Why We Need Invisible Infrastructure for Tiered Student Support - OPINION

The following opinion is from West40 professional learning specialist Demian LaPointe. Some of it was assisted by ChatGPT.

Dear Leaders,

As summer approaches and leadership retreats begin to take shape, I wanted to offer a reflection rooted in both experience and belief. After more than thirty years in education, first as a high school special education teacher supporting students with emotional and behavioral needs, and later as a department chair, alternative school leader, and MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) coordinator at the elementary and high school district level, I’ve come to see MTSS as more than a framework. It is a reflection of what we believe, and how deeply we’re willing to act on those beliefs.

We speak often about Tiers 1 through 3. These are the visible supports, the interventions, the data cycles, the progress monitoring. They are essential. But they rest on something deeper.

I call that foundation Tier 0.

Tier 0 is not a formal tier of intervention. It is the invisible infrastructure, the belief system that shapes everything we do. It is where leadership, staff, and communities define what they believe about students, about learning, and about the purpose of school. It includes our convictions about belonging, grading, curriculum, and the social-emotional development of every child.

Tier 0 is where leadership begins.

If we believe that all students can grow, Tier 1 becomes a space of possibility, not pressure. If we believe that small-group instruction is about connection, not correction, Tier 2 becomes a place of healing and hope. If we believe that individualized support is an act of trust, not triage, then Tier 3 becomes sacred work.

When our Tier 0 beliefs are strong and shared, the rest of the system moves with more coherence, more compassion, and more courage.

Demian LaPointe

As you prepare for your summer planning, I invite you to make space for Tier 0. Ask your teams:

• What do we believe all students deserve?

• What do we value most in our curriculum, our assessments, our relationships?

• Where are our beliefs already visible, and where might they need recommitment?

Because what we believe strengthens what we do. And when what we do aligns with who we are, we give our students, and ourselves, the best of what education can offer.

With deep respect for your leadership and all you hold,

Demian LaPointe, MAE., MEd.