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What gives you that “good” feeling when you walk into a school? You can almost sense it walking in from the parking lot—a wave of emotion and instinct telling you that good things are happening at a school. The opposite, however, is also true. You can just as quickly pick up on a sense of hopelessness, weariness, and frankly, darkness the moment you step out of your car. Why is that? What are the indicators that spark such intuition?

As the executive director of the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), and as the director of student programs for the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL), we have been visiting and working with schools and districts throughout every region of our state for many years. And, as a result of our travels, we’ve picked up on the signs of hope and indicators of a positive school culture. Great culture doesn’t just happen; it’s created over time by the school leader…but not the leader alone.

In Washington, our two associations see ourselves as the bookends of school culture: students (AWSL) and principals (AWSP). Not one over the other, nor one without the other, but rather two working together to create an incredible school culture for both the students and the adults. You will not find a school with a great culture without encountering programs and systems to support that culture. Most importantly, you’ll find authentic, genuine, and respectful relationships between students and adults. Without these relationships, the creation of a positive school culture is nearly impossible.

Prioritizing Relationships

So, where does one start? Well, it starts with you. How much do you prioritize relationships in your leadership? How do you model relationships? How do you build relationships? What systems have you put in place to cultivate and maintain relationships? As you begin to ponder the answers to those questions, let’s add a couple more words in each and see if your answers change. Add the words, “with students” after the word “relationships.”

Assistant Principal Michael Kantman builds culture with Wahluke Junior High School students during AWSL’s Eastern Washington Middle-Level Team Retreat. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SCOTT SEAMAN AND JAMES LAYMAN

How do you prioritize relationships with students in your leadership? How do you model relationships with students? Do you know student names? Do students want to talk to you in the hallways? Are students excited to see you? Do you get a hug or fist bump from the student you are about to suspend? Those are just a few questions getting to the heart of principal and student relationships.

At AWSP and AWSL, we understand the power of relationships. We see incredible examples throughout our state of principals creating school culture by starting with relationships with students. AWSP relentlessly focuses its professional development for principals on how to create and maintain school culture. That’s one end of the bookend at work. But what happens in a school when a principal doesn’t make this a top priority? Well, the school can’t wait for culture to happen, so we help equip our students with the tools, resources, programs, language, and confidence to help our principals lead. That’s the other bookend: our AWSL student programs. How do we equip each and every student to lead and be valued as a leader?

Have You Asked Your Students Yet?

AWSL has a front-row seat to the student experience because we position and create the stage for students to be our teachers and collaborative partners in the process of making positive school experiences for all. A question often used with both organizations is, “Have you asked your students yet?” This question is a powerful reminder to reach out (adult to student and student to student) to capture vital information from students who may not regularly get a seat at the table. This question opens the door to creating authentic and meaningful conversations, learning solutions, and culture boosts for adults and students alike.

This simple question defines our collective work: ‘How can we make a day at school better?

We’ve seen elementary schools create leadership teams where students can be part of the “Recess Council” to ensure recess runs smoothly. We’ve witnessed students and adults come together through the “house” system at the middle level, where they create communities within communities leading to connection, belonging, and engagement. We’ve watched high school students run assemblies about essential topics (beyond pep rallies). This could not happen without the trust, advocacy, and foundational relationships between students and adults. Our organizations believe this is how positive movement happens.

A Connection to the AWSP Leadership Framework

For AWSL, the most substantial connection to AWSP is the inclusion of the AWSP Leadership Framework. This framework is the evaluative tool for principals in our state. Instead of creating a different track for students in our state, collective learning, growth, and collaboration are key. So yes, elementary students learn how to communicate with the same language and context their principal does. They know how to create a culture and ensure safety in the classroom, hallways, and recess. Secondary students engage the school community, manage resources, and improve instructional practices with their adult school leaders. This intentional move has created a symbiotic partnership where students and adults can feel seen, valued, respected, and heard through their respective contexts as they are rooted in shared learning.

2024 Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year William Jackson, now director of teaching and learning in Bellevue School District, greets students in the hallways of Nathan Hale High School in Seattle.

Across the 295 districts in Washington and the more than 2,500 schools, the common thread, regardless of geography, population, or region, is students and adults figuring out how to make schools work. This simple question defines our collective work: “How can we make a day at school better?” Whether that is with students, adults, or both, it takes intentionality and a full-court press of listening, understanding, and supporting one another each and
every day.

The School Leader Paradigm

As you can see, culture must be a bookend approach because we believe that not all leaders are wired the same. Through the lens of the School Leader Paradigm, some leaders are more naturally inclined to be leaders in the systems or learning domains. Some are more naturally culture domain leaders. While the school leader explores and learns about their own leadership strengths, AWSL works to help students come alongside their leader to create a culture in which everyone can flourish.

That’s school culture. That’s the “feel” you get when you pull up to a school, park your car, and then start walking toward the main office. What’s the culture of your school? How are you leading with your students?

Scott Seaman, EdD, is the executive director of the Association of Washington School Principals. Previously, he was the principal of Tumwater High School in Tumwater, WA. James Layman is the director of the Association of Washington Student Leaders.