Artifact 3

Running Head: CLIMATE CHANGE IN WEST BLOOMFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT

Climate Change in West Bloomfield School District:

The Fall of Teacher Morale and How We Are Responding
Thomas R. DeGrand
Oakland University
School as a Formal Organization
EA 740
Christine Abbott, Ph.D.
November 24, 2014

CLIMATE CHANGE IN WEST BLOOMFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT

Abstract
The following analysis looks comprehensively at the climate change in the West Bloomfield
School District in regards to the shift in the overall morale of the teaching staff over the past ten
years. Since I began teaching in West Bloomfield twelve years ago, I have seen our district go
from being one of the most sought after districts in Oakland County to one that is watching its
teachers leave year after year to go to other neighboring districts. In the past year, I have noticed
our district moving back toward the district we once were. This change has intrigued and
inspired me to study the causes of such shifts in our recent past. I have used Lee Bolman and
Terrence Deals Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership (2008) as a means
of conducting this analysis. Throughout this paper, I will be looking at this issue of teacher
morale through each of the four lenses- structural, human resource, political, and symbolic. I
will present what the district looked like over the past ten years, followed by what the district
looks like now. In the end, I will provide my suggestions for continued improvement in district
cohesiveness and teacher morale. It is my hope that this analysis will inspire all school
stakeholders, especially the staff, administration, and School Board, to begin building
relationships based off respect for one another and to make decisions that are best for our
organization as a whole. Student achievement is the number one priority, but without
collaboration and high teacher morale, student achievement becomes a near impossible goal.

CLIMATE CHANGE IN WEST BLOOMFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT

Climate Change in West Bloomfield School District:
The Fall of Teacher Morale and How We Are Responding
Thirteen years ago, I attended a teacher job fair in Lansing, Michigan. West Bloomfield
School District was the place at which everyone wanted to work. As a result, the line to
interview with West Bloomfields representatives was literally out the door. I had to make a
decision to either stand in line to interview at one great district, or move on and interview at
many average districts. I chose to move on because the numbers were on my side. In other
words, I had a better chance of landing a job if I visited multiple districts versus only one. At the
end of the job fair, I was walking toward the exit when I saw West Bloomfield only had a few in
line. I decided to jump in line despite the fact the official end time of the fair had come and
gone. What did I have to lose? They cut off the line one person after me! I interviewed and
here I am today in my twelfth year in West Bloomfield.
On that day, I never imagined this dream district would ever fall as hard as it has over the
years. We have seen years of being in debt; watched programs come and go; experienced
layoffs, school closings, step freezes, pay cuts, and increased benefit costs. As a result of all this,
teacher morale hit an all-time low during these years. Teachers lost trust in our leadership, and
our leadership saw our district begin to crumble right before their eyes. Superintendents left,
principals left, teachers left, families left. We were spiraling downward until we got a leadership
team that had a new vision- a vision of building back the relationships amongst all stakeholders
to enable better cohesiveness within our district. We are recovering, but we have a long journey
ahead of us. Luckily, we have the right drivers behind the wheel!
West Bloomfield is a diverse, affluent community lying approximately 25 miles
northwest of Detroit. The school district currently has 6,633 students, including 5,703 residents

CLIMATE CHANGE IN WEST BLOOMFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT

and 1,326 Schools of Choice. In addition to English, there are over 40 different languages
represented. Both students and parents have a high commitment to learning, with 98.4% average
daily attendance and 93.5% attendance at elementary parent-teacher conferences. Student
graduation rate is at 94.8%. The district has 450 highly qualified teachers on staff, with 17%
holding Bachelors degrees, 82% Masters, and 1% Doctorate. The expertise of the staff provides
a highly engaging learning environment for students at all grade levels. (District Overview,
wbsd.org). Unfortunately for this district, much of that expertise has been wasted due to the
decline of teacher morale. It is my hope that through my analysis and suggestions, our district
will get back to the way it was thirteen years ago- with lines out the door!
Lens 1: The Structural Frame
Like an animals skeleton or a buildings framework, structural form both enhances and
constrains what an organization can accomplish (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 50). Unfortunately
for West Bloomfield School District, the skeleton began crumbling around the year 2006.
Between cuts in education from the state and questionable decisions by the School Board,
classroom teachers began feeling the repercussions. From that point forward, West Bloomfield
began to spiral downward. What was the structure of our district like at that time? Did the
structure contribute to this diminishing of teacher morale? How did our district respond? Where
are we at today, and where are we heading? I would like to touch on these questions from the
perspective of the structural frame.
West Bloomfields Structure Then
It is tough to say which of Mintzbergs five structural configurations (simple structure,
machine bureaucracy, professional bureaucracy, divisionalized form, and adhocracy) West
Bloomfield fit into back in 2006 (Bolman & Deal, 2008). Based on the definition given by

CLIMATE CHANGE IN WEST BLOOMFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT

Bolman & Deal (2008), I feel our district followed the structure of a machine bureaucracy.
Important decisions are made at the strategic apex; day-to-day operations are controlled by
managers and standardized procedures...have large support staffs and a sizable technostructure,
with many layers between the apex and operating levels (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 80) (see
Appendix A). At that time, there were more central office administrators (strategic apex),
creating more layers between them and the teachers. Our district began putting more day-byday, scripted curriculum in the hands of teachers, enforcing the material to be taught in that
manner. Many veteran teachers would reminisce about the days when they could teach the
benchmarks in their own creative way; explaining how much more fun teaching and learning
used to be. We moved into a system of being robots, standing at the front of the room, teaching
from a manual. We moved into a time when the focus of teaching and learning became testing
and data gathering. The motivation and drive from the teachers diminished, with students not
following far behind.
During 2009, teacher morale hit an all-time low as teachers were picketing in front of
their schools and the high school trying to make a statement to the public, the administration, and
the School Board. Teachers were being asked by the union to halt all extra responsibilities that
they have taken on, as well as to arrive and depart the school at the exact contractual start and
end times. Stress built up as teachers found no time to complete their work. Division within the
teaching staff developed: pro-union vs. anti-union. Social media saw hateful messages from
teachers, parents, and students. Tears fell from teachers eyes as they saw their passion for
teaching being stripped away from them. Student achievement was no longer the focus, and this
destroyed the teachers. Teachers were the victims of some horrible decision making from not
only the state, but also our own School Board. While teachers salaries were being cut and/or

CLIMATE CHANGE IN WEST BLOOMFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT

frozen year after year, administrators were being given financial incentives, such as a $70,000
buyout if they left the district (Rath, 2011). The rationale given by the School Board was that
they could hire a lower paid administrator in their place. What they failed to explain was that the
new administrator would be at the top of the pay scale in as little as four years! In total, our
district lost nine administrators ($630,000) due to this decision (Rath, 2011). Thats ok; they can
just take it from the teachers! It was decisions like this (coupled with the financial hits from the
state and the increasing demand in workload) that started an ugly feud between the teachers and
the administration and School Board.
How West Bloomfield Responded
West Bloomfield School District has suffered some incredibly difficult years recently.
However, during the past two or three years, West Bloomfield has been in a recovery stage of
those dreadful times mentioned above. We are by no means fully recovered; however, we are
moving in the right direction. Part of this recovery comes from a slight shift in the structure of
our district. As I stated earlier, I believe our district followed Mintzbergs machine bureaucracy
model (Bolman & Deal, 2008) during those difficult years. Over the past few years, changes in
leadership and structure have moved us more into Mintzbergs professional bureaucracy model
(Bolman & Deal, 2008) (see Appendix B). Though teachers are still given scripted curriculum,
there is slightly more understanding from administrators that Teachers see themselves as
professionals who need sufficient autonomy to use their experience and judgment in finding the
best way for students to learn (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 82). The district is providing more
quality professional development, as well as allowing teachers to seek out more meaningful
professional development to help replace the district-wide PD days full of sessions that most
teachers found to be useless. Having this autonomy and freedom to choose what you know is

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best for the students in your classroom, as well as your professional growth, has given teachers a
sense that they are being treated as the professionals they once were prior to the ugly years.
This has helped build up some of the morale that was lost.
On top of this restructuring of our district operating units, there was (and still is) one
other major area that needed attention: staff and administration relationship. In professional
bureaucracies, chronic conflict between administrators and professionals is the dominant
tension (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 89). This tension needed to be addressed. The major
players must negotiate a structure that meets the needs of each component and still works in the
organizations environment...when they feel compelled to respond to major problems or
opportunities (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 89). In comes the union. The members of the West
Bloomfield Education Association (WBEA) saw that their current leadership team was not going
to rebuild any sort of relationship with administration. There was too much negative history
between them. A change was needed.
This past year, we elected a president that is perfect for this role, along with an executive
board that is more focused on relationship building. From our union presidents speech on day
one of this school year to the new view on building a relationship between the union leadership
team and central office cabinet members, we are now finally moving in the direction our district
needs to get back on top. This leadership change, along with the districts leadership change of
hiring a new Superintendent last year, has propelled us into this restructuring of our district. As
Bolman & Deal states, Reorganization is often the first initiative of new leaders (2008, p. 89).
West Bloomfield School District and all of its stakeholders welcome this restructuring, and we
look forward to seeing the growth that is to come.

CLIMATE CHANGE IN WEST BLOOMFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT

Lens 2: The Human Resource Frame
Our most important asset is our people (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 117). During the
past ten years, most teachers in West Bloomfield would question if a statement like this ever
came out of the mouths of our central office administrators. If it was ever said, was it heartfelt,
or was it more of a political statement? According to Bolman and Deal, Most companies give
lip service to the idea that employees are the firms most important asset (2008, p. 120). We
clearly fell into that category. Later, Ill discuss the political side, but for now, I want to focus
on how the employees of West Bloomfield School District have been treated over the recent
years. As with the structural frame, I will discuss what this treatment looked like during the
downfall of our district, as well as how it looks now as we begin our recovery.
West Bloomfields Human Relations Then
Approximately ten years ago, teachers began feeling the pressures from the district. Prior
to this time, the district had been able to steer clear, for the most part, of cutting from the
classroom as it continued to receive less and less money from the state (coupled with decreasing
student enrollment and increased health care). The time had come that they needed to start
cutting from the largest slice of the pie...the teachers. Wages were cut and/or frozen, benefits
were changed, teachers were laid off, class sizes were increased, etc. This hit did not settle well.
However, it was not only the cuts that made the teachers feel devalued, it was also how the cuts
were made. As I stated earlier, while these cuts were being placed on teachers, financial
incentives were being given to administrators to LEAVE the district. We saw superintendents
getting hired in that were being paid higher than their predecessors. We saw emotionless faces
and words from administrators and board members during school board meetings. Teachers
were not naive; we understood there was less money coming in, but what they were doing with

CLIMATE CHANGE IN WEST BLOOMFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT

that money was where the problem came in. The district chose to spend it on programs and
technology that had little impact on the classroom, instead of investing in their staff through
competitive salaries and effective professional development. West Bloomfield is known for
jumping on the bandwagon whenever a new initiative comes out. We purchase it, try it, then
its gone in one or two years. What they forgot is that their greatest asset is their human
resources...the staff. If their needs arent met, then the needs of the district wont be met.
Bolman and Deal suggest, People and organizations need each other. Organizations need ideas,
energy, and talent; people need careers, salaries, and opportunities. When the fit between
individual and system is poor, one or both suffer (2008, p. 122). Both sides were suffering.
Something needed to be done.
How West Bloomfield Responded
Picketing, dropping all extra responsibilities, absenteeism, frustration, demoralized...this
is how we responded to our districts willingness to forget about who are ultimately the ones
responsible for the success of our school district. They forgot that investing in people on the
premise that a highly motivated and skilled workforce is a powerful competitive advantage
(Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 138). When you have skilled and motivated staff, they will be more
productive, innovative, and willing to go out of their way to get the job done (Bolman & Deal,
2008, p. 141).
This past year, the district informed the union that we had the same number of sick days
used as Walled Lake School District, despite the fact that we have a staff half the size of Walled
Lake! The majority of those sick days were used on Fridays and Mondays (R. Arnett, personal
communication, September 18, 2014). It is no secret what was going on. A demoralized staff
finds a way to escape their frustrations: chronic absenteeism. (Bolman & Deal, 2008) Based on

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that statistic alone, how would one compare the valuing of the human resource element in
Walled Lake versus that of West Bloomfield? Clearly, Walled Lake understands Bolman and
Deals six principles of human resource: build and implement an HR strategy, hire the right
people, keep them, invest in them, empower them, and promote diversity. (2008) (See Appendix
C) When you look at the specific practices within each strategy, it is evident that West
Bloomfield was struggling with the Keep, Invest, and Empower principles. Over the past twelve
months, our district, with assistance from the union leadership team, has been doing what they
can to improve specifically in these three principles.
Keep them. West Bloomfield School District, though below in teacher compensation
compared to that of competing school districts in the area, was able to keep a step increase in
teachers salaries for the 2014-2015 school year. Many teachers were laid off at the end of last
year; however, a majority of them were recalled. Of all the promotions to administration, every
position was filled from within. Though small wins have occurred for teachers recently, it is
these wins that will help to build the morale in this district and keep the highly skilled teachers
from moving their talents to neighboring districts.
Invest in them. Last year, our district, in coordination with union leadership, was able to
give teachers a choice for one of the required district professional development days. Listening
to the feedback from many teachers over the years that stated this day was not worthwhile due to
the skill areas not being applicable to all teachers, the district has now allowed teachers to attend
their own professional development and submit those hours as credit for this day. Teachers are
now building their skills they need to be highly effective teachers, while at the same time, feeling
that their choice and voice are being valued. They are taking more from their development

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opportunities, and applying what they are learning to their classroom. The end result: highly
motivated and skilled teachers resulting in increasing student achievement.
Empower them. Last year and into this year, the district, in coordination with the union
leadership, is becoming much more transparent regarding various decisions and procedures, such
as evaluations. More meetings are being held to help teachers understand exactly what is
expected. Furthermore, they are putting more focus on teacher-led groups (committees) within
the schools, as well as at the district level, to ensure that the expertise and voices of their
teaching staff is being heard and valued. This gives teachers a sense that they are important and
their input matters; we feel ownership of the district, and we will do whatever it takes to bring
success to our students.
When individuals find satisfaction and meaning in work, the organization profits from
effective use of their talent and energy. But when satisfaction and meaning are lacking,
individuals withdraw, resist, or rebel. In the end, everyone loses (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p.
164). This is how West Bloomfield has been, but it is not how we can continue to be. If we do,
failure is a certainty, and failing kids is not an option. It all comes down to how the human
resource of our district is treated. Our Human Resource Department needs to remember, Apart
from their homes, people spend more time on the job than anywhere else. With that kind of
personal stake, they want to be part of something that matters and contribute to a greater good
(Batstone, 2003, p. 1, as cited in Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 131). We love our job and we want
the best for our students. Treat us in a way that you dont take this passion from us. We
understand that times are tough, but show us the respect we all deserve. I believe that the
relationship that the union leadership team has with central office will get this done. I believe
that we are on the right path, and better times are right around the corner.

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Lens 3: The Political Frame
Politics is the realistic process of making decisions and allocating resources in a context
of scarcity and divergent interests (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 190). It is true that over the past
ten years, West Bloomfield School District (and all districts in the state of Michigan) discovered
a scarcity of one important element needed...funding. It is also true that many districts found
themselves in the red during this time period; however, what was it that kept some school
districts from plummeting into that area? Was it better decisions made by their administration
and school boards? My assumption is yes. Were they choosing to give $70,000 handouts (Rath,
2011) to administrators to leave their district? Probably not. What can this cause in a school
district? Well, Bolman and Deal stress that the combination of scarce resources and divergent
interests produces conflict as surely as night follows day (2008, p. 206). I believe that West
Bloomfield School District hit its all-time high in internal (and external) conflict during this span
of years because of poor decisions like the administrator buyout. Were these decisions
politically inspired? Throughout this section, I will discuss what the politics looked like during
these unforgettable years, and what they look like now as our district is on the road to recovery.
West Bloomfields Politics Then
Every organizational process has a political dimension (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 232).
However, it is naive and romantic to hope organizational politics can be eliminated, regardless
of individual players. Managers can, however, learn to acknowledge, understand, and manage
political dynamics, rather than shy away from them (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 194). What was
happening in West Bloomfield was that the managers (administration, school board), as well as a
good amount of the community, did not care what was happening to teachers. The managers
political decisions were geared toward what was best for them, as well as what was best for the

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community to hear. Their statements and expressions on their faces, as well as the decisions they
made, clearly had no teacher in mind. We had administrators smiling while answering emotional
questions from teachers at school board meetings. We saw superintendents getting hired in at a
higher salary than the previous one. We heard parents who once supported teachers (or at least
appeared to) speak at board meetings saying that we should be doing this for the kids, and that
our salary and benefits should not affect our efforts during and after work hours. Blogs were
filled with hateful messages to West Bloomfield teachers for picketing and choosing to work
only during work hours. (Wait, work only during work hours? Sounds funny that we were
looked down upon for doing such a thing! How dare we!) The people on the front line of this
organization, the ones educating the children, were forgotten. By doing so, this district saw an
all-time low in teacher morale, and it significantly impacted how teachers went about their work
each day. Bolman and Deal ask, Do political dynamics inevitably undermine principles and
ethics? (2008, p. 194) West Bloomfield School District proved a clear-cut answer to that
question...yes!
I agree with Bolman and Deal when they say, Conflict is normal and inevitable (2008,
p. 206). I understand that. However, the type of conflict and how much was occurring could
have been avoided. For example, there was very little effort from Central Office to build any
sort of relationship with its teachers. They rarely visited buildings, and if they did, they were in
and out of your classroom with, at most, a wave and a Hi, how is your year going? How does
this gap in relationships affect politics? Well, Bolman and Deal suggest:
Managers often fail to get things done because they rely too much on reason and too little
on relationships...People rarely give their best efforts and fullest cooperation simply

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because they have been ordered to do so. They accept direction better when they
perceive the people in authority as credible, competent, and sensible. (2008, pp. 218-219)
If our central office administrators had spent the time building a relationship with us, there would
have been a much better chance that our union leadership, along with the entire teaching staff,
would have agreed with, or at least respected, some of the decisions they had to make. Maybe
they would have understood us better, and witnessed the amount of work we put forth day in and
day out. Perhaps this would have made them think twice about the decisions they were making.
The teachers were not naive to think that cuts were not needed. We understood that it was
inevitable, but as I stated earlier, it was the manner in which it was done. When respect is given,
respect will be received. It took West Bloomfield School District ten years to understand this.
How West Bloomfield Responded
Conflict has and will always be in our school district, as well as any other school district.
As I stated earlier, it is inevitable in any organization. However, more important than the
amount of conflict is how it is managed. Badly managed conflict leads to infighting and
destructive power struggle...But well-handled conflict can stimulate creativity and innovation
that make an organization a livelier, more adaptive, and more effective place (Kotter, 1985, as
cited in Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 207). Over the years, our administration, school board, and
union leadership have poorly managed our conflicts. Within this past year, we have been
working to resolve all the problems that have been caused due to this poor management. A new
superintendent was hired that focuses better on relationship building by becoming more visible
in the buildings. A whole new union leadership team was voted in that has a new vision of how
to handle conflict and negotiations. They see building a relationship with the administration and
school board, as well as within its membership, a top priority. For example, the union leadership

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team has met with central office administrators and the school board president purely for
building that needed relationship. There is also a team that was created with members from all
stakeholder groups that is focusing only on uniting the district. I have been put in charge of
creating social events for union members to help bring back a sense of unitedness within our
membership. I will also be joining forces with the school board president to create social events
to help bring the entire district staff together as one unit. We now have a focus- a vision- of
building relationships to become the district we all know we can be. We have the right leaders in
place. How do we know this? The effective leader creates an agenda for change with two
major elements: a vision balancing the long-term interests of key parties, and a strategy for
achieving the vision while recognizing competing internal and external forces (Kotter, 1988, as
cited in Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 214). We have an agenda in place, and are working toward it
every day because we know that a vision without a strategy remains an illusion (Bolman &
Deal, 2008, p. 215).
We will not let our vision be an illusion. This winter will be a good test of this as our
new union leadership team begins its first round of negotiations with the district leadership team.
Will our vision come to fruition by the end? Being on the negotiating team, I believe it can if we
remember Fisher and Urys (1981) four strategies of principled bargaining:
1. Separate people from the problem- Negotiations can easily escalate into anger and
personal attack due to the stress and tension involved.
2. Focus on interests, not positions- Locking into a particular position may cause you to
overlook better ways to achieve your goal.
3. Invent options for mutual gain instead of locking on to the first alternative that comes to
mind- More options increase the chance of a better outcome.

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4. Insist on objective criteria (standards of fairness for both substance and procedure) Produces optimism and momentum, while reducing the use of devious or provocative
tactics that get in the way of a mutually beneficial solution. (As cited in Bolman & Deal,
2008, pp. 221-222)
If both district and union leadership teams can focus on these four strategies, coupled with a
foundation of mutual respect gained through relationship building, I believe that West
Bloomfield will see its vision come true. We have a great deal of rebuilding to do, but the ball is
rolling, and its rolling in the right direction. It is up to all stakeholders within our district to do
their part to keep it rolling.
Lens 4: The Symbolic Frame
A symbol is something that stands for or suggests something else; it conveys socially
constructed means beyond its intrinsic or obvious functional use (Zott and Huy, 2007, p. 72, as
cited in Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 252). Organizations, like West Bloomfield School District, are
filled with symbols that convey multiple meanings. As Bolman and Deal state, What is most
important is not what happens but what it means (2008, p. 253). Throughout this section, I am
going to look at different events that have taken place in West Bloomfield in the past, as well as
most recently, and explain how many teachers, including myself, interpreted those events, and
what they have done to the overall morale and success seen in our district.
West Bloomfields Symbols Then
Approximately ten years ago, I witnessed the last opening day whole staff district
ceremony that left staff inspired and motivated as they entered into their new school year. There
was a motivational speaker that the district hired to speak to us. The district also spoke of the
various accomplishments that our staff, as well as our students, had experienced over the past

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year. When the ceremony ended, staff members eagerly exited the auditorium to head back to
their respective schools and classrooms, energized and ready to get the year started. These first
day meetings helped to create a culture that formed the glue that bonded our organization, united
the staff and administration, and helped us accomplish our goals (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 253).
They socialized, stabilized, reassured, and conveyed messages to internal and external
constituencies (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 266). They were expressive events that provided order
and meaning and bound our organization together (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 267).
Since then, these first day ceremonies have taken a turn for the worst. Many of the years,
the district would show us charts and graphs of the declining enrollment and finances of the
district. They spoke many empty words that no one trusted due to the treatment the teachers had
faced over the years. Staff would leave the meeting discouraged, stressed, and unmotivated for
the new year. In fact, many teachers just stopped coming because they knew what to expect, and
attendance was not tracked. This coincides with what Bolman and Deal note, Both ritual and
ceremony fire the imagination and deepen faith; otherwise, they become cold, empty forms that
people resent and avoid (2008, p. 267). These meetings were a clear symbol of the status of our
district: disconnected. Staff and administration didnt understand each other. The events that
followed contained even more symbols of a plummeting district.
Symbolic actions of the union. As a symbolic act, ritual is routine that usually has a
statable purpose, but one that invariably alludes to more than it says, and has many meanings at
once (Moore and Meyerhoff, 1977, p. 5, as cited in Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 261). Part of
West Bloomfield Education Associations response to the mistreatment of its teachers was to
create various rituals that demonstrated our disgust in the decisions of our district. The
leadership team organized peaceful pickets at each school building before and after school. They

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requested that teachers arrive and leave school at their exact contractual times, as well as refuse
to take on any extra responsibilities. They ordered red t-shirts with the message, Whats BEST
for kids is FAIR treatment of teachers. WBEA Standing United. Participating teachers would
wear these shirts, or at least wear red, every Tuesday. While this did convey the intended
message to the administration, School Board, and community, what the union leadership team
didnt realize is that it was also creating division within the staff (those not participating versus
those that did). In addition, we lost a great deal of parental support in the teachers because
parents ultimately only cared about their childs education, not our salaries and benefits. We
became the enemies.
Symbolic actions of the administration and School Board. During these difficult
years as a district, our administration and School Board demonstrated many symbolic actions,
most of which teachers interpreted as negative. First, the cutting or freezing of teachers salaries
and benefits year in and year out was a sign to teachers that we werent valued. Next, the School
Board accepting the administrators contract agreement that allowed for exiting administrators to
receive a $70,000 severance package was seen by teachers as an irrational decision considering
the financial status of the district. This gave teachers the sense that our own Board of Education
was incompetent. Also, the School Boards noticeable lack of respect for the newly-elected
member of the Board who happens to be an advocate for teachers was an explicit sign that we
have a board that is clearly not looking out for our well-being. Lastly, the constant push to
integrate the next best thing in terms of academic programs without fully piloting them or
training the teachers gave the staff the impression that West Bloomfield only cared about its
image to the community instead of the actual effectiveness of those programs. DiMaggio and
Powell speak to this when they state, As an innovation spreads, a threshold is reached beyond

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which adoption provides legitimacy rather than improves performance (1983, p. 142, as cited in
Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 296). West Bloomfield only wanted to look legitimate to its
community members, as well as its competing neighboring districts. Whether or not the program
improved performance seemed secondary.
The negativity in West Bloomfield School District over the past ten years was substantial,
and no matter what anybody did, the decisions made by all stakeholders seemed to carry a
negative symbolic meaning with them. How could our district escape this black hole?
How West Bloomfield Responded
Near death experiences are healthy for companies (Edmunson, 2006, as cited in
Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 270). The last ten years, though challenging, became our catalyst for
change. As Paulson concludes, All personnel are driven by the desire to be a part of a winning
organization (2001, p. 187, as cited in Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 280). West Bloomfield School
District has a winning tradition deep within its heart. We lost sight of it during those years.
Over the past year, our district has been slowly uncovering that tradition piece by piece. New
leadership has been brought in: new superintendent, new school board president, and new union
president. These three most pivotal positions in our district have one common goal:
reestablishing relationships between the staff and the administration. They understand that this
element is our secret to success.
To reestablish relationships, they have created a district collaboration team (PACT)
containing members from all stakeholder groups. Within this team, they have a sub-committee
that is responsible for planning social events for all staff members. This is important because
Effective teams balance seriousness with play and humor...a source of relaxation, stimulation,
enlightenment, and spiritual renewal (Bolman & Deal, 2008, pp. 285-286). These social events

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will help to rebuild the spirit that so many of us have lost. Vaill concluded, after extensive
research on high-performing groups, that spirit was at the core of every such group he studied
(1982, as cited in Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 289).
In addition to creating PACT, our union leadership team, the central office cabinet
members, and the school board president have found it a priority to meet on informal terms to
build the relationship between the three groups. As I stated earlier, I happen to be a part of the
new union leadership team, and we feel this is essential to the success of our district. The timing
is right with the shift in leadership and the fact that it is a negotiation year. It is essential that we
build this foundation now before we enter into bargaining. We also know, and our union
president spoke eloquently to this at the opening day ceremony, that building this relationship is
a sign to all stakeholders that we are back on the right track. We hope that with her speech and
with our new leadership, that we can offer direction, faith, and hope for all (Ortner, 1973, as
cited in Bolman & Deal, 2008, p 254).
It is no secret that West Bloomfield School District has experienced some rough times
over the past ten years. Symbolic events that have taken place have carried multiple meanings,
most of which were negative. West Bloomfield believes, however, that it has the answer: a new
set of leadership teams with new beliefs, visions, and plans to reach those visions. As Edelman
puts it, Successful leadership is having followers who believe in the power of the leader. By
believing, people are encouraged to link positive events with leadership behaviors (1977, p. 73,
as cited in Bolman & Deal, 2008, pp. 306-307). I feel the stakeholders in our district believe in
the leadership and where they are leading us. Now, its time to get back to our core and continue
making changes that are necessary to evoke the heritage, the tradition, and passion we all have
for the West Bloomfield experience (Wayne, 2007, as cited in Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 277).

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Conclusion and Recommendations
Building teacher morale involves more than compliments, plaques, and one-time events.
Teacher morale is higher in schools where principals create a positive school culture and
climate. Sinking teacher morale generally accompanies sinking student achievement.
Time constraints, excessive workloads, and insufficient classroom resources take their
toll. (Black, 2001, p. 40)
This sums up why it was imperative for me to do this analysis of the low teacher morale in West
Bloomfield School District and what the response has been. Our ultimate goal as a school
district is to educate students to be the best IN and FOR the world (District Overview,
wbsd.org). How can we expect to achieve this if our own teachers are feeling undervalued,
uninspired, and unmotivated? We, as teachers, are the front line of this district, and students will
emulate the actions and efforts they see from the one at the front of the classroom. What they
have seen the past ten years is not who we are, and we have witnessed what this leads to. We
have lost more families to neighboring districts and private schools than what we ever expected.
We have seen teachers finally stand up for themselves and say enough is enough by picketing,
staying true to contractual hours, and wearing red. We have seen teachers and administrators
leave the district for positions in other districts. A change was needed, and a change is what we
got.
Over the past year, we have seen a change in leadership, and within that leadership, a
new vision of how they go about their business. Our superintendent, union executive board, and
school board president all have one thing in common...to build back the trust and relationships
that we once had. How do we go about doing this? Well, after analyzing this district issue by
looking through Bolman and Deals (2008) four lenses- structural, human resource, political, and

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symbolic- I have come to the conclusion that our recent rebound in teacher morale has been
mostly due to the focus on building relationships within our district. Teachers are hearing the
message and seeing firsthand their own union leadership team working together with the district
leadership team. They know that the decisions being made are mutually agreed upon. They are
seeing their leaders showing respect for one another, and the respect is trickling down through
the ranks. This respect, trust, and building up of relationships amongst all stakeholders is crucial
to the continued success of our district.
As a member of the union executive board, I have a unique opportunity to be a change
agent for our district. I, along with the other executive board members, school board president,
and district cabinet members, have made this our priority this year. We are already seeing
positive results of this focus, and we plan to continue to work toward this goal this year. With it
being a negotiation year, that makes this goal even more critical, and it also puts a timeline on it.
The various social events that we have planned for this year will be important catalysts for this
continued change; however, it ultimately comes down to how we treat one another. As the
Golden Rule states: Treat others the way you want to be treated. With this mentality now in our
leaders, I am confident that West Bloomfield will once again be one of the most sought after
districts in Oakland County. However, this time, I will be one of the West Bloomfield
representatives interviewing teacher candidates, looking up from the table to see the line curving
out the door. It is at that time that a smile will come across my face knowing that I helped bring
this district back to life.

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Appendix A
Mintzbergs Model

Machine Bureaucracy

Source: Mintzberg (1979, p. 20), as cited in Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 79, 81

Appendix B
Professional Bureaucracy

Source: Mintzberg (1979, p. 355), as cited in Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 82

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Appendix C

Source: Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 142

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