teaching position in another school. This looks different for different people. It may be a transfer within your district or into a completely different one. It may be a switch from private to public or rural to suburban.
It is up to you to decide what you want your future landscape to look like and then go for it.
Keep in mind that there is currently a teacher shortage, so there are certainly positions out there. However, make sure you research the district from every possible angle. The dominant voices are usually the disgruntled ones. Try to see what the school boasts, what parents are saying, and how the staff feels. If you find that some seriously talented teachers are peacing out, that might not be the best place. Look for evidence of a positive school climate and a supportive environment.
If it seems that the general consensus is that there is a positive school culture, proceed. Don’t get lost in the idea that you want to get out of your school so bad that you’re willing to take any job that comes your way; that will have an even larger detrimental impact on your life. Your goal should be to find a place where school values align with your own and where strong relationships are the norm.
Start by creating a teacher account on social media, even if you only lurk. There are so many ways to network online and also share with one another.
If you get yourself out there, you give potential future employers a chance to see what you’ve got. Post activities in your classroom, educational articles you’ve found, and other school things that interest you to show how you teach on a daily basis.
This can have a huge impact on finding the right place for you. Just keep it positive. This is a form of open communication about your professional practice.
If you need some help sprucing up your resume, check this out.
Check out the book Toxic Schools: How to Avoid Them & How to Leave Them (ad) for some guidance on this journey to a better school culture.
No matter what you decide, make sure it’s best for you. This is YOUR life. Find joy in it.
(Pssst… snagged an interview? Here are 100 common teacher interview questions and answers to look through!)
The Last Piece to Consider
At the end of the day, it is up to you to decide if your toxic school culture is something you can bear to get through or if it’s just become too much. You 1000% need to put yourself first. If your mental and/or physical health is suffering because of your toxic school culture, you need to take a serious look inside to decide if it’s worth it.
Almost every single person I know has left education because of what it did to their mental and/or physical health. The common denominator in all of them? They had a toxic school culture and no avenue to help them navigate it. It turned into something that had the effects of an abusive situation in their lives, and it was just too much.
Every single story is unique and special and important and worth telling, but they all end the same way: A toxic school culture out of their control was detrimental to his/her mental and/or physical health, and they had to leave in order to survive.
Watching colleagues go through this is another main reason I started Student-Centered World: to be another voice to help teachers navigate this terrain.
It is so so so so important and cleansing and therapeutic and absolutely necessary to do what you can to survive, but there comes a point where the only thing to do is leave. Treat this time in your life as an active experience to learn from, not a time to be miserable.
You need to do what you can to protect yourself because your mental and/or physical health is your number one priority right now. If that means leaving, then you leave. There will always be another job out there with less toxicity if that’s what you want.
It’s going to be a bit of a logistical nightmare the first time you do it, but trust me when I tell you this: It is so worth it.
The danger of toxic school culture is that it’s not always obvious, and it’s certainly not something you can escape during the day. Do what you have to do to get your health back on track and stay strong! You can overcome anything with the right support behind you; it’s up to you to decide what path to take and what support to get. Ultimately, finding a school with a strong culture, a clear vision, and high expectations for both students and staff is the key to lasting fulfillment in this profession. Your academic excellence as a teacher is directly tied to the positive school environment you inhabit.
What separates a positive school culture from a negative one?
A positive school culture is built on shared values, open communication, and a sense of belonging for everyone in the building. School leaders set the tone by modeling strong relationships and maintaining high expectations for both staff members and students. In contrast, a negative school culture often prioritizes rules over people, lacks honest dialogue, and fosters an environment where self-preservation trumps collaboration. A school’s culture directly shapes student behavior, teacher satisfaction, and overall academic performance.
How can school administrators begin repairing a toxic environment?
School administrators play a crucial role in shifting a school’s climate. The starting point is often establishing a clear, shared vision centered on student success rather than compliance. This requires strong leadership that builds trust among staff members, encourages open communication, and dismantles the “back channel” dynamics that poison organizational culture. Focusing on common goals, professional development, and recognizing positive action rather than punishing every misstep are essential steps toward continuous improvement.
What role do teachers play in shaping school culture when they aren’t in formal leadership positions?
Teachers have an active role in shaping the school’s culture even without a formal title. By building strong connections with students and maintaining a supportive classroom environment, educators can create micro-cultures of academic excellence and positive behavior. When staff members commit to shared values and healthy relationships, they influence the broader school community. Peer support among colleagues is also a powerful counterweight to toxicity, providing the social support needed to sustain morale and student engagement.
Why do some teachers stay in toxic schools despite the toll it takes on them?
Many educators stay in challenging environments because of a deep collective responsibility to their students or because leaving feels logistically impossible. Some are close to retirement, while others worry about losing licensure or being seen as “too expensive” to hire elsewhere. Some also hope cultural changes will come with new school leaders or shifting education policy. However, staying without proper social support or boundaries can severely impact mental and physical health, ultimately harming student achievement and the teacher’s own academic success.
How can a teacher evaluate whether a new school has a strong culture before accepting a position?
Before accepting a position, it’s wise to research the school district and the specific building from multiple angles. Look beyond the loudest critics and consider what the school community celebrates, how parents describe the environment, and whether staff members seem genuinely satisfied. Red flags include high turnover among talented educators and visible tension between school leaders and teachers. A strong school culture is usually evident through a clear vision, visible core values, and a palpable sense of belonging among both students and staff.
References:
Carver-Thomas, Desiree, and Linda Darling-Hammond. “Teacher Turnover: Why It Matters and What We Can Do About It.” Learning Policy Institute, Aug. 2017, chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/ default/files/product-files/Teacher_Turnover_REPORT.pdf.
Epitropoulos, Alexa. “10 Signs of a Toxic School Culture.” ASCD, 1 Sept. 2019, www.ascd.org/el/ articles/10-signs-of-a-toxic-school-culture.
National Center for Education Statistics. “Forty-Four Percent of Public Schools Operating Without a Full Teaching Staff in October, New NCES Data Show.” IES/NCES, 6 Dec. 2022, nces.ed.gov/ whatsnew/press_releases/12_6_2022.asp.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Teacher Turnover: Stayers, Movers, and Leavers. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved [date], from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/slc.
National Council on Teacher Quality (2020). Clinical practice and classroom management. NCTQ Teacher Prep Review: Clinical Practice and Classroom Management
This article was originally posted on January 8, 2020
This happened to me at Sunridge Middle School, Winter Garden FL 2017-2018. And the principal became principal of the year. The school administration told me its goal was to protect its reputation. I countered that it should be enabling students to become true lifelong learners. I moved on to a university teaching environment where teachers aren’t harassed.
Hello, I am not a teacher but I’m in desperate need and direction on what to do at my children’s school. We moved here a little over two years ago and it’s been non-stop of harassment, bullying from staff & some teachers, verbal abuse, and the list can literally go on. My kids have never had any issues at other schools except this one. My youngest is on a IEP and the school somehow let it slip through the cracks and my child wasn’t receiving the help that was needed, until I found out about it. He’s been suspended for play wrestling with his friends out on recess. for 8 days! A teacher threw his stress ball in the garbage. He’s constantly getting harassed by certain staff and teachers. He has over 50 referrals that do follow him into high school. The write ups are mostly for extremely minor petty situations. I’ve had to take my son into the doctors because he’s been so stressed out it’s causing him to have headaches. At one point before I found out all this was going on. My child was completely shut down, I couldn’t figure out what was going on with him until he finally told me. I don’t know what to do at this point. It’s extremely exhausting and I’ve had several meetings with the principal. However, she’s part of the problem! Not only for my children but the children of this town! I know my kids are not the only ones. I feel so helpless for them. I know there is a shortage of staff here, and most the kids come from a background of parents who are only Spanish speaking and due to their status and circumstances nothing is ever said. There is so much more! But if anyone knows where or who I can go to.. this school needs change and help for the sake of these children’s future. 🙏🏽
It sounds like there are a lot of layers here. Do you have an IEP written? If so, that is legally binding and must be followed. Also, document, document, document. There are many organizations that can help from the parental side of this to make sure everything is being acted on as it is meant to.
Contact the department of education for your state! I’m a special education teacher and you have right, as well as your child! Report them! Gather proof. Right down everything with dates, if you have them.
Btw there are some amazing teachers there but I also feel they can’t speak up because there’s only one middle school and one high school. I wish there can be a change in the whole system for everyone.
I have something to add similar but different. Please email me. I would love to correspond with you on this matter.
I wish that I had found this article about four years ago. I had about 26 years in higher ed and public school when I began teaching at a 9th grade center that was tantamount to a war zone. I had NEVER experienced anything like that before in all of my years in education and I’m still working through it! I was FIRED for poor classroom management skills (allegedly) but I know it was because I wasn’t about tolerating the abuse and I had to go. I wanted to leave anyway, and have worked at some really wonderful private schools since. I think my problem was not acknowledging that I had been in a war zone and once I left I didn’t “debrief”, as soldiers do. I have had a difficult time making the transition from approaching work from going into a war zone every day, activating the “fight, fight or freeze” impulse to where I am now, getting up calm and happy and peaceful and going in to a teaching situation where the students are kind, polite and eager to learn. That job was a hard, traumatic lesson that I would’nt wish on my worst enemy.
This is exactly where I am now. Working in a toxic work environment where the principal rarely speaks to me but somehow magically hears stories from somewhere. He never talks to me about the situations that “are brought to his attention.” When asked for clarification, he says, “Off the top of my head, I can’t think of one.” That’s straight up horse manure. I’ve applied for other positions in District and outside of the district but no luck so far. I am literally at a training right now and have started having panic attacks about this next school year. I don’t see how I can continue on this path in this building. I am the breadwinner in the family so I have to have something lined up first before moving on. at the same time, I don’t think my mental health can take it anymore.