Marty Huitt is a seasoned educator and visionary leader dedicated to revolutionizing how schools support children struggling with behavioral and academic challenges. For over two decades, Marty has served as the Director of the Behavior Intervention Support Team (BIST) program in Kansas City, Missouri, shaping the landscape of educational intervention and support in more than 330 schools in nine states across the country.
With a steadfast commitment to fostering environments of empathy and understanding, Marty has trained over 4,000 educators annually and coached leaders and teacher teams nationwide, equipping them with the tools and strategies needed to empower students, teachers, and parents alike. She is a champion of the BIST Model, a transformative, trauma-informed approach that centers on nurturing a shared belief system among educators, one that prioritizes compassion and consistency in care for all students.
This February, Marty published her first book, “Cultivating Behavioral Change in K-12 Students: Team-Based Intervention and Support Strategies,” a comprehensive text that covers timely topics including fostering family partnerships, increasing teaching time, and collaborating with students and other adults to create lasting change. As a respected authority in her field, Marty has taken the stage as a keynote speaker for several national conferences, drawing on her charisma and fervent passion for the BIST Model to instill hope and resilience in educators.
Reflecting on Marty’s impact, one educator shares, “Listening to and learning from Marty changed not only my sense of obligation to students who struggle, it truly changed my life. From that point on, I began to see my purpose as teaching students, not content, and working to have a life impact with those students who deserved it the least but needed it the most.”
Can you start by telling us a little bit about your background? How did you get to where you are today?
I “accidentally” started as a teacher for emotionally disturbed students in a residential facility in 1990. My original goal was to be a PE teacher and coach; however, at that time in education, very few PE positions were available. There were numerous available positions to work with students who struggled with behavior, so I picked up an additional certification.
After teaching for several years in residential, I went to Liberty Public Schools, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, to work with 9th-grade students who struggle with behavior. That position provided the opportunity to collaborate more frequently with parents, something I now see as key to children’s success in the classroom. While teaching at Liberty, I was introduced to BIST (Behavior Intervention Support Team). The building in which I was teaching implemented this model, and I had the opportunity to become a lead teacher.
Inspired by the impact of BIST on my students and myself, I left the classroom in 1997 and joined BIST as a consultant. This opportunity afforded me the privilege of being mentored by Nancy Osterhaus, the visionary behind the BIST model and then Director of BIST. This was an invaluable experience in my development and growth in supporting educators in their care for children. During this time, I had the opportunity to work with numerous schools and educators in how they support children who struggle with behavior. In 2003, I was invited to step into the role of Director of the BIST program.
Two decades later, we are a growing team of 26 consultants partnering with teachers, administrators, and families in more than 300 schools in nine states. I have witnessed the remarkable growth of this program, driven by passionate, innovative educators who are willing to be vulnerable and open to new ways of working with students who struggle behaviorally. I continue to be amazed by how dedicated teachers are to helping their students experience success. That original drive to become a coach has translated into championing aspiring educators and coaching my BIST Consultants, and I love what I do.
What is the BIST model?
In a nutshell, BIST is a psycho-educational model that helps support students who struggle with behavior. It was implemented in schools in 1989-90 and has continued growing since its initial implementation. It is also a philosophical model that allows adults to become cohesive and like-minded in the way they think about students who struggle.
