When schools feel overwhelmed by student needs, the instinct is often to add more interventions. But what if the real issue isn’t interventions, it’s Tier 1 systems?

In this episode, Drs. Gail, Mary Beth, and Leesa explore why strong core systems reduce the need for reactive support and how proactive, integrated Tier 1 practices create better outcomes for students and staff. They unpack the shift from crisis-driven “heroics” to purposeful system design, explain why silos undermine success, and share practical ways leaders can reflect on what’s already working.

Listen to Learn:

Words shape systems, yet in education, shifting terminology often creates confusion instead of progress. In this episode, Drs. Gail, Mary Beth, and Leesa explore how inconsistent language around initiatives like intervention, inclusion, and MTSS can unintentionally derail implementation and stall change.

They unpack why clarity matters more than novelty, how leaders can build shared meaning across stakeholders, and what it takes to create consistent communication that actually moves practice forward. If you’ve ever felt like your system is “busy” but not aligned, this conversation will change how you think about language, leadership, and sustainable improvement.

In This Episode:

Most school initiatives don’t fail because the idea was wrong; they fail because communication broke down. In this episode, Drs. Gail, Mary Beth, and Leesa explore how unclear messaging, lack of consistency, and missed audiences can derail even the strongest initiatives. They break down the Seven Cs of Communication, share how to communicate before all the answers exist, and explain why repetition, visuals, and clarity are essential for building trust and momentum across schools and districts.

Key Takeaway:

Communication isn’t the final step in system change—it’s the system that carries initiatives from intention to implementation.

Leadership changes and budget cuts are inevitable, but losing your most important initiatives doesn’t have to be.

In this episode, we explore how purpose-driven culture, distributed leadership, and shared ownership help protect initiatives through leadership transitions and funding shifts. You’ll learn how to build systems that don’t depend on one person or one budget line and how cross-department alignment keeps the work moving forward.

Initiatives last when they’re embedded in culture, shared across roles, and guided by purpose, not tied to individuals or temporary funding.

Interested in support? Learn more about the ALIGN Audit here or complete the ALIGN Audit Form and schedule your introductory call with Dr. Gail.

In this episode, the System Shifters hosts explore how schools and districts can move beyond simply implementing initiatives to integrating them into organizational culture. When systems are truly integrated, they become a “just how we do things here” mentality that is shared across roles, embedded in daily practice, and resilient through leadership changes, budget cuts, and crises.

The conversation highlights why integration depends on purpose, consistency, and collective ownership, not more programs. Listeners will hear practical strategies for embedding initiatives into culture, including redundancy, alignment to purpose, shared practice, visible artifacts, and distributed leadership.

The key takeaway: initiatives only last when they become part of a school’s identity. Culture, not compliance, protects the work and ensures systems continue to support students over time.

Register here for The Million-Dollar Blind Spot Webinar!

Many school initiatives don’t fail because they’re bad—but because they’re never fully integrated. In this episode, Drs. Leesa, Mary Beth, and Gail explore the difference between implementation and integration, and why programs often disappear after leadership changes, budget cuts, or staff turnover.

They share how integrated systems—built around shared purpose, distributed ownership, and daily practice—become part of a district's culture and can withstand disruption. Using MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) as a framework for integration, they demonstrate how to weave together academics, behavior, and social-emotional supports so they function as one coherent system rather than competing initiatives. This episode challenges leaders to move beyond installing programs and start building systems that truly last.

Register here for The Million-Dollar Blind Spot Webinar!

Many schools have strong programs on paper—PBIS, MTSS, safety protocols, curriculum initiatives—but far fewer have systems that actually function in practice. In this episode, the hosts unpack the concept of implementation illusion: when programs appear to be in place, but critical practices, clarity, and support are missing. This gap creates staff burnout, confusion across roles, and puts students in serious risk for failure.

Listeners will explore why one-time training, siloed initiatives, and unclear ownership undermine even the best programs and what leaders can do instead. The conversation highlights the importance of universal training, role clarity, ongoing coaching, integration across systems, visible leadership, and feedback loops that make implementation real, sustainable, and reliable under pressure.

This episode challenges leaders to move beyond “we have it” thinking and honestly assess whether their systems truly work when it matters most so staff feel supported, students don’t fall through the cracks, and programs outlast individual people.

The start of a new year often brings fresh goals, but for educators, it also marks the halfway point of the school year. In this episode of System Shift, Drs. Gail, Mary Beth, and Leesa explore why mid-year is the perfect time for a strategic pause.

They discuss how reflective leadership, purpose-driven decision-making, and honest data conversations help leaders reset priorities, build psychological safety, and maintain momentum.

This episode offers practical steps for adaptive leaders to use for a mid-year pause to realign systems, make meaningful adjustments, and finish the school year strong without adding more to already full plates.

System Shifters, as we close out the year, we wanted to bring back one of our most important conversations because it's about something we don't discuss enough: taking care of the adults in our buildings.

What if the same conditions that help students feel safe to take risks also determine whether your veteran teachers spoke up in a meeting? In this episode of System Shift, we explore how the three core protective factors, caring relationships, high expectations, and opportunities for participation apply just as much to adults as they do to students.

We dig into why even well-intentioned leaders can unintentionally create unsafe environments for staff when expectations are unclear, trust is weak, or relationships are missing. Through real-world stories and practical strategies, we unpack how shifting from a risk-focused mindset to a protective-factor mindset can transform your culture into one where honest conversations drive real improvement.

In This Episode:

Key Takeaway:

Protective factors aren’t “soft” work. They’re the essential foundation for alignment, accountability, and lasting change.

System Shifters, this week, as we start to head into the new year, we are re-featuring one of our most eye-opening episodes because we keep hearing the same frustration from leaders: 

"We're doing MTSS, but nothing's changing."

 In this episode of System Shift, Dr. Gail and Dr. Mary Beth explore why Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) succeeds in some schools and fades in others. Spoiler: MTSS isn’t a checklist, a triangle, or an intervention. It’s a framework—one that must be clearly defined, aligned, and intentionally integrated to truly support all students and adults.

In This Episode:

After listening you will understand why MTSS isn’t for “some” students—it’s for all. When treated as a guiding framework rather than a separate initiative, MTSS can unify academic, behavior, and SEL systems into a cohesive, student-centered structure that empowers adults and improves outcomes.

Learn how to identify if you are “doing” MTSS as an isolated strategy or using it to connect and integrate your school’s work into one aligned, purpose-driven framework.