Educational reform in the United States has been flawed since the first big attempt when "A Nation at Risk" was released under President Ronald Reagan. As our first national educational "shake-up," this document set afire educational reform that continues today. It vilified the educational system, teachers, and teaching, and set forth a growing interest in fixing schools from the outside rather than from the inside. All schools have different cultures and climates, and a one-size-fits-all approach has not worked since the Reagan years, primarily because teachers, classroom teachers and other educators, have not been genuinely brought to the decision-making table and the forefront of the educational problems plaguing schools today. In this study, I sought to provide launching points for school administrators and teachers to engage in meaningful action, not just conversation, that includes teachers in the decisions that impact them. I provided areas where teachers require and desire input, and I demonstrated that should school leaders meet them there, teacher involvement in district decisions may yield more well-thought-out initiatives, which would be implemented with greater fidelity by the staff, and would ultimately improve the student experience--the ultimate goal. Determining where teachers fit in the decision-making process may result in a deeper commitment to the decision. In the current educational climate, teachers do not feel that they have agency or input into the decisions that impact them and their students, nor do they feel that they are empowered or trusted to make school decisions. These findings will help administrators and teachers reconsider educational reform from the school level, the level closest to the students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]