In this episode, Wendy York Davoud sits down with Dr. Keana Daughtry, Chief Academic Officer of Everman Independent School District, to explore what it really takes to strengthen instruction at scale. Dr. Daughtry shares her powerful journey from student learning struggles to reading specialist, turnaround principal, Region 11 leadership coach, and now district academic leader, always anchored in one core belief: she is still a teacher at heart.
Together, Wendy and Dr. Daughtry dive into systems development and change management as the true work behind sustainable improvement. You will hear practical insights on how Everman ISD is tightening Tier 1 instruction through high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), intentional PLC internalization, and coaching-driven leadership support. Dr. Daughtry also breaks down a clear, actionable change management framework that helps leaders diagnose what is missing when adults feel frustrated, anxious, or resistant, so change can be done with people, not to them.
Key Moments
03:21 Education Leadership and Systems Thinking
08:49 Surprising Similarities in Leadership
11:00 Embracing Change Management Leadership
14:11 Rethinking Resource Management in Education
15:58 Managing Change with Action Plan
19:05 Building Relationships, Embracing New Opportunities
25:08 Improving PLCs and Instruction Quality
28:34 Strengthening Tier 1 Instruction
30:40 Challenges of Legislative Impact
34:30 Recruitment Challenges in Education
36:14 Born, Raised, Educator's Journey
Why You Will Love This Episode
This is a systems-and-people episode in the best way. Dr. Daughtry brings a rare mix of lived experience (as a student who struggled), deep instructional expertise (reading + curriculum), and real-world leadership practice (turnaround + coaching + district systems). You will walk away with a clear change management lens for diagnosing what is actually happening when implementation stalls, plus practical examples of how Everman ISD is strengthening Tier 1 instruction through HQIM, internalization-focused PLCs, and campus leader coaching. If you are working to improve learning outcomes without burning people out, this conversation will give you both clarity and momentum.
About Unlock 360°
Unlock 360° is the podcast where school leaders and instructional trailblazers reveal how they are turning bold vision into sustainable action. Powered by Lead.Teach.Learn.360, each episode brings you inside the systems, strategies, and human stories that drive school improvement, one leader, one learner, one breakthrough at a time.
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What is Unlock 360?
Welcome to Unlock 360 Podcast, where each episode unpacks the practices, partnerships, and people behind measurable gains in student outcomes. From building collaborative leadership cultures to designing equity-driven systems, you'll hear what happens when clarity, coherence, and coaching align.
Whether you're a superintendent, campus leader, or classroom educator, Unlock 360 offers fresh insights, practical strategies, and an honest look at what it takes to create lasting impact. New episodes released biweekly.