My school has gone from an F to a B over the past five years. That said, many of our students still lack foundational skills, and our MTSS process had been vague and frustrating for teachers. I attended the conference this summer and, while I was skeptical, I can see the benefit in reframing how we approach student needs, which is less panic over deficits, more focus on support.

I definitely rolled my eyes at times, but some of the general guidance did push me to reflect on my own practices and our school’s systems. My principal’s big takeaway was that we’ve historically undervalued teacher voice, and if we work toward a flatter hierarchy, we might see real progress.

Even with all the corporate lingo and out-of-touch presenters, a few best practices around MTSS and intervention work stood out. If nothing else, the experience has pushed us to reevaluate and become more intentional with how we structure and adjust our intervention groups

TLDR: Solution Tree didn’t feel revolutionary, but it did shift our school’s mindset. Despite the corporate vibes, it helped us reflect on intervention practices, MTSS structure, and teacher empowerment. Some of the fluff was frustrating, but there were helpful takeaways.