Leadership Lessons from Toxic Educational Workplace Cultures

In this chapter, we provide examples of what have been described to us by educators as their experiences with unethical leadership in toxic school and school district cultures. The examples in this chapter include educators who are from three different levels in the typical hierarchy of school districts—teachers, principals, and superintendents/directors. (We know that toxic employee behavior in schools and school districts impacts teachers in a significant way—and educators who have formal leadership designations are also not immune to those negative impacts.) Each example includes a vignette of their experience, as well as their reflections on the impacts of the unethical leadership behavior and toxic workplace culture on their productivity and wellness, on their students, and on school district effectiveness and credibility in their larger communities. Each of the examples also includes questions for reader reflection.