This comparative case study of two urban high schools surfaced a critical paradox of professional community heretofore obscured in the literature. Although extant literature has focused on school structures, values, and beliefs that engender collective identity, this study brings into focus the importance of both professional autonomy (“I-ness”) and shared identity (“we-ness”) in professional community. Examining the findings through two lenses—professional community and micropolitics—this study explores how, paradoxically, professional autonomy and attention to individual needs are necessary and salient conditions of strong professional communities. Furthermore, this study focuses on the important role that principals play in balancing individual and organizational needs and fostering professional community. Finally, the study reinterprets professional community to include a micropolitical dimension, thus enhancing its conceptual and practical utility.
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