Jamie Soper, Principal, Mary Lynch Elementary School
Kimball Public Schools
How long have you been in education?
Jamie Soper: 21 years
Can you briefly describe your work with NeMTSS?
JS: MTSS processes drive the decisions made at Kimball Public Schools. I am currently a member of our district’s Continuous Improvement Process (CIP) team, as well as a co-leader on our building CIP team. This year, our CIP teams include staff from our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and MTSS teams, which has been a great decision for our district as our focus is school improvement.
How do you use NeMTSS principles in your daily work?
JS: When we have a decision to make on a building or student level, data is reviewed, as well as our MTSS plan and processes, to make sure it aligns with our school improvement plan.
What were your feelings about NeMTSS before you began working with it?
JS: As a former special education teacher, the process has always interested me. There have been times when we verified a student for special education, and I wondered if we could have assisted them more in the general education classroom. But at that time, I didn’t have the tools or the knowledge to increase student achievement in the general education classroom.
Can you tell us about an experience with a student that was made better because of your training with NeMTSS?
JS: The training my team and I have received from NeMTSS has made our SAT and Behavior Team meetings much more data based. For many students in this process, we dig deeper and are much more patient in the process. Not only has it had a positive effect on our students with academic struggles, it has also taken our conversations on students with difficult behaviors in a new and much more productive direction.
What would you tell educators who haven’t heard of MTSS yet?
JS: I would tell educators to reach out to their NeMTSS regional support lead for more information. The support given to us has been exceptional. They simplify the process and make it fit your school district.
What is a goal you have for yourself, your building or your classroom that MTSS can help you reach?
JS: My goal is to further educate my staff on MTSS so my school team trusts and uses the process with confidence. Ultimately, this goal will reap benefits to all the students in my building!