There’s a quiet heroism in the work of teachers who help students close gaps that might otherwise limit their futures. Kate Hall, a reading interventionist and the MTSS team leader at Macomb Middle School, embodies that spirit. With nearly every student who walks through her door, she carries the same conviction: learning is not about labels or limits, but about finding the right support at the right time.

MTSS—Multi-Tiered Systems of Support—may sound like jargon to outsiders, but to Kate, it’s a lifeline. “We look at data and make decisions for kids that need extra support,” she explains. That means analyzing performance in reading and math, then designing interventions to ensure no student leaves middle school without the foundational skills to thrive. At a minimum, students must reach a sixth-grade reading level to function in society. For Kate, the mission is to bring every student to grade level if possible, but never to let anyone slip through the cracks.

Her team is as diverse as the students they serve. The MTSS group includes band and choir teachers, math and reading specialists, a civics teacher, an agriculture teacher, and special education staff. Each brings a different perspective, allowing them to see students not just as test scores, but as whole people. Sometimes the music teachers are the first to notice reading struggles—because the same difficulties show up when students try to read notes on a page. This holistic approach reflects what MTSS is really about: blending academics with social-emotional needs, attendance, and behavior to provide students with the support that best fits them.

A new addition this year is a flexible fourth-period block, dedicated to interventions. During this time, teachers break into small groups focused on skill-specific support—multiplication fluency, reading comprehension, writing mechanics, and more. Students are placed intentionally, and they’re often guided by teachers they connect with most deeply. “Certain students just relate to different teachers better,” Kate notes. Having a broad team ensures that every child has a champion who can reach them.

But MTSS is about more than catching up on academics—it’s about building confidence. Kate knows that students who see their own progress begin to believe in themselves again. “When they can see that growth, that builds their confidence, and then they can keep going,” she says. That spark of belief is as vital as any lesson on fractions or phonics.

This work also answers a larger question that matters to every taxpayer in the district: why does intervention matter? Because literacy and numeracy are the keys to dignity, contribution, and opportunity. “We want our children to be happy. We want them to have dignity. We want them to be productive in a way that they can contribute,” Kate says. Without the ability to read instructions, process communication, or manage basic math in the workplace, those goals are out of reach. Whether a student chooses a four-year university, the trades, the family farm, or entrepreneurship, these skills are essential.

For Kate, MTSS isn’t a trend—it’s a continuation of decades of best practice. What was once called RTI (Response to Intervention) has evolved into MTSS, expanding beyond reading and math to include behavior, attendance, and emotional support. The district’s counselors, social workers, and psychologists all play a part, ensuring that interventions meet the whole child’s needs. In that sense, MTSS represents the very best of public education: many hands reaching out to lift students toward success.

Her conviction is simple but profound: every student deserves the chance to succeed. And through her leadership, Macomb Middle School is not only strengthening skills but instilling the confidence and resilience students will carry far beyond the classroom.

Kate Hall’s story is a reminder that education is not just about teaching what’s in the textbook. It’s about meeting students where they are, helping them discover their own capabilities, and ensuring they leave school prepared to step into the world with dignity, skill, and confidence.