SchoolStory by ROE #30

Journey12

SchoolStory is a ten-episode podcast series brought to you by Matthew Hickam, Regional Superintendent of ROE #30. The project is the audio companion piece to SchoolStory Magazine, and is intended to create greater awareness of our schools in the public mind and to start important conversations with and between members of our communities. SchoolStory is produced by Journey12, whose mission is to create greater connection between local schools and the communities they serve. In this series, we explore the role public schools play—not just in educating children, but in holding our communities together. Recorded across Southern Illinois and hosted by Craig Williams, these conversations bring together superintendents, regional leaders, educators, and partners who are doing the quiet, complicated work of leading schools in a time of change. This is not a podcast about slogans or silver bullets. It’s about proximity. Stewardship. Dignity. And the deeply human decisions that shape what school feels like for students, families, and communities long before the data ever catches up. Across the series, we explore why small schools still matter in an era of consolidation, how collaboration strengthens—not weakens—local identity, and what it really means to prepare students for a workforce that no longer fits a single narrative. We talk candidly about the future of teaching, the evolving convergence of trades and technology, and the invisible labor schools carry as hubs of care, connection, and continuity. You’ll hear honest conversations about equity and access as lived experiences, not abstractions. About leading amid public pushback without losing integrity. About mental health as essential to learning. About special education as a promise, not a program. And throughout it all, we return to a central truth: when schools don’t tell their stories, something else fills that space—and it’s rarely complete or fair. SchoolStory exists to share the important discussions local district leaders are having with one another—openly, thoughtfully, and across district lines—so communities can better understand what’s happening inside their schools, why it matters, and who it’s for. These are conversations rooted in Southern Illinois, but the questions they raise—about trust, belonging, leadership, and the future of public education—resonate far beyond any one region. At its heart, SchoolStory is an act of stewardship. A belief that schools are not just institutions, but human systems. And that telling their stories—carefully, consistently, and with integrity—is essential to the health of the communities they serve. We hope you’ll enjoy hearing from this group of hardworking leaders — all of whom are our Southern Illinois neighbors — from across the Region.

Episodes

  1. Feb 10

    The Power of Story: Shaping Public Perception of Public Education

    Over the past several episodes, we’ve sat down with educational leaders from across Southern Illinois to explore the challenges, the wins, the complexities, and the importance of a strong public education landscape across our region. Today’s conversation brings us to the close of this series—and fittingly, it centers on the thread that runs beneath every episode we’ve shared together: the power of story. Over the course of these conversations, we’ve talked about mental health, special education, recruiting and retaining educators, rural schools, leadership under pressure, and the fragile, essential work of trust. And underneath all of it—whether we named it or not—was story. The stories schools tell. The stories communities believe. And the stories that go untold when no one takes responsibility for sharing them. Every community holds a narrative about its schools. Some of it is shaped by lived experience. Some by rumor. Some by a single moment that grows legs and runs. And some by the quiet, extraordinary work happening every day behind classroom doors that most people never see. When schools don’t tell their stories, something else fills that space—and it’s rarely generous, complete, or fair. But when schools tell their stories thoughtfully, consistently, and with integrity, something powerful happens. Communities begin to see themselves reflected back. Trust grows. Misinformation loses oxygen. And the human side of public education comes back into focus. In this final episode, I’m joined by Matthew Hickam, Regional Superintendent of ROE 30; Kris Mason, Superintendent of Giant City School District; and Landon Summers, Superintendent of Century Unit District—leaders who understand that storytelling isn’t a public relations tactic. It’s stewardship. It’s how schools help communities understand what’s really happening, why it matters, and who it’s for. We talk about filling the vacuum before negativity does. About reaching the eighty percent of taxpayers who don’t have children in the schools but still care deeply about them. About why lived experience often carries more weight than data alone. And about how telling the right stories, at the right time, can strengthen morale, retention, and public trust. So, as we bring this series to a close, let’s take a look at why story matters—how it shapes perception—and what happens when schools reclaim their own narrative.

    39 min

  2. Feb 9

    Mental Health Matters — Supporting Students and Staff Alike

    Today’s conversation centers on something that is both deeply personal and profoundly universal: mental health. Every day, students walk into our schools carrying far more than backpacks. They carry family stress, social pressures, private fears, grief, anxiety, and questions they may not yet have language for. And alongside them are the adults who serve them—teachers, counselors, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, office staff—each carrying their own quiet burdens while holding space for someone else. Mental health is no longer a side conversation in education. It never really should have been. It is essential to learning, just as literacy is essential to learning, and just as vital to teaching as curriculum. My guest today brings lived wisdom, hard-earned perspective, and a steady, compassionate voice to this work. Bethany Cottle is a school social worker with Elverado Unit 196, and her work reminds us that caring for our people—students and staff alike—is not an extra. It is the work. So let’s step into this conversation with honesty, empathy, and a shared belief that being seen, being named, and being supported can change a life.

    45 min

  3. Feb 9

    Special Education — Meeting Every Learner Where They Are

    Special education is often misunderstood as a program, a placement, or a compliance requirement. But at its core, it’s something far more profound. It’s a promise—a promise that no learner will be left without a path forward. That no challenge, no diagnosis, no limitation will disqualify a child from belonging, growth, or dignity. This is work where creativity meets regulation, where patience meets persistence, and where every student’s journey is as individual as a fingerprint. Joining me today are four remarkable leaders who live this promise every day: Kim Clayton from JAMP Special Education Cooperative; Dr. Victoria Grove Scott, Dean of the College of Education at Southern Illinois University; Jordan Suits, Superintendent of Lick Creek School District; and voices from across the region who carry the weight of this work with humility and resolve. In this conversation, we unpack the misconceptions that still surround special education, the quiet heroics of assistive technology and collaboration, the emotional toll on educators, and the extraordinary resilience of students and families navigating systems that were never designed to be easy. This is a conversation about inclusion becoming belonging. About accommodations becoming access. And about why fairness doesn’t mean everyone gets the same thing—it means everyone gets what they need.

    46 min

  4. Feb 9

    Confrontation & Collaboration: Leading Schools Amid Public Push-back

    Leadership is often described in aspirational terms—vision, alignment, momentum, progress. But the truth is, leadership is more often forged in moments that feel uncomfortable, misunderstood, and, at times, deeply personal. In this episode, we’re stepping into that reality. We’re talking about confrontation and collaboration—not as opposing forces, but as twin responsibilities that today’s school leaders must hold at the same time. We’re talking about what happens when public trust feels frayed, when social media amplifies partial truths, and when leaders are asked to absorb criticism while still showing up with openness and integrity. Joining me today are Landon Summers, Superintendent of Century School District, and Connie Clendenin, Acting Superintendent of Elverado. Both lead in communities where people care deeply, speak plainly, and expect their leaders to be both accessible and authentic. You’ll hear them unpack what healthy confrontation really looks like. How emotional regulation matters more than winning an argument. Why transparency builds credibility—even when full disclosure isn’t possible. And how showing up—at a swim meet, a baptism, or a hard conversation—can quietly rebuild trust when words alone won’t. This is a conversation about leadership that doesn’t retreat from tension, but doesn’t weaponize it either. About holding boundaries without losing relationships. And about remembering that behind every critique is usually a person who just wants to be heard.

    40 min

  5. Feb 9

    From Trades to Tech — Preparing Students for a Changing Workforce

    For a long time in this country, we told a very narrow story about success. We didn’t always say it out loud, but the message was clear: a four-year degree was the destination — and everything else was a consolation prize. And while that story worked for some students, it quietly left a lot of capable, talented young people feeling unseen. But here’s the truth: while the narrative lagged, the world kept moving. The trades never disappeared. They just evolved. Welders became fabricators. Auto mechanics became diagnosticians. Manufacturing became precision-driven and data-informed. And now, as technology and AI accelerate across every sector, we’re watching trades and tech converge in ways that demand not less skill — but more. In this episode, we’re talking about what it really means to prepare students for a changing workforce — not by forcing them into a single mold, but by helping them discover a personal pathway to a productive future. You’ll hear from leaders who are closing exposure gaps, rethinking stigma, building regional collaboration, and — most importantly — restoring confidence to students who may not have always seen school as a place where they could thrive. This conversation is about dignity. It’s about relevance. And it’s about making sure that every student — whether headed toward a lab, a shop floor, a union hall, a college campus, or something we haven’t even named yet — knows that their future matters.

    52 min

  6. Feb 9

    Meeting Students Where They Are Through Equity, Access, and Dignity

    Today’s conversation is one that reaches far beyond policy or buzzwords—and into the lived reality of what school feels like for children and families navigating difference, belonging, and opportunity. We’re talking about equity and access—but not as an abstract framework. We’re talking about it as something you can see in a lunchroom. Feel in a hallway. Witness in the quiet courage of a child being fully themselves for the first time in a place that says, you belong here. In this episode, I’m joined by two extraordinary leaders: Dr. Andrea Evers, Superintendent of Murphysboro Unit District 186, and Dr. Yaa Appiah McNulty, Superintendent of Unity Point School District. Together, they lead in communities where diversity isn’t a talking point—it’s the daily fabric of school life. You’ll hear us explore how schools become safe harbors in shifting cultural tides, how access is created through partnerships with universities and unions, how leadership sometimes means standing firmly in uncomfortable moments, and why the strength of a school community might best be understood through an unlikely metaphor: a sheet of OSB—ordinary-looking, imperfect, but remarkably strong when every strand is pressed together with intention. This is a conversation about pressure, possibility, and the quiet work of building schools that don’t just educate—but protect, expand, and dignify the lives entrusted to them.

    55 min

  7. Feb 9

    Teaching in 2026 — Is it a Revolution? Is it the New Normal? (Or is it Both?)

    Today’s conversation lives right at the intersection of urgency and hope. Across Illinois — and really across the country — we’re facing a reality that can’t be ignored: fewer young people are choosing to become educators, veteran teachers are feeling the weight of the work more heavily than ever, and the narrative surrounding the profession has grown louder, harsher, and often unfairly narrow. And yet… something remarkable is still happening inside classrooms, inside colleges of education, and inside communities that refuse to let the story end there. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Victoria Grove Scott, Dean of the College of Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Diana Rea, Superintendent of Du Quoin Unit District 300. Together, they offer a candid, grounded look at what teaching looks like in 2026 — not just through the lens of recruitment and retention, but through dignity, relationships, structure, and belief in the work itself. We talk about why fewer people are being encouraged to teach… Why those who do choose the profession often do so despite the noise… And how instructional coaching, “grow-your-own” programs, and deeply human leadership are quietly rebuilding momentum from the inside out. This isn’t a conversation about slogans or silver bullets. It’s about what actually sustains educators — and what might just re-ignite a calling in a generation that’s being told, far too often, to look elsewhere.

    48 min

  8. Feb 9

    The Heart of the Community — Schools as Far More Than Classrooms

    When we talk about schools, we often default to the obvious things — classrooms, curricula, test scores, and calendars. But anyone who has spent real time inside a school knows that what happens there reaches far beyond the bell schedule. Schools are where communities gather. They’re where relationships form across generations. They’re where empathy is practiced, dignity is extended, and care shows up in ways that rarely make headlines. In this episode, we’re joined by Kris Mason, Superintendent of Giant City School District, and Diana Rea, Superintendent of Du Quoin Unit District 300 — two leaders who understand, deeply, that schools don’t sit inside communities. They are the communities they serve. You’ll hear stories about food baskets quietly assembled for families in need… Middle schoolers moved to tears after visiting residents in a nursing home… Alumni returning to hallways that still feel like home… And educators wearing a dozen invisible hats — not because it’s in a job description, but because it’s what the moment calls for. This is a conversation about schools as hubs of connection, compassion, and continuity — places where the work of education blends seamlessly with the work of being human.

    41 min

  9. Feb 9

    The State of the Small School & Why Size Still Matters

    Today’s conversation feels like a recognition many of us already understand but don’t always value. In an era where bigger is often equated with better, where consolidation is framed as efficiency, and where schools are increasingly discussed in terms of scale rather than soul, we’re pausing to ask a more human question: What do small schools still do better than anyone else — and why does that matter so deeply right now? This episode isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about proximity. It’s about knowing families by name, responding before a crisis becomes visible, and understanding that schools are often the last truly connective tissue holding rural communities together. You’ll hear from leaders who live this work every day — people who understand that small schools aren’t “limited versions” of larger systems, but distinct ecosystems with their own strengths, responsibilities, and quiet superpowers. So let’s take a closer look at why size still matters — and what we risk losing if we forget that schools are, first and foremost, human institutions.

    43 min

  10. Feb 8

    Better Together — Why Collaboration Matters

    In this episode, we’re stepping back to look at something both deceptively simple and profoundly powerful: what happens when schools stop operating as islands and start thinking—and acting—regionally. Across Southern Illinois, districts of every size are discovering that collaboration isn’t a sign of weakness or scarcity—it’s a form of stewardship. It’s how autonomy is preserved, not surrendered. It’s how small schools stay strong. It’s how opportunity expands without erasing identity. Today’s conversation brings together superintendents, regional leaders, and partners who are living this work every day—sharing resources, building pathways, addressing challenges like truancy, food security, workforce preparation, and literacy, and doing so with a deep respect for the unique character of their communities. What emerges is a picture of a region that understands something essential: no single district can carry every burden alone—but together, they can lift far more than anyone ever could.

    48 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

SchoolStory is a ten-episode podcast series brought to you by Matthew Hickam, Regional Superintendent of ROE #30. The project is the audio companion piece to SchoolStory Magazine, and is intended to create greater awareness of our schools in the public mind and to start important conversations with and between members of our communities. SchoolStory is produced by Journey12, whose mission is to create greater connection between local schools and the communities they serve. In this series, we explore the role public schools play—not just in educating children, but in holding our communities together. Recorded across Southern Illinois and hosted by Craig Williams, these conversations bring together superintendents, regional leaders, educators, and partners who are doing the quiet, complicated work of leading schools in a time of change. This is not a podcast about slogans or silver bullets. It’s about proximity. Stewardship. Dignity. And the deeply human decisions that shape what school feels like for students, families, and communities long before the data ever catches up. Across the series, we explore why small schools still matter in an era of consolidation, how collaboration strengthens—not weakens—local identity, and what it really means to prepare students for a workforce that no longer fits a single narrative. We talk candidly about the future of teaching, the evolving convergence of trades and technology, and the invisible labor schools carry as hubs of care, connection, and continuity. You’ll hear honest conversations about equity and access as lived experiences, not abstractions. About leading amid public pushback without losing integrity. About mental health as essential to learning. About special education as a promise, not a program. And throughout it all, we return to a central truth: when schools don’t tell their stories, something else fills that space—and it’s rarely complete or fair. SchoolStory exists to share the important discussions local district leaders are having with one another—openly, thoughtfully, and across district lines—so communities can better understand what’s happening inside their schools, why it matters, and who it’s for. These are conversations rooted in Southern Illinois, but the questions they raise—about trust, belonging, leadership, and the future of public education—resonate far beyond any one region. At its heart, SchoolStory is an act of stewardship. A belief that schools are not just institutions, but human systems. And that telling their stories—carefully, consistently, and with integrity—is essential to the health of the communities they serve. We hope you’ll enjoy hearing from this group of hardworking leaders — all of whom are our Southern Illinois neighbors — from across the Region.

Information

  • Creator
    Journey12
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 SchoolStory by ROE #30
  • Show Website
    SchoolStory by ROE #30