IASA Podcast

Locally sourced food and scratch cooking. In this episode of the IASA Podcast, we talk to Matt Hickam, Regional Superintendent of ROE 30, and Greg Christian, CEO of Beyond Green Partners, about efforts to leverage a state grant to implement scratch cooking in Cobden and Murphysboro schools.

In this episode, we detail how IASA’s upcoming Super Region workshops series can help educators build AI capacity in their school districts, streamline operations and create efficiencies. Our guests are Dr. Dawn Bridges, Dr. Bill Daggett and Thomas Hawkins. Thomas is the Content and Innovation Manager for Successful Practices Network and will be co-presenting at the workshops with Dr. Bridges.

Dr. John Gatta, CEO of the ECRA Group, discusses AI solutions for schools, specifically AI assistants. As part of an expanded partnership with IASA, ECRA has developed three AI assistants to help school districts in the areas of the Illinois School Code, Parent Questions and Human Resources.

In this episode, IASA Field Services Directors, Dr. Vic Zimmerman and Dr. Brian Harris, share tips and strategies for superintendents heading into, during and post-Winter Break.

In September, IASA and IASB announced a new joint partnership with Munetrix + SchoolData Solutions. Hear from the company’s CEO, Ginny Norton, on the capabilities of the powerful school performance analytics tool on this episode of the IASA Podcast.

In this episode, Dr. Gabrielle Rodriguez, superintendent of Central SD #104, discusses the 104 Store, a free community resource in O'Fallon. Dr. Rodriguez discusses the steps to open the pantry, including costs, the impact it's had on her community and how it's maintained.

Dr. Mike Lubelfeld, superintendent of North Shore SD #112, joins the IASA Podcast to discuss the various ways he utilizes AI in his district. Dr. Lubelfeld also discusses the benefits of generative AI in education and the safeguards his district implements.

The Illinois School for the Deaf is celebrating 185 years of educating and serving members of the Deaf community. We dive deep into the services offered at the school in this episode of the IASA Podcast.

What should superintendents be focusing on during the months of June, July and August? In this episode of the IASA Podcast, we talk to Dr. Brian Harris, one of IASA's newest Field Services Directors, on focus areas for district leaders in the summer.

Looking for a new way to provide entrepreneurial opportunities for students in your district? In this episode, we talk to Curt Nettles, superintendent of Clinton CUSD #15, about the CEO program. Curt shares how the program works, if there's a cost for districts and the benefits for students.

Last March, Flossmoor SD #161 purchased Yondr bags to streamline the process of having students lock up their phone during the school day. In this episode of the IASA Podcast, Superintendent Dr. Dana Smith shares why he implemented the ban at the Junior High, how it's went so far and the impact he's noticed on student learning and engagement.

Questions about the School Leader Evaluation Plan? In this episode, Dr. Jason Leahy, IPA Executive Director, and Dr. Kay Dugan, an evaluator trainer, discuss the ins and outs of the assistant principal and principal evaluator program. Plus, Dr. Jill Griffin, superintendent of Bethalto CUSD #8, shares how the pilot program is going in her district.

In this episode, we highlight Cahokia CUSD #187. The district is set to embark on a potentially transformational journey after receiving a multi-million dollar federal grant. The program provides federal support for high-need districts to implement, improve or expand their human-resources system, which must include a performance-based compensation system. Our guests are Superintendent Curtis McCall, Dr. Patrick Rice and Dr. Constance Evelyn.

In 2023, NWEA released a study that describes high-quality teaching practices in place in Schiller Park SD #81. In this episode of the IASA Podcast, we speak to Schiller Park's Superintendent, Dr. Kimberly Boryszewski, about instructional strategies that are driving student improvement.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Education expanded school-level reporting requirements by mandating that all states participate in the School-Level Finance Survey (SLFS). In this episode, we talk to Luke Corry at ISBE about everything superintendents and school business officials need to know about the new financial reporting requirement.

In this episode, superintendent Dr. Robert McBride discusses how the school district initially responded to the ceiling collapse, ongoing restoration efforts, the importance of communications and how the district managed to continue school for freshmen students impacted by the incident.

In this episode, we speak to Brian Dukes, superintendent of Earlville CUSD #9, about the return on investment his district is getting from offering students and families full-day pre-K and daycare. Earlville is a small, rural district in the Starved Rock region.

In our latest episode, we discuss the need for schools to be proactive about indoor air quality. Our guest Jeffry Faust, Vice President of Environmental Consultants, discusses air pollutants, mold, radon and the potential of the state mandating testing.

With a finite amount of dollars in the budget, many superintendents wrestle with investing in a communications staff. In this episode, we talk to Steve Wilder, superintendent of Sycamore CUSD #427, and Lauren Holtz, Director of Communications and Community Engagement, about why having a strong communications department is worth every penny.

October 18 marked the first meeting for the Vision 2030 Working Group. The statewide group of educators will collaborate to develop a new long-range blueprint for public education in Illinois. Long before there was Vision 2030, there was Vision 20/20. In this episode, we speak to Ralph Grimm about how groundbreaking Vision 20/20 was and what the major accomplishments were.

Being a superintendent can be a difficult, lonely position -- if you let it be. In this episode, Jason Grey and Dr. Alex Kashner share how building a strong support network can assist you in navigating the ever-changing job of the school superintendent. Jason is superintendent at Riley CCSD #18 and Dr. Kashner is superintendent at Eastland CUSD #308.

In this episode, hear from Andy Johnson, superintendent at Effingham CUSD #40, and Jeff Abell, superintendent at Griggsville-Perry CUSD #4, about how IASA Compliance Plus is benefitting their districts. In addition, Robert Wolfe shares how he's helped districts with everything from transportation, EBF reports, bid proposals and indirect costs. Furthermore, Robert discusses a new resource he and Cheryl Graff created that is exclusively for IASA Compliance Plus participants.

We once again go beyond the test scores and learn how Evidence-Based Funding is Making a Difference in Lansing SD #158. Our guest is the school district's superintendent, Dr. Nathan Schilling. In this episode, Dr. Schilling shares how EBF has helped the district expand supports for students. In addition, Dr. Schilling details how the Property Tax Relief Grant has helped the district abate $11 million over five years.

We once again go beyond the test scores and look at how Evidence-Based Funding is Making a Difference in schools. Our guest this episode is Todd Dugan, superintendent of Bunker Hill CUSD #8. Todd shares how EBF brought stability to his district, helped improve facilities and opened up new learning pathways for students.

How can something like a new playground make a big impact on school climate and culture? In this episode, we speak to Dr. Merryl Brownlow, superintendent of Palos Heights #128, on the palpable effect a new inclusive playground is already having on the district.

Want to know more about this year's keynote speakers? Learn how IASA picks breakout sessions? And gain practical tips to maximize your conference experience? This podcast is all about IASA's 59th Annual Conference, Sept. 27-29 in Springfield. Our guests are Dr. Roger Alvey, IASA President, and Dr. Courtney Orzel, Associate Director of Professional Development.

Check out Part 2 of our EBF Making a Difference series. In this episode, we learning how Evidence-Based Funding is helping Midwest Central CUSD #191 bring back programs cut during proration of General State Aid and invest in recruiting and retaining teachers.

IASA's series on how Evidence-Based Funding is helping Illinois students returns in podcast form. In this episode, learn how the state's investment has helped Big Hollow SD #38 gain its footing financially and add more academic and behavior supports for students.

IASA has expanded our team to launch IASA Compliance Plus, a pilot program for the 2023-24 school year designed to help districts save time on compliance matters. In this episode, hear from IASA Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark, IASA General Counsel and the two people picked to facilitate this initiative, Cheryl Graff and Robert Wolfe. Cheryl is a retired regional superintendent and Robert retired after serving as Chief Financial Officer of ISBE. Visit the IASA website to learn more and apply.

In May, the Illinois Department of Revenue released a memo that indicated school districts, and other government bodies, would see a reduction in Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax funding. On the IASA Podcast, we spoke to Dr. Vic Zimmerman, IASA Field Services Director, about this announcement and what it means for school districts trying to budget for FY 24.

Illinois State Superintendent Dr. Tony Sanders joins IASA for a quick podcast about ISBE extending the application deadline for the Early Childhood Block Grant to June 30. Also, we ask Dr. Sanders about his new leadership team and the role they will fill.

Madeline McCune and Emily Warnecke join the IASA Podcast to provide a legislative update on where things stand. Ms. McCune and Mrs. Warnecke discuss unfunded mandates, curriculum mandates, literacy initiatives, the teacher shortage and more. The IASA Podcast is sponsored by American Fidelity.

In honor of Women's History Month, IASA asked the group of female leaders who helped launch Women in Leadership in Illinois. This podcast features a lively an inspiring discussion about the history of WIL, misconceptions about the initiative, barriers women face entering the superintendency and why it's important that Illinois continues to grow the number of female leaders. Guests are Dr. Courtney Orzel, Sara Boucek, Dr. Carrie Hruby, Dr. Crystal Johnson-Maden, Dr. Bhavna Sharma-Lewis and Julie Kraemer. The IASA Podcast is sponsored by American Fidelity. 

In honor of February being Black History Month, IASA invited Dr. Sonya Whitaker on the podcast to discuss a variety of issues around equity and diversity in public education. Dr. Whitaker is the Deputy Superintendent of Schools at Dolton School District 148 and serves as National Education Policy Director for PUSH Excel. In this podcast, we discuss her work at PUSH Excel; the teacher shortage and increasing the pool of black teachers and educators; tips for school leaders on maximizing Black History Monty; polarized politics in school board races and much more! The IASA Podcast is sponsored by American Fidelity. 

Like many districts, Oakwood CUSD #76 struggled attracting substitute teachers. Earlier this month, district hosted its first ever Aspiring Substitute Academy to recruit and educate people from the community about what it takes to become a substitute teacher. In this episode, Oakwood's superintendent, Larry Maynard, discusses the substitute teacher shortage, what the academy entailed and how big of a boost the district has already seen in its applicant pool. The IASA Podcast is sponsored by American Fidelity. 

A major component of leadership is creating a transition plan to ensure the district can function well going forward after you leave, whether that be from retirement, transferring or a separation agreement. In this episode, Dr. Vic Zimmerman shares advice and insights into his experience of passing the superintendency baton when he retired from Monticello CUSD #25. The IASA Podcast is sponsored by American Fidelity. 

In May, Township HSD #214 was named a Lighthouse District by AASA for its career pathways program. In this episode, IASA speaks to Superintendent Dr. David Schuler about the district's journey and how school leaders can strengthen career exploration for students in their districts. The IASA Podcast is sponsored by American Fidelity.

In May, Naperville CUSD #203 was one of 13 districts across the country named as a Lighthouse District by AASA for its emphasis on social-emotional learning. In this podcast, Dan Bridges shares why Naperville CUSD #203 doesn't approach SEL as another program on top of a crowded plate, but rather the district approaches SEL as the plate. The IASA Podcast is sponsored by American Fidelity.