What is Modesto City Schools’ MTSS program and how will it be affected by potential layoffs?
Ninety-three Modesto City School employees face losing their jobs under a plan presented to the Board of Education on Tuesday night. Among them are dozens of paraprofessionals who help support about one in three students across the district.
The district says the proposed layoffs are part of recommended cuts to reduce its budget by around $11.5 million because pandemic-response funds from the state and federal governments will not be renewed.
Around 11 coaches for all sites and 25 paraprofessionals involved with the Multi-Tiered System of Support program could be laid off depending on the school board’s vote Monday, Nov. 18.
Erica Middaugh is an MTSS coach at Wilson and Burbank elementary schools. She addressed the board Tuesday, Nov. 12, to say her position already has been impacted because the district did not fill vacated positions. That caused her to be split 50/50 between the two school sites.
As a coach, Middaugh helps teachers and paraprofessionals develop strategies to aid students struggling in various subjects like English. She also conducts classroom visits and assists with professional development.
She said the work by coaches has been instrumental in helping teachers with effective interventions, tracking student progress and providing timely support.
If the district decides to reduce the number of coaches, Middaugh said, it will directly impact student achievement and affect the coaching model that has been effective.
Students who are struggling in class can work with an MTSS paraprofessional, who will give one-on-one or small-group assistance to build skills so the kids don’t fall further behind. In addition, an MTSS coach could work with a paraprofessional and a student’s teacher to figure out the best strategies to get the child on track.
“When you were investing in MTSS coaches, you were investing in the success of our students, our teachers and our entire district,” Middaugh said. “Cutting positions would be a step backwards in the progress we made. It would mean losing guidance that helps us respond to student needs more swiftly, proactively and efficiently.”
The MTSS program was created in August 2021 at Marshall Elementary School to provide all students with explicit reading instruction at their ability level during the school day.
The district received $35 million from Congress’ Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER II) Fund and used it to help expand this program to help students recover from the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts, expand early childhood education, hire an equity intervention specialist and more.
The district also received $22 million as part of California’s COVID-19 Relief Package to fund Expanded Learning Opportunities in recovery from the pandemic. The state required that 10% of these funds be used to hire or extend hours for paraprofessionals.
Through this expansion, Modesto City Schools hired paraprofessionals and coaches to be at all TK-8 school sites. There are also three MTSS coaches at the 9-12 level.
In total, there were 72 paraprofessionals, 25 coaches and one coordinator involved with the program, costing around $7.2 million annually, according to the school district. The coordinator is responsible for training for teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators.
Two years after its implementation, California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress test scores show a 3.8% increase in students meeting standards in English.
During the 2021-22 school year, around 27.3% met or exceeded standard and during the 2023-2024 school year, around 30.9% met standard at Modesto City Schools’ elementary district.
