I firmly believe that corporate culture is driven top down. And if the executive management doesn't have a clear vision of their corporate culture then they get whatever mob-rule culture that just happens.
Or to translate, school culture (both social and academic) is driven by the principal down through the teachers and staff. If they don't put cultural norms and goals into place, they get Lord of the Flies on the playground and Banana Republics in the classroom.
It's always worthwhile examining what the school's goals for social culture are -- if any -- because that's what your kid will experience. DDs first school's goal for socialization was "don't be different, suppress who you are to get along."
If the school's goal is different from your goal for your child, then you aren't going to be able to change that experience. Just like if the CEO thinks that 'dog eat dog' is the best way to run a company, that's what you'll experience working there. No amount of deciding you'll run things differently (differentiation), complaining (advocacy), and yoga and therapy on the side (afterschooling) is going to change that.
