Schoolin' Around

In this episode, Luke Morin, founder of Luke Morin Literacy Consulting and author of The Middle School Literacy Project , challenges the assumption that literacy instruction is finished by the time students reach sixth grade. Drawing on 15 years teaching middle school English in New Orleans and Denver, Luke shares the lesson that fell apart in his first year and what it taught him about the differ...

In this episode, Dr. James Lane, CEO of University Instructors, former Virginia State Superintendent of Public Instruction and author of Leading with Laser Focus: The 7 Steps to School Success , talks with Larissa about turning good intentions into a real system of support. He starts with how leading a middle school band shaped his approach to leadership, then tells how a 300-student rural school...

In this episode, Tiffany Bergen, MTSS Coordinator at North Rockland Central School District in New York, shares how her district moved from talking about MTSS to putting it into practice in classrooms, in the year it outpaced both the state and its county in ELA and math growth. Larissa and Tiffany discuss what building a district MTSS handbook exposed, why the district rethought what Tier 1 means...

In this episode, Leah Kuypers, creator of The Zones of Regulation and founder and CEO of The Zones of Regulation, Inc., joins Larissa to talk about why schools expect students to regulate but rarely teach them how. They discuss what regulation actually means, what support looks like across MTSS tiers, and the common ways a well-meaning framework turns into a compliance tool. Leah also explains why...

In this episode, Joan Schumann, PhD, founding executive director of the International MTSS Association, traces how a fifth-grade year spent watering a teacher's plants instead of doing math turned into a career building integrated systems of support. She and Larissa get into why so many districts say they're "doing MTSS" while running something much closer to a two-tiered model, and why she thinks...

This episode explores what happens to MTSS buy-in once the energy of launch wears off. Larissa looks at why buy-in fades in year two, including leadership turnover, competing initiatives, and teachers who submit data and never see what comes of it. She gives listeners a quick checklist to tell whether their school is in the slump. Drawing on her own time as a teacher and coach and on habits from R...

In this episode, Travis Bickford, Director of MTSS at Dover School District in New Hampshire, shares how his district moved from a thick red binder on a shelf to a structured crisis response and behavioral threat assessment system. He discusses what his team learned responding to real crises without a playbook, why they resisted the pull to solve an urgent need quickly, and how implementation scie...

In this episode, Dr. Amanda Casagrande, Teacher on Special Assignment for MTSS and District SEL, PK–12 at Stamford Public Schools in Connecticut, shares how a large urban district of 15,000 students and 21 schools built a whole child approach that treats academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support as one connected system. She and Larissa dig into the mindset shifts that stall MTSS, how to p...

In this episode, Kristen Smith, author of Cultivating Math Confidence and a secondary math teacher in Washington State, digs into the distance between a student's math skills and their belief that they can do math at all. She and Larissa examine what district leaders miss when they hand a teacher a curriculum and ask for fidelity, why a popular approach to personalized math practice may be undercu...

In this episode, Dawn Baumgartner, a licensed clinical social worker and coordinator of social services and wellness for Phoenix Elementary School District #1 in Arizona, describes what changed when her teams stopped running a full threat management protocol on nearly every case that crossed her desk. She and Larissa get into the balance between overreacting to threats and missing real warning sig...

In this episode, Larissa is joined by Erin Meek, a senior data implementation specialist at Branching Minds and a former educator and K-12 data researcher, for a back-to-school conversation with no frameworks and no fidelity checklists. They get honest about which back-to-school PD is worth pulling teachers out of their rooms for and which could have been an email, whether any icebreaker survives...

In this episode, Todd Hartman, principal of Creekside Elementary in Lakota Local Schools, Ohio, and a 2026 MTSS Hero Award winner, shares what changed between his first year in the building and his fourth. He and Larissa get into why "do all the things right away" turned out to be unsustainable, what collaboration actually means once a staff defines it out loud, and the five-minute monthly practic...

In this episode, Dr. Emilio Castro, Sr. Executive Director of Schools of Houston ISD, shares invaluable leadership insights from his 24 years in education, focusing on common traps that derail superintendents and strategies for building effective systems and teams. Perfect for aspiring and current district leaders aiming to enhance their leadership capacity. Resources: Books Dr. Castro Recommends...

In this episode, Larissa revisits her interview with Theresa Donohue from Plainview Old Beth Page to explore the district's journey through MTSS implementation, challenges, and successes over the past few years. Discover how strategic planning, data-driven decision-making, and team collaboration transformed their approach to supporting student achievement. Resources: DataWise Protocol How to Scale...

Summer Replay: In this conversation, educators Ashley Robertson and Emily Jordan discuss the critical role of classroom management in fostering a productive learning environment. They explore the challenges faced by teachers, particularly in the post-COVID landscape, where emotional dysregulation among students has increased. The discussion emphasizes the importance of building relationships, focu...

SUMMER REPLAY: In this conversation, Michele James, member of Branching Minds Professional Services, and Larissa discuss the critical aspects of supporting new teachers, particularly through the implementation of MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports). They emphasize the importance of building community, providing structured support, and creating a collaborative environment for new educators. The...

SUMMER REPLAY: In this conversation, Larissa interviews Shannon Thornton from Warrensville, Ohio, about the implementation of Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) in their district. Shannon emphasizes the importance of teacher buy-in and the need for ongoing education and training on MTSS. She also discusses the development of an MTSS handbook to provide a centralized resource for teachers and a...

In this conversation, Larissa and Sandra discuss essential back-to-school strategies for educators and school leaders. They emphasize the excitement of a new school year, the importance of setting a positive tone, and the need for clear communication and visibility in leadership. They also highlight the importance of building relationships and support systems among staff, the necessity of meaningf...

Summer Replay: This conversation explores the implementation of Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) in secondary education, specifically at Medina City Schools in Ohio. The discussion highlights the challenges faced, the roles of educators, and the importance of data-driven decision-making. The speakers share their experiences with MTSS, emphasizing the need for systematic support, collaboratio...

In this episode, Larissa Napolitan talks with April Remfrey, international educational consultant, about building supportive school systems, effective classroom routines, and fostering trust and collaboration among educators. They explore practical strategies for leaders to enhance MTSS implementation and create sustainable, inclusive learning environments. Resources: https://www.remfrey.com/ Apri...

In this episode, we discuss the importance of setting intentions over goals, reflection, and how deliberate leadership can transform the upcoming school year. She offers practical strategies for educators to reflect, set intentions, and lead with purpose, especially in the context of MTSS. Resources: Leader Protocol Guide for Buy-In Summer Reflection Questions Article: Reflecting on Yourself as a...

The episode explores how deep district alignment transforms educational practices by embedding frameworks into daily routines in Person County, North Carolina. The guests, Kelly Kiser and Lyndsay Hubbard, highlight the importance of visibility in student progress to boost teacher buy-in and confidence. The discussion emphasizes hands-on support through coaching, which bridges the gap between polic...

In this interview, Dr. Kristen Panzerella from Lawrence UFSD in New York, shares her district's journey in implementing MTSS, emphasizing the importance of getting into the work quickly, building staff buy-in through consistency, and adapting practices to support diverse student populations. Discover practical strategies for overcoming analysis paralysis and fostering a culture of action in educat...

In this episode, Valerie Parsons, a Professional Learning Consultant at Branching Minds, school administrator, and author of the MTSS playbook series, shares her expert insights on leveraging end-of-year data to improve educational outcomes. She discusses key topics such as data analysis, universal screening, test preparation strategies, and effective planning for the upcoming school year. Resourc...

This episode explores the critical role of self-regulation and executive functions in early education, revealing how they underpin academic success. Authors Mitch Weathers and Sarah Oberle share practical strategies for creating classroom environments that nurture these skills. By focusing on routines and reducing distractions, educators can enhance students' ability to learn and behave effectivel...