Jennifer Akins has served McKinney ISD for the past 25 years. She has held a variety of campus roles including as a teacher and school counselor. She then transitioned into district leadership where she has served as the Senior Director of Guidance and Counseling. In 2024, Akins was selected to serve as Chief School Improvement and Federal Programs Officer.
Within her current role, Akins is responsible for oversight of our district improvement planning process and the monitoring of our strategic plan. Her team coordinates our college, career, and military readiness programs as well as our comprehensive school counseling programs. In addition, Akins works closely with district and campus leaders to lead our federal programs such as compensatory education, title services, and results driven accountability. Ms. Akins also serves as the MISD Liaison for students in foster care and students experiencing homelessness.
Akins holds a M.Ed. in School Counseling from Dallas Baptist University, as well as a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Texas at Dallas. Ms. Akins is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and graduate of the Executive Leadership Institute from N2Learning. She serves on the board of the Coalition for Behavioral Healthcare in Collin County, and on the board of the Texas School Counselor Association. She has also served on numerous advisory committees for the Texas Education Agency in the areas of academic advising and educator’s professional learning.