There are not too many books that I read that I don’t like. I’m not sure if it is because I have a genuine love of reading or whether it is just a case of choosing judiciously.
In saying that School Culture Recharged: Strategies to Energize your Staff and Culture really missed the mark for me. The authors engage in circular reasoning with statements like “culture shapes people, people shape culture” without actually providing many concrete suggestions as to how this might take place. Many of the few examples given are simplistic and obvious ranging from “praise people for their work” to “smile because it’s contagious.” Other suggestions include, “if you have teachers struggling with classroom management, you might suggest they try dressing more professionally” and “add donuts to meetings to help make attendees feel appreciated.” At least I got a laugh or two…
Culture is a nebulous concept to be certain. But a quick glance at the literature should enable us to go a little deeper than what was presented in this book. Kroeber and Kluckhohn (1952) in a critical review of culture list one hundred and sixty definitions, whilst more recent studies attempt to explore the nature of culture as being either an external or internal entity, fixed, variable or existing only in the mind of an individual. My simple definition of culture would be that it is a set of shared and enacted values, beliefs and ideologies.
Whilst I did enjoy the small section that explored how leaders can strategize by positioning influential people at different points in the organization, the book adds little to those looking for actual strategies to enhance school culture.
Adrian Camm 
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