SchoolStory by ROE #30

About SchoolStory by ROE #30

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.

Publisher

Journey12

Category

education · kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Feb 2026

Latest episode

10 Feb 2026

Latest episodes

10 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Feb 2026

   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 educati...

2. 

   9 Feb 2026

   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 to...

3. 

   9 Feb 2026

   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 someon...

4. 

   9 Feb 2026

   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, a...

5. 

   9 Feb 2026

   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’...

6. 

   9 Feb 2026

   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 fray...

7. 

   9 Feb 2026

   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, Superintend...

8. 

   9 Feb 2026

   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 ...

9. 

   9 Feb 2026

   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 kn...

10. 

    8 Feb 2026

    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’...

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