School Culture at Watkinson
Why does school culture matter?
Schools are always making decisions. They have to set policy about cell-phone usage and dress code. They need to make sure the curriculum stays relevant, challenging, and accessible. They need to figure out how to keep the cafeteria from getting too crowded in the lead-up to lunchtime.
Some of these issues are problems, which can be defined and then solved. Other issues are dilemmas: complex situations with no single right answer, questions that raise bigger questions.
Clearly, how a school sets about making a decision will depend upon whether they think they’re dealing with a problem or a dilemma.
Take dress code. In many schools, dress code is treated like a problem and solved with a set of rules — “Wearing X/Y/Z is not allowed.” Almost always, these rules are established without student input.
At Watkinson, on the other hand, we consider dress code to be a dilemma, embedded in a broader inquiry about sovereignty, self-expression, gender and sexuality, and socioeconomics, not to mention existential questions about the nature and purpose of schooling. Since pondering questions like these is at the very heart of a good education, involving students in the conversation is a natural step to take.
Of course, in many circumstances, a straightforward rule is an appropriate solution. But when it comes to education — the process by which developing humans strive to become their best selves and shape a better world in the process — we often need something more robust than simple rules. We need intelligent, empathetic, principled complexity.
In other words, Watkinson is not set to the default of solving problems as quickly as possible. Rather, the Watkinson culture centers around developing the habit and the ability to ask, “What’s the real issue here? How does it need and deserve to be approached, and by whom?”
We create this culture on purpose. We don’t just assume it will happen. Instead, as a community, we develop structures designed to help us practice the skills of thinking, asking, and discerning before we jump into action. This means we won’t make questions unnecessarily complex. On the other hand, we also pay attention to bigger questions when they deserve to be asked. That, for us, is what education is all about.
Relationship-building, respect, and results
Results from our recent re-accreditation survey, carried out by an impartial third-party organization:
100%
of students
said that TEACHERS were their favorite thing about Watkinson
100%
of TEACHERS
said that STUDENTS were their favorite thing about Watkinson
97.4%
of Watkinson students, and
100%
of Watkinson parents, agreed that
students feel respected by their teachers
Take a look at the statistics from our recent re-accreditation survey. These results are not trivial. Respect is the foundation of trust, and trust is the basis of taking intelligent risks — which is exactly how growth happens. It’s important to note that respectful relationship-building is not an automatic characteristic of “small school culture.” Yes, smaller class size is essential if every student (not just a few stars) is to develop a mutually respectful relationship with the teacher. But smallness on its own is insufficient. In fact, even an abstract belief in “respecting students” is not enough. Teachers need to put belief in action — to practice respect, not just preach it.
You know it when you see it… and when you don’t. A school may call itself “student-centered”, but if there are no avenues in place for developing, hearing, acknowledging, and responding to student voices, then “student-centered” is just marketing copy. Students know an empty promise when they hear it, and don’t bother even trying to speak up.
At Watkinson, on the other hand, students can see priorities at work in the way time has been built into the schedule, space has been allocated on campus, habits and rituals both in class and out have been specifically designed to allow students agency in their own education. And so they step up, and they speak out, and they let us know what they care about, and what they disagree with, and what we as an institution could be doing better. They push back. They figure out what they need and they ask for it. They take themselves seriously because we take them seriously — not just theoretically but actually, in practice.
It feels better, for students and faculty alike, when people get to work this way. People are literally happier. It’s not that every moment is joyful and easy, but that even the difficulties exist in a meaningful and productive context. People at Watkinson know that they matter. This is why Watkinson’s family retention rate is an incredible 94%, far higher than the national average. And our teacher turnover is so low that it often consists only of a teacher or two who is retiring after 25 years.
Because Watkinson’s culture is based on respect for every individual, the school is a dynamic place. Diversity, rather than being seen as a difficulty to be overcome, becomes a necessary resource and inspiration. Disagreement, rather than being taken as a personal affront or a roadblock, becomes a reliable path to better ideas.
Students absorb culture, and live up to it
Our seniors collectively receive millions of dollars of merit scholarships for college. Our recent graduates report being better prepared than their university peers in writing, critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving. Ninety-nine percent of alumni report being very satisfied with their connection with peers, connection with teachers, and degree of respect from faculty. How do we achieve these results? Watkinson’s culture of intelligent questioning, durable relationship-building, and engaging with complexity come together in the opportunities we create for students to share and reflect on what they’re learning. A visitor to campus will find presentation and reflection in nearly every project and assignment, no matter what grade. We constantly ask ourselves, collectively and individually: “How is this going? What did we learn here? What was the connection between intention and outcome? Can we do this better?”
In other words, an essential part of our culture is to examine our culture, making sure it continues to be what we want and intend it to be. This practice of reflection, so fundamental to a Watkinson education on every level, also means that we are better able to respond to problems and complications (like COVID) that arise unexpectedly.
Our students absorb and develop these habits. The structures and practice of consistent intention-setting, self-examination, reflection, and iteration serve them well not only at Watkinson but in college and beyond, as they move to shape their own lives and the world around them. Best of all, they’re able to build strong relationships in both their personal and professional lives, taking themselves and others as seriously as Watkinson did.
This is truth. We’ve got the stories and the statistics to prove it. But don’t just take our word for it. Come visit campus. Because you’ll know it when you see it.
