1J: Beyond Firefighting: Solving Problems to Root Using Real-Time Problem Solving (RTPS)

Education leaders often find themselves firefighting: addressing immediate issues only to see them resurface. Real-Time Problem Solving (RTPS) is a structured improvement method that tackles problems at their root by investigating individual incidents to uncover system breakdowns, developing solutions, and sharing them system-wide. Guided by principles of "systems, not people," "solve, don't fix," and "elevating voices closest to the work," RTPS equips practitioners to generate solutions through iterative testing. In this interactive session, participants will engage in a hands-on coffee-making simulation to experience RTPS in action, examine real-world examples, and apply the five-step RTPS protocol to problems from their own contexts. Participants will leave with actionable tools, guided templates and protocols, to implement RTPS as a sustainable improvement method in their classrooms, schools, or districts.