Coming soon · Book Profile
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To achieve high levels of learning for all students, schools must transform their culture by understanding and overcoming the division among four types of educators—Believers, Tweeners, Survivors, and Fundamentalists.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Drawing on a three-year ethnographic study of thirty-four U.S. schools and his own experience turning around a high-poverty, high-minority school, Anthony Muhammad argues that lasting school improvement requires cultural change, not just technical change. He identifies four distinct educator groups defined by their objectives—Believers who commit to every student's success, Tweeners new to the culture, Survivors who are burned out, and Fundamentalists who defend the status quo—and shows how their competing belief systems shape a school's culture. The book diagnoses why change is so hard, using organizational theory and the 'drop your tools' firefighter research to explain resistance at four levels, and then equips transformational leaders with concrete strategies rooted in communication, trust, capacity building, and accountability. It is a provocative, research-grounded, and practical guide for leaders determined to overcome staff division and build schools that ensure learning for all.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A school or district leader (principal, teacher-leader, or administrator) who wants to create a healthy school culture where all students learn at high levels.
- The problem
- Staff division among competing educator factions and a toxic culture that resists change block sustainable school improvement and perpetuate achievement gaps. The leader feels overwhelmed, anxious, and unsure where to start, fearing they must be a 'miracle worker' to change deeply entrenched beliefs and practices.
- The plan
- Understand the framework of modern school culture and the internal/external factors that make transformation difficult.
- Identify the four types of educators in your school and understand each group's objective, characteristics, and needs.
- Diagnose the level of resistance among Fundamentalists (communication, trust, capacity, accountability) and respond appropriately.
- Develop a systematic, schoolwide focus on learning and a collective sense of purpose grounded in data.
- Celebrate the success of all stakeholders, create support systems and mentoring for Tweeners, remove isolation, and provide intensive professional development.
- The payoff
- A unified staff focused on the shared purpose of student learning, with a growing population of vocal Believers. · Higher teacher retention, stronger organizational memory, and reduced staff division. · Rising student achievement and a healthy, nurturing environment that gives all students a chance at success in school and life.
See our guide
Additional reading
- Leadership on the Line · R. Heifetz & M. Linsky
The book heavily draws on Heifetz's distinction between 'technical' problems (with known solutions) and 'adaptive' challenges (requiring new learning), which defines the core work of leading in a culture of change.
- Organizational Culture and Leadership · E. Schein
Schein's formal definition of culture as a group's learned response to problems is used as the foundational concept, framing the book's central argument that changing this embedded culture is the leader's primary task.
- Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great · J. Collins
The 'flywheel' concept is a key metaphor used to explain how the book's five leadership components work together to create compounding, accelerating momentum for change.
- Six Simple Rules: How to Manage Complexity Without Getting Complicated · Y. Morieux & P. Tollman
Their research on the 'Complexity Index' is cited to diagnose the problem of organizational 'complicatedness,' which the book's principle of 'coherence making' is designed to solve.
- Where Teachers Thrive: Organizing Schools for Success · S. M. Johnson
Johnson's deep research on successful school cultures provides specific, empirical evidence for the book's claims about the power of collaborative professionalism and hiring for cultural fit.
- How to get your school moving and improving · S. Dinham (2008)
Provides practical guidance for school leaders on implementing school-wide improvement, which aligns with the book's call for collective responsibility.
- Leaders of learning: How district, school, and classroom leaders improve student achievement · R. DuFour & R.J. Marzano (2011)
Focuses on the role of leadership in creating a culture of learning and using evidence to improve student outcomes, a key theme of the book.
- Evidence based teaching: A practical approach · G. Petty (2009a)
Offers another perspective on using research evidence to inform practical classroom teaching, complementing Hattie's meta-analysis approach.
- Student-centred leadership · V.M.J. Robinson (2011)
Explores the specific leadership practices that have the highest impact on student outcomes, reinforcing the book's emphasis on instructional/learning leadership.
- The inspired teacher: How to know one, grow one, or be one · C.F. Steele (2009)
Expands on the book's themes of passion and inspiration in teaching, providing a model for teacher development.