The CharacterStrong Podcast

Today our guests are Yvonne Culver, Director of School Counseling and Student Wellness, and Stephanie Hammond, Coordinator for School Counselors at Akron Public Schools. We talk about how they moved beyond "posters on the wall" by creating a district timeline that aligns life skills with academic pacing guides. They share how they engaged content teachers to build practical toolkits that integrate character development into daily lessons without adding more work. They highlight the critical need for patience in implementation and how to use data for support rather than compliance.

Learn More About CharacterStrong:

• Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples
• Request a Quote Today!
• Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support
• Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Today our guest is Krystal Colhoff - Director of MTSS at Austin ISD. Krystal shares how a large, urban district strengthened implementation not through top-down directives, but by elevating campus leaders and letting momentum build from the ground up. She explains how a "soft launch" created space for early adopters to innovate, how campus highlights sparked organic buy-in across 116 schools, and how monthly champions meetings and usage data now guide coaching and support. Krystal also highlights early wins, from thousands of Tier 1 lessons delivered to faster, clearer Tier 2 problem-solving, and why moving slow to move fast is helping Austin ISD build a system that lasts.

Learn More About CharacterStrong:

• Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples
• Request a Quote Today!
• Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support
• Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Today our guest is Michelle DePuy, Secondary Ed. Program Specialist at Redlands Unified School District. We talk to Michelle about how her district is strengthening Tier 2 systems by focusing on both mindset and skill-building with secondary counselors. She shares how creating small-group structures, using consistent data from youth-needs screeners, and providing real coaching on implementation fidelity have helped staff move from uncertainty to confidence. Michelle also discusses early results: students gaining emotional-regulation skills, counselors feeling empowered to lead small groups, and a stronger bridge between Tier 1 and Tier 2.

Learn More About CharacterStrong:

• Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples
• Request a Quote Today!
• Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support
• Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Today our guests are Amy Fairchild & Crystal Hooper, District SEL Coaches in Tangipahoa Parish, LA. We talk to Amy and Crystal about how their district doubled Tier 1 usage in one year and what that growth has meant for students and staff. Amy and Crystal share practical ways they've woven daily character lessons and relational activities into the fabric of every classroom, how competition between schools sparked momentum, and why teacher wellbeing rose alongside student outcomes. They also highlight data showing improved academics, attendance, and behavior, proving that when adults are supported, students thrive.

Learn More About CharacterStrong:

• Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples
• Request a Quote Today!
• Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support
• Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Today our guest is Grant Wilson, Coordinator of Counseling Services at Plano ISD in Texas. We talk to Grant about how his district is creating consistency and connection through a districtwide character trait of the month tied directly to their community created Code of Civility. He shares how uniting teachers and counselors around shared themes, like kindness, empathy, and responsibility, has reduced behavior referrals, built stronger school cultures, and connected classroom lessons to real community values. Grant also explains how tracking implementation through the CharacterStrong dashboard helps measure impact, guide support, and tell the story behind the data.

Learn More About CharacterStrong:

• Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples
• Request a Quote Today!
• Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support
• Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Today our guest is Dr. Ryan Sherman, Director of Wellness at Medway Public Schools in Medway, Massachusetts. We talk to Dr. Sherman about how his healthcare background is helping schools rethink what student wellness means, and how he is helping to modernize MTSS. He shares how Medway added a fourth tier of support that brings mental health care directly into schools through care coordination, in-school outpatient services, and telehealth partnerships. Dr. Sherman also unpacks the mindset shift from "we don't do mental health" to shared ownership of student wellbeing, and how this approach is improving access, attendance, and GPA.

Learn More About CharacterStrong:

• Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples
• Request a Quote Today!
• Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support
• Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Ryan Sherman, Ph.D., has been Medway School's Director of Wellness for ten years. Prior to coming to Medway, Ryan was a clinician in cardiology at Boston Medical Center and in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Ryan is the author of several peer-reviewed behavioral health research studies and the co-author of The Fourth Tier: Modernizing MTSS for Student Mental Health. Ryan is also a senior professor and researcher of social and emotional learning at Bay Path University. Dr. Sherman is the recipient of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Wellness Coordinator of the Year Award and the Massachusetts General Hospital Innovation Award. Ryan resides in Massachusetts with his wife, two children, and boxer.

Today our guest is Zac Bauermaster the Principal at Providence Elementary School in New Providence, PA.

Zac went viral after a hallway video of his daily high fives and fist bumps reached millions, but what's even more powerful is the culture behind it. We talk to Zac about how he's creating a school where students and staff want to be, not have to be. He shares how simple daily rituals like "Fist Bump Fridays" (every day), greeting at arrival and dismissal, quick classroom hellos, hallway presence, and cafeteria time, build trust, connection, and belonging. Zac also explains his "yellow light leadership" approach, how he organizes his day using green, yellow, and red zones, and why proactive visibility beats reactive follow up. He highlights a powerful ripple-effect story from a quick doorway interaction and a schoolwide win: 100% of students can name a trusted adult. His reminder? Prioritize PEOPLE: Prioritize, Empathize, Observe, be Purposeful, Love, and Encourage, every single day.

Learn More About CharacterStrong:

• Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples
• Request a Quote Today!
• Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support
• Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Zac Bauermaster is an educational leader, speaker, and author who lives by the word encourage. As a school principal, he leads teachers, staff, families, and the next generation, but his greatest joy is helping people of all ages discover their gifts, use their talents, and live encouraged in their daily lives. With a people-first approach to leadership, Zac strives to see, value, and build others up before anything else.

Before his current role as an elementary school principal, Zac served public education in various K–12 roles, such as a high school assistant principal, district administrator of online learning, teacher, and coach. In addition to his role as principal, Zac is the author of four books: Leading with a Humble Heart, Leading with People, and Lemon-Aid: Spreading Kindness One Cup at a Time, which he co-authored with his daughter, Olivia. Most recently, his fourth book, Day by Day: 180 Days of Hope and Encouragement, was released in July. Most importantly, Zac is a husband to his wife, Carly, and father to three kids. One of his favorite leadership roles is coaching his children alongside other youth in the community in baseball, basketball, and softball. He's a firm believer in leading his family first.

Today our guest is Sara Nussman a School Counselor at Stoner-Thomas School. We talk to Sarah about how she adapts CharacterStrong lessons for students with cognitive and communicative deficits. She shares how nonverbal strategies like body language build relationships, and how visual trait boards, consistent routines, and monthly social narratives make abstract concepts like respect concrete and accessible. Sarah also highlights the impact on student independence and confidence, and reminds us not to overlook learners with limited verbal skills, but to show up, be present, and let connection lead.

Learn More About CharacterStrong:

• Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples
• Request a Quote Today!
• Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support
• Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Sara Nussman is a dedicated and innovative school counselor at Stoner Thomas School, a public separate school for students with significant disabilities. She established the school's first-ever comprehensive school counseling program.

In her work, Sara focuses on meeting the unique needs of students with limited verbal and communication skills. She provides individualized and small-group counseling sessions, and she has a remarkable ability to adapt the CharacterStrong Curriculum in ways that are specifically tailored to her students' abilities. She's a true advocate for empowering students to find their voice and reach their full potential.

Today our guest is Erica Fener-Sitkoff the Chief Clinical Officer at FullBloom. We talk to Erica talk about why student mental health belongs at the center of school success. She shares a practical frame for Tier 1–Tier 3 supports, why universal wellbeing skills (like gratitude, check-ins, and regulation) make Tier 2 and Tier 3 more effective, and how helping teachers, counselors, and staff, protects everyone's capacity. Erica also highlights how Georgia is investing in school safety and mental wellness, with funding that schools can use for culture-building, universal skill instruction, and scalable Tier 2 supports.

Learn More About CharacterStrong:

• Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples
• Request a Quote Today!
• Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support
• Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Today our guests are Abby Master, Co-Founder of EmpowerU & Tiffany Brown a Licensed School Counselor and Lead Coach with EmpowerU. We talk to Abby & Tiffany about The Power of 1:1 Coaching to Transform Student Mental Health. They share how one-to-one, asynchronous coaching expands Tier 2 capacity, strengthens counselor-student relationships, and helps subclinical students build real resilience. Abby & Tiffany explain how students take quick lessons, get personalized coach feedback, and set their own goals, while counselors receive targeted updates they can act on. The also talk about the outcomes schools are seeing, including better attendance, fewer behavior referrals, and strong goal progress.

Learn More About CharacterStrong: 

• Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples
• Request a Quote Today!
• Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support
• Visit the CharacterStrong Website