Branching Minds Hall of Fame

She embodies MTSS by not allowing excuses or barriers to stop staff from supporting students.

"Emma McBride is amazing! As my new MTSS partner, she walked me through the foundation of MTSS in our district. She embodies MTSS by not allowing excuses or barriers to stop staff from supporting students. She drives inclusiveness among district administrators by seeing how MTSS can support their growth. Last year, she was the sole advocate—creating powerpoints, sharing resources, and pushing campus MTSS Coordinators to get Branching Minds on campuses. Despite hesitancy, we now have 70% teacher engagement in the platform. She comes in daily with the mindset of making a difference. We love EMMA MCBRIDE!"

Megan proves intervention works, even in a large urban school district

"Megan is the shining example of the dream MTSS coordinator! She is dedicated to students and the MTSS process. As a Reading Specialist, she services students from all grades daily, often without breaks. She also coordinates MTSS, assigning groups, curriculums, and interventions. Megan expertly manages data on Branching Minds and has trained staff to do the same, keeping it up-to-date. As a school psychologist, I know students referred for special education have had targeted interventions with fidelity. Megan proves intervention works, even in a large urban school district like Chicago Public Schools! "

She is in every MTSS meeting and was the first elementary campus to have 100% of her students to have a plan

"Ms. Florinda Castillo is a Principal in our district and she has led the charge on her campus of implementing Branching Minds with fidelity. She is in every MTSS meeting and was the first elementary campus to have 100% of her students to have a plan in Branching Minds. She is now having her MOY MTSS Meetings with her entire school and even got coverage for them in December to be ready to go for MOY meetings."

She dedicated herself to getting our school on track and ensuring proper MTSS practices.

"Mrs. Rainey joined our team to create an MTSS framework for our high school, bringing her expertise to educate, inform, and support staff. She dedicated herself to getting our school on track and ensuring proper MTSS practices. She created spaces for stakeholders to provide input and strengthened our school through her efforts. Mrs. Rainey developed learning spaces, curriculum, intervention tools, data reports, and more. We have Branching Minds because of her—she introduced it, advocated for it, and trained us."

Alison’s passion, leadership, and belief in every student’s success inspire her colleagues daily.

"Alison Vovchuk is the heart and soul of our student support efforts. Her dedication ensures every child receives needed interventions. She works behind the scenes, coordinating with teachers and parents, monitoring progress, and providing resources to ensure no child falls through the cracks. She also helps staff use Branching Minds for progress monitoring, empowering teachers to track growth and implement interventions confidently. Alison’s passion, leadership, and belief in every student’s success inspire her colleagues daily. She is truly an MTSS Hero, transforming the educational experience for students, families, and staff."

Her impact on our success with Branching Minds is huge.

"Erica Gosling is our MTSS Hero! She has become our resident expert in Branching Minds, helping track student goals and interventions. A talented Speech Language Pathologist, she takes meeting minutes and supports staff in entering goals. Erica problem-solves to help colleagues, students, and administrators succeed. She partners with our team in a positive, problem-solving manner, building confidence and skills. Her impact on our success with Branching Minds is huge. She even collaborates with the Branching Minds Team to find new ways to track progress. I highly recommend her as an MTSS Hero!"

She is organized, data-driven, and an effective leader.

"Erica Bulk, principal at Aquidneck Elementary, leads an incredible MTSS team. She is organized, data-driven, and an effective leader. This fall, she led a book study on Demystifying MTSS, guiding discussions and school-wide MTSS goals. Erica ensures all students receive high-quality Tier 1 instruction and that Tier 2 and 3 interventions use evidence-based, data-driven practices. She makes sure teachers have access to Branching Minds and district support. All MTSS data is stored in Branching Minds and monitored by teachers, Erica, and district administration. Her leadership ensures students and teachers get the support they need to succeed."

She is a patient, unwavering support for data and a quiet champion for student growth.

"Jen is known as the data queen in our district. For years, we worked to support MTSS, and we are FINALLY implementing. She is a patient, unwavering support for data and a quiet champion for student growth. Jen is learning all she can about Branching Minds to help principals and school staff use it effectively. She goes above and beyond in visible ways—and even more behind the scenes. If anyone has a data or Branching Minds question, Jen finds the answer and makes it work. She is ALWAYS student-centered and positive."

Nanci's exceptional problem-solving skills have enabled us to provide targeted Tier 2 support

"Nanci is our district's Supervisor of Literacy Instruction, but her impact extends far beyond that role. Her proactive leadership has been instrumental in the successful implementation of the Branching Minds platform during our first year. Nanci has not only dedicated her time to learning the system but has also led trainings across various grade levels and subject areas. She has actively mentored our building interventionists and data teams to ensure accurate progress monitoring and intervention program fidelity. Nanci's exceptional problem-solving skills have enabled us to provide targeted Tier 2 support within the classroom and expand our services to a greater number of Tier 3 students than ever before."

Heather inspires her colleagues and transforms student outcomes

"Heather Mars, as Head of the CTE department, shows exceptional initiative by integrating innovative teaching strategies and mentoring her team. She organizes professional development, fosters collaboration, and ensures students and teachers feel supported. Heather inspires her colleagues, transforms student outcomes, and sparks student passion for learning, especially in Food Science. Her efforts have strengthened team cohesion and elevated education quality. Heather uses Branching Minds to identify student needs, implement interventions, and train her team in data-driven strategies, aligning academic goals with career aspirations and improving outcomes."

Mary goes above and beyond every day to meet the needs of our students.

"Mary is one of my Intervention colleagues and we have worked together at Edgewood High School for 25+ years. Mary goes above and beyond every day to meet the needs of our students. She is the epitome of professionalism and a role model for both work peers and students. She is an advocate for student rights and a mother bear when it comes to fighting for student achievement. Mary believes all students can learn and she is constantly finding new ways to meet the needs of our diverse learners whether the need is academic or behavioral. Mary is consistent and fair when it comes to behavior supports. With the help of Branching Minds she provides clear and concise documentation of student behavioral challenges and interventions. She is truly loved by our students and a safe haven for those in need."

Kim’s passion for her work is evident in everything she does

"Kim, our incredible MTSS Teacher on Special Assignment, is the heart of our school’s support system. She works tirelessly to create effective schedules, implement impactful reading and math programs, and lead intervention meetings—all while being a constant source of support for our staff. Her dedication has directly benefited my students and me by scaffolding instruction in small groups, training and guiding intervention staff, and ensuring we have the resources we need at any time. Kim’s passion for her work is evident in everything she does, especially in how she has helped us utilize Branching Minds to streamline our efforts, strengthening connections across grade levels and support staff year after year. Simply put, Kim is the best at what she does, and our school is beyond lucky to have her!"

She continually goes the extra mile to make sure every child feels valued and supported

"Christina has shown incredible dedication to supporting both students and colleagues, always stepping up to provide guidance and solutions at Towpath Trail High School. Her proactive approach to MTSS in her building always ensures no student’s needs go unnoticed, and she continually goes the extra mile to make sure every child feels valued and supported. ALWAYS. Christina has dove deep into Branching Minds to identify key areas for growth, implement interventions, and monitor progress, when data is available and syncing which has transformed how she approach's student support as a team. Her commitment and innovative mindset have not only positively impacted her students’ success but have also inspired other teams to follow in her footsteps."