Today our guest is Torrin Johnson, Executive Director of MTSS at Merced Union High School District in California. Torrin shares how his district built a Tier 2 support system from the ground up, what they got wrong at first, and how pairing trained intervention coordinators with explicit skill-based curriculum helped bring their suspension rate to below 1% across 11,000 students.

He also explains why matching the right intervention to the right student need is the most important and most commonly skipped step in Tier 2 implementation, and why the difference between a skill gap and a motivation gap changes everything about how a school should respond.

In this conversation, Torrin offers important reminders for educators and leaders:

A strong Tier 2 system does not replace Tier 1. It runs alongside it, and students receiving Tier 2 supports still need a solid Tier 1 foundation underneath them.
Applying the same intervention to every student regardless of need is not neutral. Matching the right intervention to the right gap is what makes Tier 2 actually work.
Students who have never been explicitly taught self-regulation and interpersonal skills will tell you so. When schools teach those skills directly, students notice and respond.
Principals are central to Tier 2 success. Investing in their understanding of the why behind the system is just as important as implementing the interventions themselves.

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About Torrin Johnson:

Torrin Johnson is an educational leader who serves as the Executive Director of MTSS for the Merced Union High School District. Driven by a strong commitment to educational equity and student advocacy, he oversees district-wide Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), alternative education sites, and key academic interventions such as the Read 180 program. Prior to his current district role, he served as Principal of Atwater High School from 2015 to 2019, where he significantly reduced truancies and suspensions. He also served as Principal of Yosemite Continuation High School from 2010 to 2015. Johnson holds a Master's degree in English and Bachelor's degrees in English and Interdisciplinary Studies from National University, an Associate of Arts from Merced College, and clear California administrative and teaching credentials.

In this conversation, Torrin offers important reminders for educators and leaders:

A strong Tier 2 system does not replace Tier 1. It runs alongside it, and students receiving Tier 2 supports still need a solid Tier 1 foundation underneath them.
Applying the same intervention to every student regardless of need is not neutral. Matching the right intervention to the right gap is what makes Tier 2 actually work.
Students who have never been explicitly taught self-regulation and interpersonal skills will tell you so. When schools teach those skills directly, students notice and respond.
Principals are central to Tier 2 success. Investing in their understanding of the why behind the system is just as important as implementing the interventions themselves.

Learn More About CharacterStrong:

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