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There are those who say “that’s just the way things are” and there are those who push for change. The West40 team of educators and advocates, led by Dr. Mark Klaisner, is the latter. Shift Everything challenges the education community to shake up their thinking and prepare to challenge the status quo to make the impossible become possible.
73 Episodes
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Shift Everything invites four Illinois regional education leaders to discuss how the educator shortage is impacting their regions and the possible solutions to hire and retain more teachers. This episode references information from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools 2022-23 Educator Shortage Survey.
This episode of the Shift Everything podcast introduces listeners to the Academic Decathlon. Hear what it takes to build a team, practice, and ultimately compete on the state and national stages. If you would like to learn more about the Illinois Academic Decathlon or if you are interested in starting a team at your school, contact Tammy Raffen at traffen@west40.org
Shift Everything explores the benefits of early literacy with West40 professional learning specialist Dr. Erika Lukasik. Hear how reading at a younger age can build critical skills that can lead to success in school and beyond.
Imagine being a teenager and seeing your friend collapse while on a jog. What would you do and how would you react? Four Ridgewood High School juniors experienced this in July when their friend suffered a cardiac arrest. Their quick-thinking kicked-in and they performed CPR until paramedics arrived. This episode highlights why learning life-saving measures in school is so important.
A student's pathway to college can look any number of ways. West40's Chris Coffey talks to Blanca Jara of Morton College to hear how high school students and their families can prepare for the college experience and how a two year college can open up doors to more opportunities.
The Shift Everything podcast is back with another question and answer session with West40 executive director Dr. Mark Klaisner. Area superintendents submitted questions covering a wide range of topics, including education-related legislation, school vouchers, leadership qualities, supporting undocumented students, and more. This is the season finale of Shift Everything. We'll be back in a few months!
Welcome to Shift Everything! In this episode, West40 executive director Dr. Mark Klaisner recaps his Spring 2025 trip to Asia, where he was one of approximately twenty educators from across the US selected to join an international delegation to South Korea and Singapore. Dr. Klaisner explains how they explored innovative education systems, leadership practices, and global perspectives on learning.
There could be any number of reasons why graduating from high school in four years does not work out for a young adult. But there are solutions for those looking to restart or finish high school. In this podcast episode, hear from a current student and a recent graduate of the West40 Seniors Plus program. Seniors Plus offers students a second chance to finish high school in a setting built on respect and support.
The Shift Everything team attended the ICEARY (Illinois Coalition for Educating At-Risk Youth) Conference in Bloomington in early March. We chatted with several attendees and an organizer to hear their thoughts on the conference, what they hoped to learn there, and what misconceptions about at-risk kids they hope to get cleared up.
Yessenia Olivas is West40's Director of ALOP Operations. Her work often involves visits to advocates and students at schools in West40 partner districts. Yessenia explains why it's important to build strong connections with team members so they can walk further with students.
The sky is the limit students who are interested in many in-demand careers and not all of the careers require four year degrees. High school students can start their training for these careers before they graduate by participating in workforce development programs. The Shift Everything podcast highlights the programs offered by Ridgewood High School and Elmwood Park High School, whose students spend can attend training classes at area colleges and technical educational centers and get a step closer to their possible career of choice.
While a teacher shortage continues to impact schools across the nation, some districts are in the process of growing teachers from within their schools. On this episode of Shift Everything, Bellwood School District 88 superintendent Dr. Victoria Stockton explains how the district is partnering with BloomBoard to create pathways for for paraprofessionals and other school employees to become certified teachers.
Improved grades. More attention from teachers. Making friends. More creativity. That's how a family describes their child's experience with attending the West40 Remote School. Join Shift Everything and hear from the family as they explain how online learning (post pandemic) has led to positive results.
The #ShiftEverything podcast starts 2025 with a focus on education advocacy. Special guest Dr. Mike Popp of West40 shares tips on how to let your state's lawmakers know what changes are needed to help schools, students, and educators succeed.
Shift Everything explores the exciting process of school construction and renovation: from the idea, to the funding, to the bidding, and to the building. This episode's special guest is Athi Toufexis of Studio GC Architecture and Interiors.
Cicero District 99, near Chicago, embarked on a journey to boost academic performance and student success through continuous improvement. The district is now seeing measurable positive results, thanks to the hard work of its students and staff. On this episode of Shift Everything, Dr. Anthony Grazzini of Cicero District 99 describes their journey and shares tips with other districts.
A conversation with West40 Chief Technology Officer, Josh Boies, about the role of information technology in supporting education. Hear how tech teams keep devices running smoothly, protect sensitive data and information, and prepare for technological advancements.
Too many foster children have no stable place to call home. Every night in Illinois, there are foster children sleeping on couches, in temporary shelters, or even in state office buildings. #ShiftEverything explores what is being done to support these children and provide them with a safe environment to learn and thrive.
The Shift Everything podcast visited the 2024 Illinois School Safety Conference to learn more about the annual event, advancements in school safety technology, and why it's important for law enforcement to build trust with students and school staff.
Chronic absenteeism is an issue that impacts schools in Illinois and beyond. That's when students miss 10% or more of school for any reason and it includes excused or unexcused absences. State records indicate nearly 30% of Illinois students are chronically absent. But it doesn't have to stay that way. In fact, organizations like West40 are helping kids get back into the classroom by actively supporting them. On this episode of Shift Everything, Nancy Debre and Jimmy Mortillaro of West40 offer tips and share success stories.
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