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By David BielikAs the leaves fall and routines settle into rhythm, it’s the perfect moment to refocus on what sustains your school, its culture and climate. This is not side work; it’s the foundation that sustains learning, connection, and growth. Research consistently shows that a positive school climate contributes to higher attendance, lower dropout rates, and stronger staff retention. Schools with strong culture and climate also tend to experience fewer disciplinary referrals and more stability in staffing, which in turn reinforces consistency, safety, and trust.The benefits of a strong school culture and climate aren’t abstract, they’re measurable conditions that directly shape how students learn and thrive. When students feel safe, seen, and supported, they engage more deeply, take academic risks, and contribute to a shared sense of belonging. The same holds true for adults: teachers who feel valued and connected are more collaborative, creative, and resilient.So how can your school go from aspiration to action in terms of climate and culture at this critical time in the school year when things get busy, momentum can start to fade, and we lose sight of the goals we set at the beginning of the year? The answer lies in weaving culture-building into the daily fabric of school life.Here are a few ways to keep your school’s culture thriving, not as a one-time initiative, but as part of everyday practice:Culture Walks / Climate Rounds: Visit classrooms with a relational lens. Look for greetings, student voice, and visible affirmations, and offer specific, uplifting feedback that reinforces connection.Relational Norms & Welcomes: Begin staff meetings/PLCs with brief check-ins or gratitude rounds. Simple prompts like “One word to describe how you feel today” help keep culture and climate at the center of the discussion.Student-Led Culture Teams: Empower students to design and lead small culture projects, peer-connection days, murals, or mentorship programs. When students take ownership, culture becomes contagious.Professional Learning on Culture Skills: Offer PD sessions focused on relational routines, culturally responsive practices, and restorative conversations. These small learning moments build collective skill and confidence.Frequent, Visible Recognition: Celebrate students or staff who model empathy, kindness, inclusion, or positive problem-solving. Public recognition normalizes the behaviors you want to see more of.Data-Informed Conversations: Revisit your school’s climate data quarterly. Look for patterns, successes, and gaps, and use them to co-plan next steps with your community.When schools approach culture and climate this way, rooted in both evidence and daily practice, it becomes the subtext of every interaction, decision, and classroom moment. Sustaining a healthy culture takes intention and support. That’s where DMC can offer you support.Deo Mwano Consultancy (DMC) can help schools design and sustain a thriving culture where both students and staff flourish. DMC’s approach blends creativity, data, and community voice to build lasting systems, not just short-term events.Culture & Climate Assemblies and Student Listening SessionsDMC’s interactive assemblies use storytelling, music, and movement to ignite student voice and empathy. Each session is followed by a summary report that highlights key themes and provides actionable recommendations for school leaders to strengthen climate in real time.Learning Success FrameworkDMC connects school culture directly to learning outcomes. We help schools align culture, climate, and instruction so that SEL, belonging, and academic growth reinforce one another.Inclusive Community EngagementBuilding a healthy culture requires shared ownership. DMC facilitates partnerships among students, staff, families, and community members to ensure every voice is part of the process. This work strengthens trust, belonging, and collective accountability.Leadership Coaching & Sustainable SystemsTrue culture change sticks when systems evolve. DMC coaches leaders to embed cultural values into daily operations, from staff onboarding and decision-making to behavior policies and communication structures, so culture becomes self-sustaining.Customized, Contextual DesignEvery school community is unique. DMC co-designs strategies with local stakeholders to ensure initiatives reflect each school’s specific strengths, needs, and aspirations.Learn more about how DMC can help you design and sustain a thriving school culture at deomwano.com/school-culture. The DMC Learning Success Team has over 30 years of combined experience in education, teaching in K-12 settings, and supporting learning success in college/university settings. Drawing from these experiences, DMC is committed to providing resources and tools related to our current work, which involves helping educational partners improve their culture through intentional and scalable solutions.

By David BielikThe school year is well under way. Students have had their first rounds of homework and tests, and the school community has settled into a rhythm. Teachers are deep into their classroom routines, balancing lesson plans, grading, and the daily ebb and flow of student needs. This is a crucial time for school leaders. As an administrator, the way you show up for your teachers now can set the tone for the rest of the year.The question is: how can you help teachers stay motivated, creative, and supported while also managing your own day-to-day responsibilities?Here are some practical and sustainable ways to make your support meaningful:1. Build Relationships With Teachers and Among TeachersStrong relationships are the foundation of a thriving school culture. Take intentional time to connect with teachers individually. Ask about their wins, their challenges, and their ideas. Facilitate opportunities for teachers to collaborate and learn from one another, perhaps through informal lunch-and-learn sessions or regular grade-level team meetings. When teachers feel connected to one another and to leadership, motivation naturally follows.Action step: Block out small but consistent chunks of time in your calendar each week to check in with teachers, even 10-minute conversations can make a difference.2. Be Present in ClassroomsWhen administrators are visible in classrooms, it communicates support, not surveillance. Walking through classrooms lets you see learning in action, celebrate teacher creativity, and build rapport with students. It also gives you a realistic picture of what teachers are juggling day-to-day, an invaluable perspective when making schoolwide decisions.Action step: Schedule regular walkthroughs or “learning walks” not tied to evaluations. Leave a quick positive note or email afterward to highlight something you appreciated.3. Get to Know StudentsAdministrators who know students’ names, interests, and challenges model for teachers the importance of relationships. It also makes it easier to address issues proactively and to celebrate successes publicly. When teachers see you connecting with students, it reinforces the message that everyone is on the same team.Action step: Spend time in common spaces (hallways, cafeterias, playgrounds) and interact with students. A few minutes of genuine conversation can ripple outward to improve school climate.4. Provide Time to Listen to TeachersTeachers often have ideas for improving school processes but may feel unheard. Providing time during a staff meeting or professional development day to hold informal listening sessions signals that their voices matter and allows you to gather real-time feedback. This not only strengthens trust but can surface creative solutions you might not have considered.Action step: Try a “coffee with the principal” or “listening lunch” during your next professional development opportunity or teacher workshop day, where teachers can share insights, challenges, and wins.5. Gather and Use Data to Guide SupportMotivation isn’t just about enthusiasm — it’s about effectiveness. Gathering data (on attendance, student engagement, or teacher satisfaction) gives you a clearer picture of where support is most needed. The key is to use the data not as a blunt instrument but as a way to co-create solutions with teachers.Action step: Share data transparently with staff and involve them in interpreting it. This creates shared ownership of progress and improvement.6. Make Support Tangible and SustainableGrand gestures are nice, but what teachers value most is consistent, tangible support, and sometimes it’s the small things that up. Reducing unnecessary paperwork, ensuring procedures are clear and consistently applied, encouraging and recognizing hard work and creative solutions are tangible supports that help teachers feel their work is valued.Action step: Identify one or two policies or routines that create friction for teachers and work with your team to streamline them this semester.Final ThoughtsWhen administrators intentionally build relationships, stay visible, and provide sustainable support, teachers are more likely to stay motivated, show up with energy, and continue creating engaging learning opportunities. The direct impact is clear: students benefit academically and emotionally when their teachers feel supported.By making these efforts consistent and meaningful, you’re not just managing a school — you’re cultivating a thriving community where teachers and students alike can flourish. The DMC Learning Success Team has over 30 years of combined experience in education, teaching in K-12 settings, and supporting learning success in college/university settings. Drawing from these experiences, DMC is committed to providing resources and tools related to our current work, which involves helping educational partners improve their culture through intentional and scalable solutions.

By David BielikAs a new school year begins, administrators across the country are setting goals, reviewing policies, and preparing to track student progress. Often, we rely on grades and standardized test scores to measure achievement. But here’s the challenge: are those numbers telling the full story of our students’ success? Imagine a student who earns a B on a math test but also shows tremendous resilience by asking thoughtful questions, collaborating with peers, and steadily improving week by week. How do we capture that growth? What signals are we missing when we reduce success to a single score?If we want to lead schools where every student can truly thrive, we need to think beyond grades and consider richer, more human-centered measures of success. Here are four alternative metrics you can start tracking this year, with clear action steps and research to back them up.1. Student –Teacher InteractionsResearch consistently shows that strong relationships between students and teachers are among the most powerful predictors of student success. The American Psychological Association highlights that students with positive teacher relationships have higher grades, better test scores, and fewer behavioral challenges (APA). When students feel seen and supported, they are more motivated to learn.Action steps for administrators:Prioritize relationship-building in walkthroughs: Add a lens for interactions when observing classrooms. Look for simple but powerful practices like greeting students by name, listening to their ideas, and offering encouragement.Celebrate connection, not just content: Recognize teachers who go the extra mile to build trust with students, through mentoring, informal check-ins, or family outreach. Even a small acknowledgment in a staff meeting can reinforce the value of these efforts.Create structures for every student to feel known: Use advisory periods to develop mentorship systems so that each student has at least one trusted adult they can connect with regularly.2. Student EngagementEngagement isn’t just about students being on-task, it’s about curiosity, motivation, and ownership of learning. Gallup research shows that engaged students are 2.5 times more likely to say they get excellent grades and 4.5 times more likely to be hopeful about the future compared to their disengaged peers (Gallup).Action steps for administrators:Listen to student voices: Regularly collect feedback through short surveys or student panels. Ask questions like: What kinds of assignments make you feel most invested? What helps you stay motivated?Look for authentic engagement in walkthroughs: Notice if students are asking questions, discussing ideas, and collaborating, or if they’re passively completing tasks.Support teachers with strategies that boost engagement: Provide PD on project-based learning, cooperative learning, or technology tools that promote interactivity rather than passive consumption.3. Individual Progress Over TimeSuccess looks different for every student. A 2022 NWEA study found that when schools emphasize student growth rather than just proficiency, students who start below grade level are more motivated and show stronger long-term academic gains (NWEA). Tracking growth recognizes resilience and effort alongside outcomes.Action steps for administrators:Highlight growth in conversations: In team meetings, shift the focus from “Who is proficient?” to “Who is showing meaningful growth?”Encourage portfolios and student-led conferences: Let students document their own progress in writing, projects, or reflections. This makes growth visible for families too.Celebrate student growth with the school community: Make a bulletin board that highlights students monthly that have shown individual progress. Highlight a “student of the month” and display the characteristics that they have improved. 4. Social–Emotional SkillsSkills like collaboration, empathy, and self-regulation are critical for success in school and life. A landmark meta-analysis from CASEL found that students in SEL programs show an 11 percentile-point gain in academic performance compared to peers, along with improved behavior and well-being (CASEL).Action steps for administrators:Integrate daily SEL practices: Encourage routines like morning meetings, reflection prompts, or “mood check-ins” that build emotional awareness.Provide SEL-focused professional development: Equip teachers with strategies for embedding SEL skills in academic lessons.Include SEL in how you define success: Share with families and the community that your school values empathy, resilience, and teamwork as much as test scores.Shaping Student SuccessThis year, as you walk your school halls and observe classrooms, consider the question: What kind of success are we celebrating? When we expand our measures beyond test scores and grades, we send students a powerful message, what who they are, how they grow, and how they connect with others truly matters, not just how they “perform”. The way we measure success shapes the way we define it. And the way we define success will shape the kind of future our students believe is possible The DMC Learning Success Team has over 30 years of combined experience in education, teaching in K-12 settings, and supporting learning success in college/university settings. Drawing from these experiences, DMC is committed to providing resources and tools related to our current work, which involves helping educational partners improve their culture through intentional and scalable solutions.

By David BielikAs the start of the new school year quickly approaches, school administrators hold the unique power to shape what kind of year it will be, not just for students, but for teachers, staff, and families. The first few weeks of school aren’t just a logistical ramp-up; they’re a critical window for building trust, fostering relationships, and creating the culture that will define the year. A recent study by the The Grad Partnership of 41 schools, found that a relationship-centered approach to supporting students (connection with caring adults, valuing student voice, and providing a welcoming environment) resulted in a 5% drop in student course failures, and a 6% drop in chronic absenteeism. Creating a supportive school culture does more than make students smile, it’s proven to help students persevere. What’s more, student success has a ripple effect, increasing teacher and staff engagement, and family and community involvement.Here are three high-impact priorities administrators should focus on as you begin to plan for the first few weeks of the new school year.1. Build Connections Starting on Day OneSchool is ultimately about people. And relationships (among educators, among students, and between the two) are the foundation of every successful learning community.Action Steps:Create intentional space for teacher-to-teacher connection: Use early professional development days not just for compliance training, but for team-building. Invite staff to share stories, collaborate on goals, and affirm shared values.Model relational leadership: Walk the halls, greet students and staff by name, and show presence in classrooms during the first weeks.Support advisory or homeroom programs: Ensure teachers have time and structure to build classroom relationships that go beyond content delivery.2. Set a Culture of Positivity and BelongingStudents and staff return to school with all sorts of hopes and fears, and they need to feel heard and supported to feel like they belong and can flourish. Being intentional about supporting and listening to students and teachers will set the tone and build a strong foundation for the new year.Action Steps:Open the year with a shared vision: Use opening staff meetings and student assemblies to articulate what kind of community you want to be (inclusive, joyful, curious, supportive) and why it matters.Lift up adult positivity: Acknowledge the energy and emotion teachers bring to the first weeks. Send notes of encouragement. Celebrate small wins, like a well-run classroom routine or a relationship-building opportunity with a student.Invite student voice early: Whether it’s through surveys, open forums, or student ambassadors, let learners know their perspective matters from the start.3. Build Systems That Celebrate Growth and SuccessThe beginning of the year is the perfect time to establish systems that reward effort, improvement, and community contributions, not just academic achievement.Action Steps:Start with strengths: Begin the year by highlighting students’ passions, identities, and talents. Encourage activities like student-led introductions in classrooms (whatever form that may take) or “passion poster” displays on bulletin boards to help students feel a sense of belonging.  Establish recognition programs: Create monthly or quarterly moments to celebrate student success, academic, behavioral, and relational. Make it visible, inclusive, and fun.Empower teachers to lead celebration efforts: Give educators autonomy to recognize their students in ways that are personal and build relationships.A strong start isn’t about perfection, it’s about showing up with purpose and intention. The human-centered investments you make at the beginning of the year will create a foundation that you can build on all year long. Prioritizing relationships, fostering positivity, and celebrating growth are not soft strategies. They are strategic factors that improve engagement, resilience, and long-term academic success. The DMC Learning Success Team has over 30 years of combined experience in education, teaching in K-12 settings, and supporting learning success in college/university settings. Drawing from these experiences, DMC is committed to providing resources and tools related to our current work, which involves helping educational partners improve their culture through intentional and scalable solutions.

By David BielikA multi-year study from the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup in 2024 reveals a paradox that school leaders can’t afford to ignore: the majority of teachers (68%) say they’re satisfied with their workplace and yet over 90% report being burned out, uncertain about their future, and/or preparing to walk away. That’s the perplexing picture painted in a recent article by Nadia Tamez-Robledo, published last month on EdSurge. The data is clear: dissatisfaction and burnout are not mutually exclusive, and ignoring the disconnect may worsen already dire staffing challenges. Let’s dive in and break down the two critical findings from the study, and what school administrators can do now to support, retain, and empower their teachers.1. Teachers Are Largely Satisfied, But Satisfaction Doesn’t Mean SustainabilityWith 68% of teachers reporting being either satisfied or extremely satisfied with their workplace, and over 90% also reporting feeling some level of burnout, it's clear that meaningful support systems, not just positive school culture, are essential to keeping educators from being emotionally and physically depleted.What’s more, satisfaction is unevenly distributed. Teachers in lower-poverty schools (0-25% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch) report the highest satisfaction, with 78% satisfied or extremely satisfied, compared to 66% in schools with the highest poverty rates (76-100%). This suggests that school context, including student needs, community stressors, and available resources, plays a significant role in how sustainable a workplace actually feels.Take Action: Satisfaction alone doesn’t protect against burnout. Administrators must ensure teachers aren’t just content, but also respected, supported, and energized. Recognize and elevate teacher voice in decision-making, particularly in communities under the most pressure. Ask teachers what drains them most and where they need more support. Then act on that feedback. School leaders can address burnout by:Protecting planning and collaboration timeOffering sustained wellness supports (not just a single PD session or isolated campaign)Encouraging a culture of work-life balance where setting boundaries is respected, even expected2. Many Teachers Aren’t Sure They’ll Stick AroundWhen asked whether they planned to return to the classroom next school year, nearly 1 in 5 teachers said they were considering a different role in education or leaving the profession entirely. And 13% overall said “I don’t know” about next year, a sizable population who are one tough spring away from leaving.But the data is even more stark for teachers who identify as Black or African American. Only 64% said they plan to stay at their current school. Over a third (36%) indicated they were either unsure about returning, planning to leave the classroom, or leaving K-12 education altogether.Take Action: Retention requires more than appreciation days and thank-you notes. Teachers, especially those from historically marginalized communities, need to feel seen, supported, and able to grow in meaningful ways throughout the year. That means investing in structures that value their contributions, recognize their leadership, and affirm their experiences. Administrators should consider the following:Pair early-career teachers with experienced mentors who can offer guidance, perspective, and encouragement through the inevitable challenges of the profession.Offer pathways for teachers to lead initiatives, mentor peers, or shape curriculum, without requiring them to leave the students they serve.Make sure that staff from diverse backgrounds are heard, included, and respected in decision-making, professional development, and school culture, not just during the hiring process, but every single day.Conclusion: Schools Need to Read Between the NumbersSatisfaction is definitely a success metric, but that’s not the full story. A teacher might feel satisfied today, but that won’t keep them from leaving tomorrow if they’re overworked, underpaid, or unsupported. As the Gallup-Walton study shows, today’s educators are navigating a landscape where exhaustion coexists with optimism, and where purpose alone won’t prevent turnover.For school and district leaders, the message is clear: Don’t wait for teachers to burn out before making changes. Value purposeful collaboration timeActively offer wellness supportCarefully pair teachers for mentoringEnsure that teachers are heard and valuedListen to what your teachers are saying, through both their words and their actions, and respond with urgency, creativity, and care. The DMC Learning Success Team has over 30 years of combined experience in education, teaching in K-12 settings, and supporting learning success in college/university settings. Drawing from these experiences, DMC is committed to providing resources and tools related to our current work, which involves helping educational partners improve their culture through intentional and scalable solutions.