The Ultimate Cheat Code to Changing the School Culture

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

• Lamar Thomas, Delta Innovative SchoolFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Delta Innovative School/Brooks County

First Presenter’s Email Address

lthomas@brooks.k12.ga.us

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Lamar Thomas is the Principal of Delta Innovative School and President of the Georgia Association of Alternative Education. With over 25 years in education—as a teacher, coach, counselor, and administrator—he is a certified John Maxwell Leadership Coach and a nationally recognized speaker, author, and consultant. Lamar is passionate about transforming school culture, empowering educators, and helping students thrive through intentional leadership and practical strategies.

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal as one of the presenter(s)

Location

Westbrook

Strand #1

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Strand #2

Home: Family & Community Engagement

Relevance

This presentation directly supports the selected strand by providing leaders and educators with actionable strategies to improve school culture and climate. By focusing on person-first leadership, the session emphasizes the importance of valuing each individual—students, teachers, and staff—as the foundation for transformation. The six leadership keys promote inclusive, positive environments where every person feels seen, supported, and empowered to grow.

Brief Program Description

Discover practical, person-centered strategies to transform your school culture from the inside out. This high-energy session introduces six leadership keys that inspire connection, commitment, and lasting change. Whether you're a classroom leader or administrator, you'll leave equipped with a clear roadmap to elevate climate, empower students and staff, and create a culture where everyone thrives.

Summary

This session, The Ultimate Cheat Code to Changing Your School Culture, is designed to equip educators and leaders with practical, person-first strategies to transform their school environment into a place where every student and staff member feels valued, supported, and empowered. Participants will explore six powerful leadership keys—Time, Confidence, Communication, Energy, Encouragement, and Empathy—that serve as the foundation for fostering a healthy and high-performing school culture.

The session begins by helping participants reflect on their current culture and climate and how leadership behaviors directly impact both. Attendees will engage in interactive discussions and exercises that challenge them to consider how their own actions, habits, and systems either contribute to or detract from a thriving school environment. Each leadership key will be unpacked with real-world applications, relatable examples, and actionable steps that can be implemented immediately, regardless of role or school size.

This session uses a person-centered approach to emphasize the importance of intentional leadership and relational trust. By focusing on people first—students, educators, support staff, and families—schools can shift from reactive to proactive, from compliance-based to connection-based. Participants will leave with a leadership roadmap that promotes engagement, belonging, accountability, and shared purpose.

The presentation is high-energy, motivational, and grounded in evidence-based leadership principles. Rather than offering vague concepts, it delivers concrete tools and a replicable model that has been used successfully in schools to boost morale, increase student achievement, and build a culture where both students and staff can thrive.

Participants will leave with a digital takeaway resource that includes the leadership keys, reflection questions, and culture-building strategies to help guide implementation in their own schools or districts.

Evidence

This presentation is grounded in research emphasizing the power of person-centered leadership and positive school culture.

Studies by Bryk and Schneider show that schools with high relational trust see greater student achievement and stronger collaboration among staff. Positive school climate—marked by support, belonging, and high expectations—is linked to improved academic outcomes, mental health, and reduced absenteeism.

The six leadership keys presented—Time, Confidence, Communication, Energy, Encouragement, and Empathy—align with evidence-based practices found in effective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), shared leadership models, and restorative practices. These strategies promote engagement, reduce staff turnover, and foster safe, supportive environments where students and educators thrive.

Field-tested in real school settings, this leadership model has helped improve morale, increase student engagement, and strengthen staff collaboration. The approach is especially impactful in alternative education and high-needs environments, where trust and relationships are critical to success.

Participants will leave with tools and a replicable framework rooted in research and practical application—ready to implement meaningful change in their own schools.

Learning Objective 1

Participants will be able to effectively manage and prioritize their time to enhance productivity and support school improvement initiatives.

Learning Objective 2

Participants will be able to build strong, meaningful connections within the school community to create a supportive and collaborative environment.

Learning Objective 3

Participants will be able to understand the impact of effective leadership on school culture and climate.

Keyword Descriptors

Leadership, School Culture, School Climate, Educational Improvement, Time Management, Confidence Building, Connection, Celebration, Energy, Empathy

Presentation Year

2026

Start Date

3-2-2026 10:15 AM

End Date

3-2-2026 11:30 AM

Recommended Citation

Thomas, Lamar, "The Ultimate Cheat Code to Changing the School Culture" (2026). National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference. 7.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2026/2026/7