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From Policy to Operation: Building a School-Wide MTSS Framework

(Featuring Andrea Lillis of Senia International and Cheryl Brown of ISCA) For too long, the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) has been confined to academic or behavioral teams. This episode, a preview of the course Building a School-Wide MTSS Framework, tackles the crucial shift required to make MTSS a school-wide operational system. Andrea Lillis and Cheryl Brown explain why MTSS must go beyond counselors and learning support to include departments like HR and facilities, ensuring absolute operational consistency for student academic, behavioral, and social-emotional success. Memorable Quotes 🗣️ * "You can't Tier 2 or Tier 3 your way out of a Tier 1 problem." — Andrea Lillis * "That's the beauty of MTSS, is coming up with a plan... to answer the needs of students, no matter where they're at." — Cheryl Brown "[MTSS] can't just be an office on the second floor. It has to be baked into the way HR recruits staff and the way facilities designs space." — Andrea Lillis "The core success of MTSS is the psychological shift from 'This is the learning support team's problem' to 'This is our school's challenge.'" — Cheryl Brown Key Discussion Points * The Core Challenge: Moving from the older, academic-focused Response to Intervention (RTI) to the holistic, unified MTSS model, which integrates academics, social-emotional, behavioral, and home-school relationships. * Core Concept: The fundamental psychological shift is realizing, "We're all in this together". MTSS must be a systematic effort that involves every staff member across the school. * The Crucial Shift: Implementation must be a multi-year, planned process, starting with desired outcomes. MTSS involves everyone across the school working together. * Practical Application: The necessity of operational teams (HR and Facilities) to provide sensory-friendly spaces, quiet intervention rooms, and specialized staffing, essential for the MTSS model to function. * The Final Takeaway: Using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in team meetings and communication protocols to reduce barriers and minimize misunderstandings. Resources & Next Steps * The Course: The conversation is a preview of the course: Building a School-Wide MTSS Framework. * Connect with Andrea Lillis (Senia International): * Find the organization at seniainternational.org [http://seniainternational.org]. * Email: andrea@seniainternational.org. * Connect with Cheryl Brown (ISCA): * Find ISCA on the web at ISCAINFO.com [http://ISCAINFO.com]. * Email: cbrowne@iscainfo.com. * Sign Up: Find details on the MTSS course and other events at ISS.edu/events [https://iss.edu/events].

Inclusive Classrooms by Design: The Curb Cut Effect and the 10% Rule with Sam Drazin

Today, we dive into the architecture of the inclusive classroom, focusing on how to intentionally create multiple access points for authentic participation. Our guest is Sam Drazin, Founder and Executive Director of Changing Perspectives, and the facilitator of the course, Inclusive Classrooms by Design. Drawing on his profound lived experience with Treacher Collins Syndrome , Sam challenges educators to move beyond simple compliance to design learning environments rooted in empathy, disability awareness, and inclusion. We explore the difference between sympathy and true empathy, the power of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and one simple strategy for making change sustainable. 💬 Quotes from the Episode: * "So the teacher's judgment might be, well, you just pay attention, it's not that hard, right? So how are we able to remove that judgment?" 💡 * "Any new opportunities that we make available for one student can support all students." 🌍 * "I say, Mike, would you like to share? And that gives Mike the choice... I know that Mike was thinking about what I asked because his hand is on his heart." ❤️ * "What we're asking folks to do is think about their practice and consider what is 10% of what they do that they could change." 📊 📌 Key Insights: * Empathy is Action: True empathy involves four steps: perspective-taking, staying out of judgment, recognizing connections, and communication. The biggest barrier to tangible action is the failure to remove personal biases and judgments. * The Curb Cut Effect: Use the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. Accommodations should not be seen as exceptions for one student, but as "universal accommodations" made available to all, benefiting the whole community, much like a ramp on a sidewalk. * Assessment for Agency: Create nonverbal modes of formative assessment. Strategies like having students put their hand on their heart to signal readiness, or holding up fingers corresponding to numbered answer options, allow students with varied needs (e.g., selective mutism, processing delays) to demonstrate knowledge without complex social or executive demands. * The 10% Rule: Inclusive change can feel overwhelming. To ensure sustainability, focus on making small micro-changes—just 10% of your current practice—because collective 10% changes create exponential new opportunities for students. 🛑 Conclusion: Sam Drazin provides a powerful and practical guide for transforming your classroom into a truly inclusive space where every student can succeed. Remember: this work is about changing systems, not just students! Ready to commit your 10%? Find details on the full course, Inclusive Classrooms by Design, at isss.edu/events. You can also connect with Sam and his organization at changingperspectivesNow.org. Go make a positive impact! 🌟

Heart Matters: Admissions as a Bridge for Neurodivergent Families with Catalina Gardescu

The admissions journey for neurodivergent applicants and their families can often feel like a barrier. In this crucial episode, we are joined by Catalina Gardescu, a values-driven consultant with over 20 years of experience in international education, who guides us on transforming this sensitive process. This conversation previews her course, Heart Matters, designed for admissions officers and school leaders. Catalina stresses the need for a human-centered approach rooted in empathy and clarity to replace policy-driven fear. Learn how to build genuine trust and make your admissions office a supportive, inclusive entry point for every family. 💬 Quotes from the Episode: * "We're not talking about admitting the student. We're talking about admitting the family. That is a huge, huge shift in mindset because you're admitting a relationship, you're not admitting a paper trail." 🤝 * "You cannot be human-centered and policy-centered at the same time. If you are policy-centered, you're creating a barrier, you're creating a filter, you're making people feel judged." ⚖️ * "It is about the courage to say no with integrity and with honesty and with clarity, which is far more empathetic than keeping them going along for the ride because you are afraid of what they're going to say." 🧭 * "Every single conversation you have with a prospective family or a prospective student is an opportunity to build trust or to break it... and that is the only currency that matters." 💔 📌 Key Insights: * Admissions is a Relationship: The process must be viewed as establishing a relationship with the entire family, requiring genuine commitment and care, not just a procedural checklist for the student. * The Policy/Human Conflict: School leaders must acknowledge that strictly adhering to rigid policy often conflicts with being genuinely human-centered; the process needs to be redesigned with empathy at its core. * Clarity Equals Trust: Admissions teams build trust through radical honesty and clarity, minimizing the family's deep-seated fear of rejection and judgment by being transparent about the school's capacity and resources. * Redefining "Fit" as Alignment: The goal should shift from assessing "fit" to establishing alignment—that the family's expectations for support genuinely match the school's mission and resources. 🛑 Conclusion: Catalina Gardescu offers an essential framework for transforming the admissions experience into one of partnership and inclusion. Ready to let the Heart Matter in your admissions office? Find registration details for the full course, Heart Matters: Supporting Neurodivergent Applicants through Admissions, and check for Catalina's updates on LinkedIn! Go lead with care and empathy! 🌟➡️

Identity-Conscious Pedagogy: Disrupting Neutrality and Seeing the Student as Curriculum with Amin and Sagda

How do we move education beyond a seemingly "neutral" framework that often centers only one demographic? We are joined by Amin and Sagda, dedicated educators and consultants whose personal journeys as third culture kids, refugees, and immigrants instilled in them an instinctive understanding of cultural diversity. This vital conversation covers their L2A session on Identity-Conscious Pedagogy, which is designed to affirm every student. They challenge the notion of "neutral curriculum" as inherently political and discuss how school leaders can transform school culture to foster deep pride, agency, and intellectual curiosity by viewing the student as curriculum. Ultimately, this is about promoting education as a vehicle for justice and liberation. 💬 Quotes from the Episode: * "The idea of neutrality in education is something we really try to interrupt a lot... It's actually very political." 🚫 * "We would want the teacher to see you as the center of their program." 🎯 * "The educator themselves have to have gone through that process of self-validation... to be able to make way." 💡 * "It has to be a holistic and community affair... we're all learning together to ensure that we thrive collectively." 🤝 📌 Key Insights: * Interrupt Neutrality: Challenge the accepted curriculum as the "norm." The first step in identity-centered pedagogy is interrogating the language used to frame education, as language shapes our reality. * Teacher Self-Validation: To effectively affirm students, the teacher must first build their own critical consciousness and unpack their personal biases, ensuring they don't replicate traumatic forms of education. * The Student is the Curriculum: Shift the mindset to see every child who walks into the room as the center of the program. Their history, family, and stories are the knowledge to be studied. * Build Community Capacity: Identity-conscious work cannot be done alone. School leaders must empower teachers with the permission to disrupt narratives. This holistic approach prevents burnout and allows the community to thrive collectively. 🛑 Conclusion: Amin and Sagda deliver a powerful framework for making learning deeply relevant and affirming. Ready to move to Identity-Centered Learning and Pedagogy in your classroom, as an instructional coach, or as a curriculum leader? Learn more about their L2A four-part session on the ISS EDU website. Go lead with profound compassion! 🌍📚

CRSL in Practice: Unhinging Bias and Embedding Equity with Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz

This episode is a critical look at embedding Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Learning (CRSL) into school systems as a core equity strategy. We welcome Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, a leading voice in equity and education, who discusses how to align pedagogy, professional learning, and school systems with students' cultural schemas and cognitive development. Dr. Sealey-Ruiz challenges leaders to move beyond theoretical understanding to practical implementation—a process that requires unhinging from biases and replacing them with love and authentic community to ensure deep, equitable learning for every student. 💬 Quotes from the Episode: * "It's about having the courage to look in the mirror and ask ourselves: 'Am I doing right by the children I serve?'" 🔍 * "Unconditional love is something that we need to be offering to our students, to our colleagues, and to ourselves." ❤️ * "The job of a teacher is to be a cultural detective; to find out who the students are culturally." 🕵️‍♀️ * "It's about unhinging from their biases, and replacing those biases with love." 🔄 📌 Key Insights: * CRSL as Core Strategy: CRSL is not an add-on; it must be embedded into school systems to align professional learning and pedagogy with student cultural schema for equity. * The Courage to Reflect: Effective CRSL implementation requires leaders and teachers to have the courage to engage in deep self-reflection regarding their own implicit biases and practices. * Be a Cultural Detective: Teachers must take on the role of "cultural detective" to proactively and authentically learn about their students' backgrounds and cultural frameworks. * Practice Unconditional Love: Moving equity forward demands that educators prioritize unconditional love and care—not just for students, but for colleagues and themselves—to create sustainable, supportive learning communities. 🛑 Conclusion: Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz delivers a powerful call to action, reminding us that equity work starts with deep reflection and a commitment to love. Ready to embed Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Learning into the very core of your school? Be sure to seek out Dr. Sealey-Ruiz’s full L2A four-part session! Check the ISS EDUlearn platform for upcoming sessions and resources. Keep building community and unhinging those biases! 🌟📚