How Schools Can Build Systems That Address the Root Causes of Behavior - Rebekah de Peo-Christner & Amy Lawrence
Release Date: 04/03/2026
Five Strategies to Strengthen Tiered Support Across Your District - Dr. Susanne Thompson
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Today our guest is Dr. Suzanne Thompson, Vice President of Business Development at SESI (Specialized Education Services, Inc.). Dr. Thompson shares five practical strategies for superintendents and building leaders who want to build stronger, more responsive tiered support systems, with a focus on reaching the most vulnerable students and celebrating progress along the way. She also explains how MTSS works best when it's treated as a district-wide priority, not a department, and why celebrating incremental progress is just as important as reaching mastery, especially for the most vulnerable...
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The CharacterStrong Podcast
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How to Train Yourself to Pause Before You React - John Norlin
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Today, host John Norlin shares a strategy called the Tactical Pause, a simple, trainable habit of pausing before responding in high-emotion situations so that reactions come from intention rather than regret. John walks through what it looks like in practice and why building this habit in low-stakes moments is what makes it available when it matters most. In this episode, John offers important reminders for educators and leaders: Responding from emotion in the moment is easy, the Tactical Pause is a trainable habit that creates space between a situation and your response. Practicing the pause...
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A Simple Strategy for Becoming a Better Listener - John Norlin
The CharacterStrong Podcast
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How Schools Can Build Systems That Address the Root Causes of Behavior - Rebekah de Peo-Christner & Amy Lawrence
The CharacterStrong Podcast
Today our guests are Rebekah de Peo-Christner, Assistant Director of Counseling, and Amy Lawrence, Director of Counseling and Social Work, both at Denton ISD in Texas. We discuss how their district created WRAP — the Wilson Restorative Action Plan — a family-centered alternative to exclusionary discipline that wraps support around students and families rather than cycling them through punitive consequences. Rebekah and Amy share how WRAP helps schools address the underlying reasons behind student behavior by building communication, conflict resolution skills, and real partnership with...
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What You Do Matters Every Day - John Norlin
The CharacterStrong Podcast
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Today our guests are Michelle Marcellin, Staff and Student Support Consultant, Nancy Buyle, School Safety and Student Assistance Consultant, and Sara Orris, School Health and Homeless Education Consultant — all at Macomb Intermediate School District. We discuss how schools can ensure every student is connected to at least one caring adult through a practical, research-backed approach called Silent Mentoring. They share how this three-step process helps schools identify disconnected students, match them with caring staff, and build the kind of intentional relationships that improve...
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Building School Systems That Strengthen Connection, Culture, and Student Success - Brenda Ortiz McGrath
The CharacterStrong Podcast
Today our guest is Brenda Ortiz McGrath, district administrator, school committee member, author, and founder of the family engagement platform CoreKind360. We discuss why student support and character development must move from being an occasional initiative to becoming part of a school’s foundation. Brenda shares how schools can embed life skills, relationship-building, and proactive student supports into daily instruction, leadership practices, and school culture. She also explains why strong district leadership, clear messaging, and community partnerships are essential for building...
info_outlineToday our guests are Rebekah de Peo-Christner, Assistant Director of Counseling, and Amy Lawrence, Director of Counseling and Social Work, both at Denton ISD in Texas. We discuss how their district created WRAP — the Wilson Restorative Action Plan — a family-centered alternative to exclusionary discipline that wraps support around students and families rather than cycling them through punitive consequences. Rebekah and Amy share how WRAP helps schools address the underlying reasons behind student behavior by building communication, conflict resolution skills, and real partnership with families.
They also explain how their district's SHIFT program helped administrators change the way they see and respond to student behavior, and why building systems around this work is what allows it to actually take hold across a district.
In this conversation, Rebekah and Amy offer important reminders for educators and leaders working to reduce exclusionary discipline and strengthen family partnerships:
- Behavior is a form of communication, getting curious about the reason behind it leads to better outcomes than responding with punishment alone.
- Families come in feeling defensive, and leading with vulnerability and empathy is what breaks down those walls and builds real partnership.
- Exclusionary discipline without skill-building just cycles students back to the same place, schools need systems that address root causes, not just remove students.
- You are only as strong as your community, lasting change happens when families, schools, and community partners are all working together.
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About Rebekah de Peo-Christner & Amy Lawrence:
Amy Lawrence is a passionate advocate for student and family well-being with 35 years in education, including 13 as Director of Counseling and Social Work in Denton ISD. She leads a robust team of counselors and social workers and was instrumental in launching two Family Centers that provide free counseling services. A graduate of Texas State University and the University of North Texas, Amy actively serves on the Denton County Behavioral Health Leadership Team. Her heart for service and commitment to trauma-informed care continue to shape safe, supportive systems across one of Texas’s fastest-growing school districts.