On Whole Child: Personalized Tiered Supports, host Naren Balasubramaniam sits down with Dwayne Williams, Director of Equity and Student Services at Joliet Public Schools District 86, for a grounded and practical conversation on supporting students through an equity-centered, whole-child lens.

Dwayne shares his journey from special education teacher to district leader, and how that experience shapes his work supporting some of the district’s most vulnerable student populations, including unhoused students, students with disabilities, and students navigating significant social and emotional challenges. The conversation explores how Joliet is prioritizing social-emotional learning (SEL), building culturally responsive MTSS frameworks, and partnering with community agencies to address social determinants that impact learning.

Listeners will hear how student voice, intentional data use, and restorative approaches to discipline, especially around bullying—are helping Joliet rethink traditional responses and create healthier, safer school environments for all students.

Key Moments

01:20 Dwayne’s path from teacher to district leader

02:10 Supporting unhoused students

03:29 What equity and student services includes

04:41 Defining the whole child

05:55 Prioritizing SEL districtwide

07:30 Building culturally responsive MTSS

09:19 Student self-reporting in SEL

11:09 Using data across district and schools

13:09 Challenges of fragmented data systems

15:10 Addressing bias through transparency

16:12 Using data as a continuous cycle

17:28 Rethinking bullying through restoration

Why You’ll Love This Episode

This episode offers a thoughtful look at how equity, MTSS, and SEL intersect at the district level. Dwayne brings a community-centered perspective grounded in real challenges, housing instability, mental health needs, and bullying, and shares how Joliet is shifting from punitive responses to supportive, restorative practices. If you’re working to align equity goals with MTSS, strengthen SEL systems, or better integrate data across student services, this episode offers practical insights you can apply immediately.

Connect with Our Guest

Dwayne Williams
Director of Equity & Student Services, Joliet Public Schools District 86
District Website: https://www.joliet86.org/

Connect with Host & Metamorphix

Host: Naren Balasubramaniam
Founder & CEO, Metamorphix, Inc.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/narenbalasubramaniam/

Metamorphix, Inc.
Website: https://www.metamorphix.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/metamorphix-inc./

About Whole Child: Personalized Tiered Supports

Whole Child: Personalized Tiered Supports is the podcast where district leaders, school teams, and practitioners share how they are personalizing MTSS to support every learner. Hosted by Naren Balasubramaniam of Metamorphix, Inc., each episode dives into real systems, stories, and strategies for delivering the right academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports at the right time—so all students can thrive.