(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.

  • Email: [email protected].

• Connect with Cheryl Brown (ISCA):

  • Find ISCA on the web at ISCAINFO.com.

  • Email: [email protected].

• Sign Up: Find details on the MTSS course and other events at ISS.edu/events.

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! 🌟

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! 🌟➡️

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! 🌍📚

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! 🌟📚

Today, we're tackling the bedrock of all learning: Literacy. This episode, featuring international education expert Dr. Monica Medina, previews the course, Leading for Literacy, designed for principals, coaches, and coordinators. Dr. Medina, a National Distinguished Principal Award recipient with 25+ years of experience, shares how school leaders can build a cohesive, research-based literacy culture school-wide. We explore key findings from mind-brain research like Cognitive Load Theory, discuss the essential role of disciplinary literacy across all subjects (even P.E.), and examine the critical need for students to cultivate critical literacy skills in the age of AI and misinformation.

💬 Quotes from the Episode:

• "The thing that jumps to my mind... isn't just related to reading science, but it's related to learning science. And it's all the work around cognitive load." 🧠

• "Every teacher in a school is a literacy teacher. We all have different roles, we all have different jobs to do." 🍎

• "We know that initial research is telling us that our very youngest readers learn to read better and more quickly if they are using a print text." 📖

• "People are not educated about the different mediums that they use to get their information, and all information is equal to some people's. We know it isn't." 📉

📌 Key Insights:

• Harness Cognitive Load Theory: Effective literacy instruction must be broken down into bite-sized pieces of information with clear checkpoints, moving concepts from students' short-term working memory to long-term active memory.

• Literacy is School-Wide: Every subject—including math, science, and physical education—is responsible for teaching disciplinary literacy, which includes subject-specific vocabulary, practices, and ways of thinking (e.g., "think like a mathematician").

• Prioritize Critical Literacy: In the age of TikTok and AI, educators must explicitly teach students to be critical and analytical when evaluating information from all mediums (text, video, etc.), as not all sources are equally reliable.

• Print Power for Young Readers: Current research suggests that the youngest readers learn better with print texts, prompting questions about the tactile and visual elements of reading that screens may not replicate.

🛑 Conclusion:

This episode offers school leaders the framework to build a robust, coherent literacy culture based on the best available research, ensuring every teacher understands their role in student literacy development. If you are ready to gain the tools to champion reading, writing, and word study across all grade levels, be sure to explore Dr. Medina's course, Leading for Literacy! Find all the details and sign up at isss.edu/events. Keep exploring, keep learning, and go make a positive impact! 🚀✨

Tired of the one-size-fits-all lesson plan? This episode of ISS EDUlearn, Ask Me Anything, explores the powerful shift from teacher-led to truly student-driven learning with educator and AI learning expert, Dr. Joey Pearson 🧑‍💻. Dr. Pearson defines what it means to create an "agentic" classroom where students have power for self-determination and co-create their learning journey. He shares practical strategies for introducing voice, choice, and ownership through methods like individualized workstations and standards-based grading. Discover how AI can actually lead to less screen time by becoming a teacher's powerful planning partner, freeing you up to focus on what matters most: authentic student relationships 🤝.

💬 Quotes from the Episode:

• "We are talking about human agency, agentic learning... where students have true power for self-determination." 🚀

• "The idea here is that you're coaching your students to be their own teachers." 🧠

• "Everything that we know about good classroom management stays the same. What changes is what's happening during learning." 🍎

• "I think we're going to see in the coming years that AI will enable us to have fewer hours in front of screens, and more hours in front of one another." ❤️

📌 Key Insights:

• Differentiate Your Practice: A student-driven environment is defined by students having true power and ownership over what and how they learn, not just choosing a color for a project. 🎯

• Structure for Freedom: Begin by establishing clear norms and routines (e.g., how to enter, how to get resources). This foundational structure is what prevents "chaos" and allows students the freedom to choose their learning pathway. 🪜

• AI as a Planning Partner: Use large language models (like ChatGPT) in your instructional planning phase to generate personalized, non-screen-based lessons, rather than relying on them for student activity. 💻🚫

• Assess for Ownership: Implement Standards-Based Grading where the standard is written as student-friendly success criteria. This empowers students to perform self-evaluation and own their growth. ✅

🛑 Conclusion:

This conversation with Dr. Joey Pearson offers a visionary yet practical roadmap for transforming your teaching and empowering every student voice. If you're ready to embrace the future of education and transition from content delivery to relationship building, then you can't miss his course, "Empowering Every Student Voice."

Find all the details and explore a library of resources for international educators, including virtual events and job fairs, at isss.edu/events. Until next time, keep exploring, keep learning, and go make a positive impact! 🌍✨

In schools around the world, every staff member has a critical role to play in keeping students safe. In this episode, we're joined by veteran school counselor Cheryl-Ann Weekes who, with over 25 years of experience, shares her passion for normalizing mental health discussions and her expertise in child protection.

Cheryl-Ann discusses the subtle but important red flags of student distress, the critical mistakes to avoid when a student makes a disclosure, and why every single adult—from teachers to operations staff—needs to be trained on safeguarding policies. She also shares her personal journey into counseling and her vision for a future where every school has a clear, written protocol to protect its students.
💬 Quotes from the Episode:

• "The biggest red flag is a sudden change in behavior... you'll start to see students who were usually very social, then they are not as social."

• "I think the biggest no-no is... 'I won't tell anyone.'"

• "I just felt like my impact would be more useful there than in business... and so, what I did is I graduated the next year, and I went straight to grad school."

• "I think what I'm hoping to see is that every school has some type of protocol, something written down... so that teachers understand what is expected."

📌 Key Insights:

• Look for Sudden Behavioral Changes: Pay attention to shifts in a student's behavior, like social withdrawal, irritability, or wearing clothing that covers their body, as these can be signs of distress or abuse.

• Don't Make Promises You Can't Keep: As a mandated reporter, you can never promise a student confidentiality. Instead, be honest and clear: "I am here to listen and support you, but I cannot promise to keep this to myself."

• Establish a School-Wide Protocol: Every school needs a written safeguarding policy that is shared and reviewed annually with all staff—from teachers and counselors to teaching assistants and maintenance teams.

• Start with Existing Resources: If your school does not have a formal safeguarding protocol, you don't have to start from scratch. Use existing policies from other international schools or organizations like CIS as a guide to begin developing your own.

• Continue to Provide Support: After a student has made a disclosure, it's crucial to continue being a trusted adult they can turn to. Establish systems, like a pass for a quiet break, to help them navigate their new reality.

🛑 Conclusion:

The responsibility to protect students is one we all share. By recognizing the signs, responding with care, and empowering yourself and your colleagues with clear protocols, you can help create a truly safe and supportive environment for your students. For a deeper dive, be sure to check out Cheryl-Ann Weekes' course, Consent and Safe Spaces, K-12.

To learn more about professional development, virtual events, and exciting career opportunities in international education, visit isss.edu/events. Until next time, keep exploring, keep learning, and keep making a positive impact in the world of education.

Building a high-performing team that’s a perfect fit for your school’s culture is a challenge for every leader. In this episode, we're joined by Ika Muzamal, Director of Talent and Culture at the International School of Kuala Lumpur. Drawing on her unique background in law and infrastructure, Ica shares why high turnover is a symptom of a deeper issue, how to look beyond the resume for a true values-match, and the surprising reason why great talent stays.

💬 Quotes from the Episode:

💸 "Research shows that the tangible things, like salary, like benefits... they're not actually what retains and attracts your talent."

🚀 "Hiring is one of the most important things that we can do... it's probably the most important thing that a leader can do for the organization."

🤝 "As much as we're interviewing the candidates, they're interviewing us as well."

✨ "You have to be authentic through and through, from that first impression all the way through the everyday life."

📌 Key Insights:

💖 Prioritize Intangibles Over Tangibles: Retention and attraction are driven by a sense of belonging and mission-alignment, not just salary and benefits.

👁️ Combat Bias with Multiple Perspectives: Mitigate unconscious bias by using panel interviews and a 360-degree feedback process, ensuring candidates are vetted by a variety of stakeholders.

🗺️ Weave Mission into Every Stage: Make your school's mission and values central to the entire recruitment and interview process to find candidates who are a true cultural fit.

🏫 Make the Interview an Experience: Treat the hiring process as a chance to showcase your school's culture, ensuring every candidate has a positive and respectful experience.

🛑 Conclusion: The success of a school starts with the people who walk through its doors. By being intentional and authentic in your recruitment strategy, you can build a team that not only excels but truly belongs. For a deeper dive into these strategies, be sure to check out Ika Muzamal's new course, Strategic Talent Acquisition.

Ready to take your hiring to the next level? For more insights, virtual events, and professional development resources, visit iss.edu/events. You can also explore hundreds of career opportunities and job fairs at iss.edu. Don't miss out on everything ISS has to offer! 🚀

When a crisis hits a school community, the emotional recovery is often the most challenging part. In this episode, we speak with Azra Pathan, the Director of Learning at The International School of Kuala Lumpur, about the vital work of healing after a crisis. Azra discusses why a leader's calm demeanor is their most important tool, how to help a community process grief and loss, and the power of building psychological safety to prepare for the unexpected.

💬 Quotes from the Episode:

🗣️ "We want to make sure that... we are united in that. And, you know, the first lesson I ever learned was from a PR person, and they said, 'In the absence of information, people will make up their own story.'"

🧠 "Learning doesn't happen without that [safety]. And so jumping quickly into business as usual without the rebuilding really hinders people's abilities to move forward from whatever it is that you're recovering from."

💡 "I don't think we've gotten better at it. I think we've just learned to compartmentalize it and kind of move forward with it. The unfortunate thing about that is that it shows up in different places, in different settings, and in different contexts, and then we're surprised by it."

💖 "The one strategy that I speak about in the workshop is around dialectical thinking, like being able to frame your thinking and knowing that it's okay to hold multiple emotions at the same time."

📌 Key Insights:

⏸️ Embrace the Pause: The most critical step after a crisis is to create a deliberate "pause" to allow the community to process and grieve, rather than immediately rushing back to normal.

🛡️ Rebuild Safety First: Focus on rebuilding emotional and psychological safety within the school community before attempting to rebuild trust. A feeling of safety is a prerequisite for healing.

📣 Unify Your Message: Establish a single, reliable source for all official communications to prevent false narratives and misinformation from spreading.

✔️ Establish Proactive Protocols: Develop communication talking points, response systems, and resources for different age groups well before a crisis occurs to ensure a calm and unified reaction.

🧘 Model Self-Management: Leaders must demonstrate emotional self-awareness and practice dialectical thinking to manage their own emotions while supporting their team.

🛑 Conclusion: The human element of crisis response is not just a soft skill—it's a fundamental part of effective leadership. This episode is a powerful reminder that preparing for a crisis is only half the battle; the real work lies in guiding a community through the difficult path to recovery. Ready to take the next step in your leadership journey? Visit iss.edu/events to access our full library of professional learning opportunities and get the tools you need to lead with grace and confidence. Don't wait until you're in the moment—get prepared today! ✨