In this episode of Autonome, host Fran Kenton sits down with Dr. Rebecca DeVries, Director of K–12 School Counseling for Schenectady City School District. Leading a team of more than 40 counselors across 22 schools, Dr. DeVries shares how her district is building a comprehensive counseling model that supports students from elementary school through graduation.

Drawing on her background as a school psychologist, Dr. DeVries discusses the importance of moving beyond individual interventions to create systems that promote equity, belonging, and student success. She explains how Schenectady is aligning counseling services across grade levels, embedding social-emotional learning into daily instruction, and creating structures that help both students and staff thrive.

The conversation explores psychological safety, attendance, career exploration, MTSS, and why creating consistent experiences across schools is essential for supporting every learner.

Key Moments

03:42 Moving from individual support to systems leadership

05:10 Leading a district-wide counseling program

06:55 Building trust and collaboration across schools

09:18 Listening to staff and addressing communication gaps

11:19 Creating consistency through MTSS structures

13:10 Aligning counseling supports across K–12

16:17 Using data to guide Tier 1 student support

17:53 Implementing Aaron’s Law through collaborative instruction

21:10 Identifying students who need support before crisis occurs

24:30 Career exploration and identity development in middle school

27:56 Embedding human skills into academic instruction

32:20 Why attendance is the most important metric

34:38 Creating classrooms where mistakes are safe

37:16 Raising expectations while providing support

42:07 The power of psychological safety in learning

Why You’ll Love This Episode

This episode offers valuable insights for educational leaders looking to build stronger systems of student support. Dr. DeVries shares practical strategies for aligning counseling services across grade levels, strengthening communication among staff, and creating learning environments where students feel safe to take risks and grow.

Her perspective on psychological safety, attendance, equity, and human-centered learning provides a thoughtful roadmap for schools seeking to support the whole child while maintaining high expectations.

Connect with Dr. Rebecca DeVries | Director Of K-12 School Counseling at Schenectady City School District

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rebecca-devries-0b7927114
Website: https://www.schenectadyschools.org/

Connect with Fran Kenton and Autonome
Fran Kenton
Founder and Creator, Autonome
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran-kenton-a0a7969a/
Autonome
Website: https://www.autonome101.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autonome101/

About Autonome
Autonome is the podcast where district leaders share practical, scalable ways to build students’ foundational life skills—wellbeing, identity and purpose, relationships, and executive function—so they can manage life today and be ready for what’s next.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Autonome for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of student success.

In this episode of Autonome, host Fran Kenton sits down with Matthew Kaemmerer, Director of Pupil Services at Oshkosh Area School District. Serving nearly 10,000 students, Matthew shares how his district transformed its approach to student mental health by moving from reactive crisis response to a proactive, integrated system that supports both students and educators.

Drawing from his background in psychology and education, Matthew reflects on the early challenges he encountered, including alarming mental health trends and student suicide rates. Instead of adding another initiative, he led the development of Rise Up, a comprehensive framework that combines education, early identification, and direct access to mental health services.

This conversation highlights what it takes to create sustainable, system-wide change, how to build strong community partnerships, and why consistency and shared language across schools are critical to success.

Key Moments

04:46 Returning to Oshkosh as a psychologist

08:56 Implementing mental health programs

12:17 Signs of Suicide curriculum overview

14:21 Calibrating programs across schools

17:32 Rise Up program overview

22:10 Evolving focus on emotional learning

24:35 Addressing racial achievement gaps

Why You’ll Love This Episode

If you are thinking about how to move beyond fragmented initiatives and build systems that actually work, this episode delivers. Matthew shares a clear roadmap for creating a cohesive mental health framework that is practical, scalable, and deeply impactful.

You will gain insights into how to align staff, leverage community partnerships, and create structures that support every student, not just those in crisis. It is a powerful example of what is possible when a district commits to long-term, intentional change.

Connect with Matthew Kaemmerer | Director of Pupil Services at Oshkosh Area School District

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-kaemmerer-0b2772300
Website: https://www.oshkosh.k12.wi.us/

Connect with Fran Kenton and Autonome

Fran Kenton
Founder and Creator, Autonome
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran-kenton-a0a7969a/

Autonome
Website: https://www.autonome101.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autonome101/

About Autonome

Autonome is the podcast where district leaders share practical, scalable ways to build students’ foundational life skills—wellbeing, identity and purpose, relationships, and executive function—so they can manage life today and be ready for what’s next.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Autonome for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of student success.

In this episode of Autonome, host Fran Kenton sits down with Dr. Alison Hanks-Sloan, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Salinas Union High School District in California. Alison brings a powerful global perspective shaped by her early work with the Peace Corps in Ethiopia and her leadership in founding the International High School at Largo, a school designed to serve multilingual learners from over 100 countries.

Together, they explore what it truly takes to build systems where students feel seen, connected, and prepared not just for academic success, but for life beyond school. From disrupting inequitable classroom norms abroad to leading districtwide innovation, Alison shares how her experiences shaped a deep belief that belonging and purpose must sit at the center of education.

The conversation dives into how districts can move beyond traditional models by designing learning experiences that are relevant, student-centered, and grounded in real-world application. Alison also shares insights into Salinas USD’s Portrait of a Graduate work and how it is reshaping teaching, learning, and student voice across the district.

Key Moments

03:25 Starting a career in ESL teaching

07:06 Building a school for English learners

10:32 Supporting immigrant students through challenges

13:11 Career journey and leadership growth

16:23 Focusing on six key skills

21:30 Supporting schools with specialized coaching

23:40 Creating equitable student pathways

28:18 Project-based learning in schools

29:37 Reflecting on education and civic growth

Why You’ll Love This Episode

This episode offers a compelling look at how education systems can be intentionally designed to center belonging, relevance, and opportunity for every student. Alison shares both visionary ideas and practical strategies for shifting instruction, empowering student voice, and aligning systems to real-world outcomes.

You will also gain insight into how global experiences can shape local leadership, and how initiatives like Portrait of a Graduate can help districts move beyond compliance-driven models toward meaningful, student-centered learning.

Connect with Dr. Alison Hanks-Sloan | Director Of Curriculum & Instruction, Salinas Union High School District

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-hanks-sloan-7119979
Website: https://www.salinasuhsd.org/

Connect with Fran Kenton and Autonome

Fran Kenton
Founder and Creator, Autonome
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran-kenton-a0a7969a/

Autonome
Website: https://www.autonome101.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autonome101/

About Autonome

Autonome is the podcast where district leaders share practical, scalable ways to build students’ foundational life skills—wellbeing, identity and purpose, relationships, and executive function—so they can manage life today and be ready for what’s next.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Autonome for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of student success.