Behavior Deserves a Seat at the RTI/MTSS Table

In 2023, when I was still in the classroom, one thing was clear: RTI (Response to Intervention) was a major focus. Every public school I worked in—regardless of location—had systems in place to provide tier 1 and tier 2 academic support in reading, writing, and math. It wasn’t just a framework—it was a commitment.

At Parker Elementary School in Billerica, MA (big shoutout to that incredible team!), we pushed hard for flooded academic support. As a special education teacher, I co-taught in general education classrooms, pulling small groups, targeting interventions, and watching students thrive. The gains were real—not only in confidence and classroom participation but in hard data, like improved MCAS scores. Teachers were on board. They felt supported, less alone, and energized by the shared effort.

Later, when I taught second grade at a Title I school in Nashua, NH, I saw the same approach applied with great success to reading. With 80% of our population being ELL learners, it was crucial that we got reading right. Our team divided all second graders into leveled reading groups, and each adult—classroom teachers, Title I reading staff, paraprofessionals, and ELL educators—taught one group for a full 45 minutes a day. One prep. One focus. Every child got exactly what they needed. And the growth? Incredible. Kids became confident, capable readers.

But here’s where things got interesting: Ledge Street School in Nashua was the first place I ever saw RTI being used for behavior. It wasn’t perfect—and honestly, few things are at the start—but for new teachers navigating classrooms with high behavioral needs, it was a game-changer. Teachers had somewhere to go, something to try, and the mindset that behavior wasn’t just a problem to fix—it was a skill set to build.

So this raises the question:
Why haven’t we approached behavior the same way we’ve approached reading and math?

Now that MTSS is being adopted in public schools across the Northeast, I find myself watching from the sidelines wanting to yell, “Make behavior a priority!” We have seen what works. Flooded support works. Proactive, intentional intervention works. So why are we hesitating when it comes to behavior?

The truth is—it can work the same way.
We just need to shift our mindset.

Behavior, like academics, is a skill. When a student struggles with reading, we don’t punish them—we teach. We provide targeted instruction, build their confidence, and celebrate their growth. Why should behavior be any different?

If we want to see real change in our classrooms—less disruption, stronger relationships, more learning—we have to treat behavior the way we treat academic gaps. We have to give our teachers the support they deserve. We need to flood them with coaching, tools, practical strategies, and a team-based approach.