What Is a School Operating System? (And Why Your School Needs One)

Is your school’s strategic plan stalling or struggling to gain traction? You’re not alone.

In this episode of the Independent School Moonshot Podcast, Peter Baron breaks down the five most significant stressors facing the independent school business model and introduces a game-changing approach: the School Operating System (SOS).

This simple yet powerful framework transforms strategic plans from ambitious ideas into real, measurable progress.

By creating focus, aligning priorities, and building accountability, an SOS ensures that your school’s big goals don’t get lost in day-to-day demands.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by competing priorities, this episode is a must-listen.

What You'll Learn in this Episode:

• Schools don’t have a strategy problem; they have an execution problem. Most strategic plans fail not because of poor ideas but because schools lack the systems to turn vision into action.
• A School Operating System (SOS) brings focus and accountability. By aligning people, processes, and tools, an SOS ensures that strategic priorities don’t get lost in the day-to-day demands of school leadership.
• Breaking big plans into 90-day goals builds momentum. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by long-term initiatives, schools should focus on short sprints that create measurable progress and keep leadership teams aligned.
• Weekly check-ins are the key to sustaining progress. Schools need structured, consistent meetings that prioritize strategic execution, track key metrics, and ensure accountability at every level.
• Here’s one thing you can do right now: Create a 90-day goal for your leadership team. Choose one strategic priority, define success metrics, and commit to tracking it weekly—small, consistent progress compounds into lasting impact.
• School Leaders Benefit from Business Acumen. Many school leaders don’t receive formal finance, marketing, or operations training—developing these skills can strengthen leadership effectiveness.

Discussion Prompts

• Which of the five stressors creates the biggest execution challenge for your school?
• How could an SOS help your school respond more effectively to shifting expectations from Millennial and Gen Z parents?
• Does your leadership team have a structured process for ensuring strategic plans stay on track? How might an SOS improve this?
• How does your school currently track progress on key initiatives? Would an SOS provide more clarity, accountability, or efficiency?
• If you could implement one component of the School Operating System today—priorities, rhythms, or scorecards—which would it be and why?