08/10/2019 What Kind of Ecosystem Is Your School?

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GEORGE LUCAS E D U C AT I O N A L F O U N D AT I O N

SOCIAL AND E M OT I O N A L LEARNING

What Kind of Ecosystem Is Your School?

If we believe that a school is an e cosystem, then we re alize we must c are about

every aspe ct of the school.

By Maurice J. Elias
March 21, 2016

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A school is an ecosystem. One dictionary definition of ecosystem is: "a biological community of
interacting organisms and their physical environment." If we believe that a school is an
ecosystem, it has tremendous implications for how we organize schools and conduct ourselves
within them.

My thoughts about this were crystallized from a recent trip to Costa Rican rainforests and
biological preserves. A fundamental principle of an ecosystem is interdependence. This means
that something that happens in one part of the system affects other parts of the system.

Another fundamental principle of ecosystems, they are designed to adapt and thrive. So when
alterations are made, say, due to policies like deforestation to gather wood for commercial uses
or circumstances such as global warming, there can be severe negative consequences. The
patterns of relationships of weather, soil, and access to food and other resources become
disrupted. These can threaten certain species or lead them to change their behavior over time
in unpredictable, often harmful ways.

Every Element in a School Affects Other Parts

If you have not yet drawn the analogy to our regimen of high-stakes testing, linking teacher
evaluations to salary, and otherwise scripting education to make it "teacher proof," you should
do so.

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Adam Grant, writing in the New York Times ("Week in Review," January 31, 2016), shows that
regimens of practice designed to develop prodigies, and related drill-repeat-test kinds of
routines that we see in urban education, lead to counterproductive results. To quote one
example: "Top concert pianists didn't have elite teachers from the time they could walk; their
first lessons came from instructors who happened to live nearby and made learning fun" (p.
12).

If we believe that a school is an ecosystem, and act that way, then we shift our perspective. We
realize that every element of a school affects other parts. How our least-advantaged and most
at-risk students are treated affects the success of the entire school. How teachers treat
one another and students matters. How lunch aides treat students and are treated by other
school professionals does matter.

If we believe that a school is an ecosystem, then we become more sensitive to the nuances of
policies that we set into schools. We look at their effects in proximal, not only distal, ways. We
redefine high stakes to include small interactions, and the mind, heart, hand, and soul of all
those touched by our policies.

If we believe that a school is an ecosystem, then we realize we must care about every aspect
of the school. The school itself is the product of all of the interactions and interdependencies of
all of its components, regardless of visibility. And a school district is an even wider ecosystem,
and defined by its most troubled schools as much as its best. Indeed, just as corporate

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inequities are built on the backs of the least cared for workers, educational inequities are built
on the backs of the least cared for students and staff.

Walking through the rainforest, and other ecosystems in Costa Rica, I realized that the wisdom
is beyond us to know what parts of the ecosystem are expendable, worthy of neglect, or
possess less importance: Therefore, we have an ethical and moral obligation to nourish the
ecosystem of the school by supporting all of its parts equally, to allow every student to develop
his or her capacity to thrive in ways that will make a positive contribution to the whole.

How Many Turtles? How Many Raccoons?

Please read the descriptions of each of the rainforest residents below, and determine who, in
your school -- or team, group, or committee -- is a representative of that resident. (Thanks to
my travel companions in Costa Rica for your input on this.) The scoring system is itself
ecological; you can figure out whether you have too many of some and not enough of others:

Macaw: The macaw is renowned for its loyalty. Though not averse to straying on occasion, it
always comes back to its senses.

Crocodile: The crocodile is ancient, formidable, and has a powerful jaw quick to snap shut with
many sharp teeth. It adapts well to all kinds of circumstances, and is not to be messed with.

Turtles: Though a symbol of deliberate wisdom, turtles are pretty ornery and retreat into their
shells in response to threat. They stick to highly, routinized patterns and are resistant to

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changes.

Howler Monkey: The howler monkey is incredibly loud and can be heard from miles away.
It uses its howl to disconcert and threaten, but it retreats when confronted.

Three-toed Sloth: The three-toed sloth is very slow moving and not concerned much about
others around it. It saves negative things up for a week and then spews them out, though not
with an intent to harm -- but it still harms those in the way.

Capuchin Monkey: The capuchin money is very social and involved in everyone's business.
It operates in cliques and is not hesitant to take what belongs to others.

Frog: Frogs are highly nurturing, especially of newbies. They are willing to put aside their own
well-being to help the next generation emerge in a healthy way.

Manuel Antonio Park Raccoon: These raccoons are focused on extrinsic motivation; their
actions are focused around incentives, rewards, and contingencies -- even to their own
detriment.

Spider Monkey: The spider monkey swings from tree to tree with little focus. It likes to show off
and be seen.

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Bats: Bats are an essential part of the rainforest and are highly varied. Some help pollinate,
bringing seeds to different parts of the rainforest; some attack small, defenseless animals, and
even infants; and some help control the mosquito population, minimizing these annoying
ecosystem residents.

School Turnaround Means Improving School Climate

Schools cannot be "turned around" without treating them like ecosystems. Schools cannot
produce proficiency, let alone excellence, without attending to the climate of the school and the
social-emotional competence and character of everyone in the school.

This poses a tremendous challenge to education and educators. Our policies and programs
tend to be fragmented, not holistic. Too often, they focus on subject areas and content, rather
than on the people in the schools and their relationships to one another and the material being
taught.

What are your thoughts on this post? Please share in the comments section below.

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