Advertise on podcast: Shift Everything

Rob Young was just a child when he survived a school shooting in 1989. Years later, as a police officer, he helped stop another potential mass shooting. Young was a guest speaker at the 2026 Illinois School Safety Conference and he shared his story with the Shift Everything podcast. Learn more about Rob: https://robyoungspeaks.com/

The people who know how to fix their schools are already in them. That's according to Chicago-based non-profit Teachers Supporting Teachers, whose representatives recently joined Shift Everything for a discussion. Our guests are Dr. Andy Rhodes and Ann Persson. West40 is in the early stages of developing a partnership with Teachers Supporting Teachers.

Welcome back to a new season of Shift Everything, the West40 podcast! We start the 2026-27 school year by asking how area education leaders are finding new and creative ways to recruit and retain teachers and support staff. Based on what they told us, you can sum it up in two words: convenience and communication.

Chronic absenteeism impacts many schools across the country and there could be any number of reasons why a student doesn't show up for class. So what can be done to boost attendance? In this episode of Shift Everything, hear how Proviso Township High School District 209, under the leadership of superintendent Krish Mohip, has taken big strides to reduce chronic absenteeism.

Student advocates are the backbone of West40! They build relationships with students to help them stay on track to success. Join the Shift Everything podcast as two student advocates, Juan and Violet, describe what advocacy looks like and how they define achievement.

West40's Dr. Mark Klaisner shares what he learned during a global education exchange in China—where ancient traditions meet cutting-edge innovation. If you are interested in learning more about West40's Global Connections program, please contact Stuart Brown at [email protected]

It's not your standard science fair! Shift Everything explores the world of Impossible Science with illusionist Jason Latimer. Jason explains what can happen when learning about science goes from being mandatory to engaging.

Schools have emergency drills designed to keep students safe in moments of uncertainty. But for students with disabilities, those drills can feel different with loud sirens, rapid instructions, and sudden movements. Stefan Bjes, the Director of Safety and Security for Plainfield District 202, joined us on Shift Everything to share a perspective that shapes how he approaches safety, both at home and in schools.

West40 is partnering with AESA Global to bring exciting global learning opportunities to students and educators. Shift Everything recently interviewed AESA Global's Jason Hiruo and Meimei Zou to hear how these experiences can change perspectives.

We brought back one of our most popular episode formats, Ask Mark Anything! West40 executive director Dr. Mark Klaisner answers questions from area superintendents about education policy on the state level, funding, reducing truancy, and more.

Shift Everything recently spoke to Michelle Gay of Safe and Sound Schools and Lori Alhadeff of Make Our Schools Safe. They each lost a child to a school shooting. They now lead organizations dedicated to helping keep schools safe. Learn more at https://www.safeandsoundschools.org and https://makeourschoolssafe.org

Dr. Lindsey Jensen of Educators Rising Illinois is a former Illinois Teacher of the Year who works with young people who want to become teachers. Hear what she says about supporting these possible future educators and how schools can get involved.

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 [email protected]

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.