Eastpointe presentation spotlights TeachTown, MTSS supports and wraparound services for students with intensified needs

Dr. Tamiko Walton presented the district's student support services to the Eastpointe Community Schools board on April 13, describing how the Multi‑Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and the TeachTown curriculum are being used to provide intensified, evidence‑based interventions for students with disabilities and learning challenges.

Walton said TeachTown is a research‑based program the district uses to align individualized instruction with IEP goals, and that teachers can track progress with built‑in monitoring tools. She described the program’s role for students in self‑contained and co‑taught settings and said the district implemented TeachTown after board approval in January 2024. “This curriculum provides standards‑based interventions ensuring that all students have equitable access to services,” Walton said.

Walton reported district‑level progress figures during her presentation, stating K–5 reading and math improved “140%,” grades 6–8 improved “183%,” grades 9–12 improved “222%,” and the district overall improved “162%,” with 3,621 lessons mastered. She and administrators emphasized that those results reflect the first year of full teacher training and broader implementation; the presentation included a mix of assessment and progress‑monitoring metrics rather than one single test score series.

Walton described related supports: work‑based learning partnerships (including a gleaners program that allows high‑school students to do community food distribution and on‑site jobs), sensory rooms (noted at Pleasant View), and a partnership with the intermediate school district to keep classrooms close to home. She also detailed wraparound services coordinated by Donna Fabian Gman — the district provides bus cards, gas cards, food assistance and other supports and currently identifies 47 families receiving those services.

Trustees asked how students are identified and how long they remain in TeachTown. Walton said placement is assessment‑based with the goal that students “test out” and return to general education when ready; some students are in the program for months, others longer depending on need. She explained the distinction between 504 accommodations and IEP services, and clarified special‑education staffing: the district uses registered behavior technicians (RBTs) overseen by a board‑certified behavior analyst (BCBA). Walton said approximately 27% of the district’s enrollment is identified as special education and provided the MTSS tier counts she referenced: roughly 332 students at tier‑two interventions and about 707 students receiving tier‑three intensified interventions.

A public commenter later raised concerns about district purchasing and alleged vendor litigation, saying “there are like 13,000 school districts involved in a lawsuit” related to a vendor; the commenter did not produce documentation at the meeting and no district official responded to substantiate or dispute that claim during the session. Jennifer Nicholas, an Eastpointe resident, asked that presentation materials and recorded videos be posted for community access.

The presentation closed with trustees thanking Walton and district staff for the work; no board action on TeachTown or programmatic changes was taken during this meeting. The superintendent and student support staff are expected to continue implementation and community outreach described in the presentation.