Episode 273: Why Most School Plans Fail (And What to Do Instead)
About this episode
Darrin Peppard discusses effective school planning with guests from digiCOACH, focusing on practical strategies for improving classroom instruction.
This month, we’ve been focused on one thing: building plans that don’t just sound good—but actually work. In this episode, Darrin is joined by Kathleen Beckham, Molly Dexter, and Brandon Mawhorter from digiCOACH for a real, unscripted conversation about what it takes to build—and execute—a plan that improves classroom instruction. This isn’t about theory. It’s about what actually moves the needle. Drawing from their experiences as educators, coaches, and system-level partners, Kathy, Molly, and Brandon share practical insights on focus, feedback, data, and the role of leadership presence in driving meaningful change. Key Takeaways You can’t focus on everything The best leaders narrow their priorities to 1–2 key areas More than that creates noise and reduces impact Clarity beats generalities “Improve instruction” isn’t a plan Leaders must define what they expect to see in every classroom, every day Teacher voice matters Growth happens through partnership, not directives Collaboration builds buy-in and improves outcomes Presence is non-negotiable If you’re not in classrooms, your plan won’t move forward What gets calendared—and protected—gets done Data must lead to action…
More episodes of Leaning into Leadership
- Episode 274: If Everyone Was Pulling the Same Direction...
- Episode 272: 10 Leadership Moves You Can Make This Week
- Episode 271: Planning Isn’t Enough—Here’s What to Do Before August
- Episode 270: If Your Plan Starts in August, You May Already Be Behind
- Episode 269: The Cost of Misalignment—and How to Get Your Team Back on Track
- Episode 268: When Leaders Become the Bottleneck (and How to Get Out of the Way) with Brooke Dukes
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