MTSS Branching Minds Summit 2025
Presented by Makiri Pugh, Managing Director of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation, Maya Angelou Public Charter Schools (DC); Morgan Joseph, Branching Minds
Sponsored by Branching Minds
From Compliance to Culture: Making MTSS the Backbone of Instructional Leadership
Most schools implement MTSS out of necessity, but few transform it into a leadership driver. This session is designed for system-level thinkers ready to move beyond compliance checklists and toward instructional coherence, equity, and student growth at scale. At Maya Angelou Schools, we serve justice-involved youth across five campuses with significant academic and behavioral needs.
MTSS is not just a framework, it is our backbone. We have embedded MTSS into every layer of instructional leadership from data structures and coaching cycles to daily classroom practices and Tier 2 intervention systems. And we have done it while preserving teacher bandwidth and elevating academic expectations.
In this session, we will break down how to reframe MTSS as a culture-building tool, not a paperwork burden. You will see how to build internal alignment, track meaningful growth data beyond state metrics, and use MTSS to drive staff accountability and autonomy at the same time.
We will also share examples of how to launch MTSS infrastructure from scratch, including site-based caseload structures, progress monitoring protocols, student grouping cycles, and coaching integration. This is real-world strategy for leaders who want MTSS to live in their buildings, not sit on a shelf. Whether you are leading a school, network, or district, this session offers a practical blueprint for turning intention into action and compliance into culture.
Want to access all of the resources from the 2025 Summit? Playbooks, Role guides, Question banks and more!