From Listening to Launch: Collaborative Curriculum Selection - Joanna Frankel
Release Date: 06/27/2025
Top 6 of 2025: Relational Strategies That Strengthen Academics - Dr. Lori Lynass
The CharacterStrong Podcast
Learn More About CharacterStrong: Access FREE Visit the
info_outline
Top 6 of 2025: The Power of Presence in a Rushed World - John Norlin
The CharacterStrong Podcast
Learn More About CharacterStrong: Access FREE Visit the
info_outline
Top 6 of 2025: Don’t Forget These Learners: Practical Adaptations That Work - Sara Nussman
The CharacterStrong Podcast
Learn More About CharacterStrong: Access FREE Visit the
info_outline
Balancing High Accountability with High Support for Tier 2 & 3 Interventions - Chris Fore
The CharacterStrong Podcast
Today our guest is Chris Fore, Principal at Mojave High School, in Hesperia, CA. We talk with Chris about why it is important and how it is guiding his work everyday. He shares how creating high-accountability meetings with parents and teachers led to a nearly 60% reduction in failure rates. Chris also highlights the impact that “flipping the script” on parent communication has as he has celebrated individual student wins with positive phone calls home. Learn More About CharacterStrong: Access FREE Visit the Chris Fore is the Principal at Mojave High School, a 2025...
info_outline
Practical Strategies for Building Teacher Buy-In at the Secondary Level - Crystal Keck & Wendy Uzzle
The CharacterStrong Podcast
Today our guests are Assistant Principal Crystal Keck & Humanities Instructional Coach Wendy Uzzle from Bowie High School in Austin, TX. We talk about the unique challenges and solutions for implementing CharacterStrong at the high school level. Crystal & Wendy share how they utilized a "soft launch" approach and adjusted their schedule from 3rd period to advisory based on honest student feedback. They also highlight practical strategies for increasing teacher confidence, including creating a "one-stop shop" for materials and live demonstrations of the low-prep curriculum. Learn More...
info_outline
Increasing Attendance and Belonging by Flipping the Script on Student Support - Leandra Torra
The CharacterStrong Podcast
Today our guest is Leandra Torra, Social Emotional Learning and Trauma Informed Care Manager at Jefferson County Public Schools. We talk with Leandra about an innovative approach to Tier 2 support that solves capacity issues by partnering elementary schools with neighboring high school student mentors. She shares how this student-led model helped younger students “graduate” from support groups while significantly improving attendance and belonging. She highlights the necessity of a strong Tier 1 foundation and why leaders must prioritize connection before students are truly ready to learn....
info_outline
The Power of the Post-It Note: A Simple Connection Strategy - John Norlin
The CharacterStrong Podcast
On today's episode CharacterStrong Co-Founder John Norlin talks about the “Power of the Post-It Note,” a simple strategy to build connection with students. He shares practical ways to use written notes for compliments, questions, or behavioral pre-corrections during class. He highlights how small, low-cost investments of time can leave a lasting legacy for students. to subscribe to the CS Weekly Learn More About CharacterStrong: Access FREE Visit the
info_outline
Creating a District Timeline That Aligns Character with Academic Content - Yvonne Culver & Stephanie Hammond
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...
info_outline
Implementation That Sticks: Coaching, Champions, and Campus Voice - Krystal Colhoff
The CharacterStrong Podcast
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...
info_outline
Tier 2 in Action: Helping Counselors Build Skills, Systems, and Sustainable Support - Michelle DePuy
The CharacterStrong Podcast
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,...
info_outlineToday our guest is Joanna Frankel the Director of Elementary Culture and Climate at Portland Public Schools. We talk to Joanna about how her team led a deeply collaborative curriculum selection process—gathering input from over 300 staff members, conducting a community listening tour with families, and piloting options with 37 educators. She reflects on the power of stakeholder voice, and how this inclusive approach not only informed their final decision but also built trust and ownership across the district.
Learn More About CharacterStrong:
- Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples
- Request a Quote Today!
- Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support
- Visit the CharacterStrong Website
Joanna Frankel serves as the Director of Elementary Culture and Climate for Portland Public Schools in Portland, Maine (the "other" Portland!). Her role serves as a bridge between Portland's ten elementary schools and Central Office departments and staff, working in the areas of social, emotional, and behavioral systems of support for students, in addition to helping to ensure positive relationships and experiences for staff and families. Previously Joanna was an Elementary Assistant Principal in Portland, Coordinator of Teaching and Learning in Gray, Maine, and for nearly two decades taught all grades Pre-K through 5th in Maine, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. A native of Philadelphia, Joanna holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College (NY) and an MEd from Smith College (MA), where she was a Graduate Teaching Fellow. Joanna is a PBIS trainer in the state of Maine and holds a Graduate Certificate in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports from the University of Maine. She is a proud product of public schools and a proud parent of a public school high school junior. In her spare time Joanna goes on frequent "rides to nowhere" in spin class, is a certified yoga instructor and longtime yoga practitioner, loves sitting on Maine beaches with a good book, and is an obsessive fan of the band Wilco. At work she's known as "the feelings lady.”