“MTSS isn’t just about intervention—it’s about making sure everyone gets strong foundational instruction, with supports layered in when needed.”
IMA Board of Directors
Foundational Year: 2025-2026
Dr. Tessie Rose Bailey
Principal Technical Assistance Consultant, American Institutes of Research (Utah)
IMA Board President
-
Tessie Rose Bailey, Ph.D., is the Director of the PROGRESS Center: Promoting Progress for Students with Disabilities and advisor for the Center on Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS Center) at AIR, Lead IDEA Center, and National Center on Intensive Interventions (NCII). She also supports states and districts in implementing special education requirements and tiered systems through the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) and state contracts.
She has conducted hundreds of workshops and presentations for local and state educators on effective and efficient implementation of MTSS and special education. She has developed many widely used technical assistance resources, including the Multi-Tiered System of Supports Within Schools: The What and The How, Strategies for Setting High-Quality Academic Individualized Education Program Goals, assessment and intervention professional learning material, online self-paced learning modules, and training materials for local technical assistance providers.
Dr. Keith Collins
Interim Head of Student Support, The Brearley School (New York)
IMA Board Vice-Chair
-
Dr. Keith Collins is an experienced school leader and education consultant dedicated to helping schools and districts build sustainable systems that improve outcomes for all learners. Keith has served as an elementary and middle school administrator, PreK–12 director, and consultant across the U.S. and internationally.
He is the founder of RevisionED, a consulting firm specializing in leadership development, MTSS implementation, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and school culture transformation. Drawing on his experience in Title I schools and top international schools, Keith partners with educational organizations to design strategic, data-driven solutions that build capacity and drive lasting change.
Known for his energetic approach and systems thinking, he empowers school leaders to create equitable, inclusive learning environments where every student can thrive.
Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden
Founder & Chief Product Officer, Accelerate Learning (Alabama)
IMA Board Member
-
Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden is an internationally recognized researcher, author, and innovator in education, with deep expertise in academic intervention and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). She is credited with developing models of academic screening that are widely used in schools, conducting innovative research in mathematics screening and progress monitoring using mastery measurement, and the creation of SpringMath.
As the developer of SpringMath, she has led the platform’s evolution into a schoolwide solution that accelerates math achievement through efficient, data-driven practices. Amanda has published over 100 scholarly articles, ten books, advised multiple state departments of education and policy groups and received national awards for her contributions to education research. She has published ten books, over 100 scholarly articles and chapters, and is a frequent presenter. She is Founder and Chief Product Officer of SpringMath Accelerate, Inc., where she is guiding the platform’s impact and innovation in improving student math outcomes. Her full bio can be found here: https://www.springmath.org/amanda-vanderheyden
Dr. Young-Suk Kim
Professor, University of California, Irvine
IMA Board Treasurer
-
Young-Suk Grace Kim, EdD, is Professor and former Senior Associate Dean at the School of Education, University of California, Irvine. A former classroom teacher in San Francisco and South Korea, Dr. Kim’s scholarship focuses on language and literacy development and effective instruction for racially, ethnically, economically, and linguistically diverse children.
Her research has been funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Kim is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association and a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.
She currently serves as Editor of both Journal of Educational Psychology and Scientific Studies of Reading and has held leadership roles within research organizations and research-practice organizations.
Dr. Dale Webster
President, CORE Learning
IMA Board Member
-
Dale Webster is the President of CORE Learning (CORE), which provides professional learning and implementation support to schools and districts across the country.
Dale brings over 30 years of experience in teaching, professional learning, research, state-level policy and administration work, and curriculum development to schools and districts across the country. Dale earned his Ph.D. in Learning, Cognition, and Development at the University of California, Irvine in 2012 where his research focused on vocabulary development for English learners. He has presented nationally on various topics related to the science of reading.
Dale most recently served as a member of the California State Literacy Plan Team and the SB 488 Panel that updated teacher preparation standards for reading instruction in California. Dale also served on the California Curriculum Commission, an advisory body to the California State Board of Education on curriculum frameworks and textbook adoptions. He currently is a member of the Board of Directors for the International Dyslexia Association functioning as the Senior Editor-in-Chief of IDA’s publications. He has also served on the editorial board for IDA’s Perspectives in Language and Literacy publication.
Kristen Koehler
Director of Student Support, Anacortes School District (Washington)
IMA Board Secretary
-
Kristen Koehler is currently serving as the Director of Student Support for the Anacortes School District in Washington. She brings extensive experience in student support and special education leadership, having worked both internationally and in the United States.
Kristen’s background as a special education teacher and school psychologist has shaped her deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and ensuring that every student has access to meaningful educational opportunities. Throughout her career, she has focused on building strong systems of support, fostering collaborative partnerships with families and community organizations, and creating student-centered programs that meet diverse learning needs.
Passionate about professional growth and innovative practices, Kristen enjoys mentoring educators and advocating for strategies that remove barriers and promote success for all learners. Her work reflects a belief that when schools and communities come together, every student can thrive.
Dr. Matthew K. Burns
Fein Professor of Special Education, University of Florida
IMA Board Member
-
Dr. Matthew K. Burns is the Fien Endowed Professor of Special Education at the University of Florida and an Assistant Director of the University of Florida Literacy Institute.
Dr. Burns has published over 200 articles and book chapters in national publications, and has co-authored or co-edited 15 books. He is the current Co-Editor of Remedial and Special Education, and a Past Editor of School Psychology Review and Assessment for Effective Intervention . He is one of the leading researchers regarding the use of assessment data to determine individual or small-group interventions, multitiered systems of support, and facilitating problem-solving teams.
His research has been featured in popular podcasts such as Sold a Story and documentary films such as The Truth About Reading. He received the 2020 Senior Scientist Award from Division 16 (School Psychology) of the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Joan Schumann
Founder, Leading for Learning (California)
IMA Founding Executive Director
-
Joan Schumann, PhD is the Founding Executive Director of the International MTSS Association (IMA) and CEO of Leading for Learning. An educator with a research background, she has served as a K–12 teacher, special educator, principal, district leader, and university faculty member—bringing evidence to implementation in classrooms, teacher preparation, and school systems. Joan earned her doctorate at the University of Utah, where her dissertation examined PBIS and discipline disproportionality, and has since led large-scale MTSS efforts, including districtwide frameworks, high-impact professional learning, and data-driven school improvement.
Her leadership spans the U.S. and international schools, including principalship in California, Director of Professional Learning & Instruction at the International School of Beijing, and Director of Student Support Services at Stamford American International School in Singapore. She has guided assessment and curriculum adoptions, mentored administrators and teachers, secured multi-million–dollar resources to expand services for students and families, and presented nationally and internationally on MTSS, RTI, PBIS, educational equity, attendance, women in leadership, and systems-level leadership. Her written work appears in the Handbook of School Psychology, the Handbook of Positive Behavior Support, and the Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.
Today, Joan focuses on helping leaders at every level of the educational system implement best practice—and making research (and researchers) accessible to everyday school professionals.
Become a Member Today!
When you join the International MTSS Association (IMA), you become part of a global community committed to advancing evidence based, equitable systems of support. Membership connects you with leaders, researchers, and practitioners working together to strengthen MTSS, build collective capacity, and ensure every learner has access to the support they need to thrive.
Together, we unite research and practice to shape the future of education.
