Episode 273: Why Most School Plans Fail (And What to Do Instead)

Episode 273: Why Most School Plans Fail (And What to Do Instead)

From Leaning into Leadership by Darrin Peppard

April 19, 2026 · 39 min · Season 1 · Episode 273

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…

People in this episode

Host: Darrin Peppard

Guests: Kathleen Beckham, Molly Dexter, Brandon Mawhorter

Topics covered

  • school plans
  • classroom instruction
  • leadership
  • collaboration
  • data-driven action
  • coaching

Keywords

  • school plans
  • leadership presence
  • teacher voice
  • collaboration
  • data action

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: digiCOACH

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