Episodes

On this week's episode of ROE 17 POD, we sit down with Kyah Brogan-Shawback, a student at Pontiac Township High School. Kyah and her classmates recently did a project in Mr. Ritter's Environmental Science class that resulted in a permanent headstone marker for the final resting place of Pvt. William Clark, a Civil War veteran whose grave had been unmarked.

Sherri Morgan has been in public education for 25 years, the last 18 of those at LeRoy CUSD 2. Sherri serves as a third-grade teacher and a leader in her building. She has mentored many new teachers over the years and has fostered a welcoming environment for all. Sherri has received multiple "Regional Recognition" nominations for her work, most notably her "Kindness Week" and "One Book One Community."

On this week's episode of ROE 17 POD, we sit down with Mr. Glen Hoffmann just before he retires. Glen Hoffmann has served the ROE # 17 Regional Alternative Schools for the past 27 years and has been a leader in alternative education locally, statewide, and nationally.

On this week's episode, we chat with Ashley Burgard, a PreK and ECE Teacher at Mt. Pulaski Grade School. Ashley talks about the Early Childhood Block Grant that she secured for Mt. Pulaski which will allow the district to offer tuition-free PreK in their district as well as invaluable teacher resources and training. Listen now to learn more about the vital role PreK plays in the development of students.

On this week's episode, we travel to Olympia High School to meet with Britta Langley, the Career Coordinator at OHS, and Julia Collins, a high school senior who completed a teaching internship this past fall. We learn about the internship opportunities at OHS and how students can benefit from them, even if they aren't sure about their future career path.

In this episode, we sit down and talk with Eddie Breitwiser, Director of pt.fwd, a local nonprofit, and Stefen Robinson, staff advisor for the NCHS Experimental Music Ensemble. Both Eddie and Stefen have a passion for music in all forms and want to encourage students to try new things and enjoy the process. Learn more at https://www.ptfwd.org/

This week's guest is Nicole Corrigan, a Paraprofessional at our Regional Alternative School in Livingston County. Nicole's story is unique because she is a graduate of RAS and currently works there as a paraprofessional. She is also completing her bachelor's degree so that she can obtain her teaching license to teach in her own classroom at RAS. This full-circle story celebrates Nicole's success and the collective success of our RAS students.

This week we chatted with the Wilsons and their experience finding, training, and living with a service dog. McKinley is a local student, now in college, who has spent the last few years of school with her service dog, Lucky. She was connected with Lucky through Paws Giving Independence. In this episode, McKinley, and her mom, Kersten, explain the process of finding Lucky and how he has improved their lives.

Kimberly Taber serves as the Director of Multilingual and Multicultural Programs for Bloomington District 87. She has enhanced the programming for both students and families, and her efforts are creating a huge image in the D87 community. Note: Some events mentioned in this episode already occurred.

In this episode of ROE 17 POD, we talk with Marc Miller who serves on the board of the Pratt Music Foundation and the Share the Music. Pratt Music Foundation scholarships are awarded annually to talented, motivated, financially qualified elementary and high school students (grades 2 through 12) in Bloomington-Normal-McLean County. The Share the Music takes donated, serviceable instruments, repairs and rehabilitates them as needed, and rents them to students who cannot afford standard instrument ...

Join us as we celebrate National FFA Week and sit down with Clinton High School! We chat with Hannah Redile, teacher and FFA Advisor, and her student, Davis Howell, Clinton FFA President and National FFA awardee. We talk about the amazing programs FFA has to offer, Davis' experience with the National FFA contest, and why all students should give FFA a try!

Ashley Aper is the principal at Chester-East Lincoln Elementary School and the Special Education Administrator for both CEL and Hartsburg-Emden in Logan County. In this episode, we talk about what inspired her to get into school leadership and how families can advocate for their students.

Lynn Shook is the Principal of Stevenson Elementary in Bloomington District 87. After coaching women's college basketball for 13 years, Lynn decided to put her teaching license to work and began teaching Physical Education. After realizing how much she loved being in schools, she eventually became a school administrator. Her journey to the classroom and principal's office is unconventional and inspiring!

Sara Welch is a Reading Interventionist at Northwest Elementary School for District 27 in Lincoln, IL. She is currently in her 20th year of teaching. Sara works with struggling readers using Reading Recovery and LETRS strategies, and sometimes a combination of both. The best part of her job is watching the light bulbs go on and everything clicking for her students!

Vanessa Tibbs is an Interventionalist at Olympia South Elementary in the Olympia CUSD 16 district. She has worked in a school library, owned a beauty salon, and served as a paraprofessional before finally finding her sweet spot as an Interventionalist and STEM leader in her building. Not only does Vanessa help students with all subjects, but she has dove into the world of STEM offering unique opportunities for K-12 students.

Jeff Spencer is a Science Instructional Coach for ROE # 17 with experience teaching at the college and high school levels. Through his work at ROE # 17, Jeff partners with school districts and K-12 teachers to design, adapt, and support classroom practices that align with the Next Generation Science Standards.

April Schermann is a math and computer science teacher at Normal West High School and a fierce advocate for STEM education. She is a 2023 Disney 100 Teacher, a 2023 Project Lead the Way National Computer Science Teacher of the Year, a multi-year recipient of the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Educator Award, a 2019 Illinois Classroom Teacher of the Year Nominee, and a Girls Who Code Advisor, among other things. In this episode, we talk to April about all things science, technology, engineering, ...

In this episode, we sit down with Frank Arnolts, Principal at Tri-Valley High School, and talk about his experience in education, and what he hopes for the future. Frank Arnolts is in his second year as Principal of Tri-Valley High School. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Education and History from Illinois College and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Francis. He taught history and language arts at the middle school level for 9 years and has spent the last 8 years ...

Tammy Wilson is the Executive Director of The Vault, a teen community center in Clinton. The Vault has a mission to help teens recognize their value, realize their potential, and reach their goals. They have a 10,000-foot facility where teens can hang out with friends, build relationships with adult mentors, participate in enriching activities, and give back to their community. Learn more at https://www.thevaultclinton.org/ Note: This episode was recorded at the end of October, so there are some...

In this week's episode, we sit down with Nick Papineau, the Education Director of the Children's Discovery Museum in Normal. We talk about the power of play, the new Luckey Climber, and how students and the community can experience the CDM. Learn more at https://www.childrensdiscoverymuseum.net/

The mission of the Challenger Learning Center is to engage students and teachers in dynamic, hands-on exploration and discovery opportunities that strengthen knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), inspire students to pursue careers in these fields, and provide an outlet to learn and apply important life skills. The CLC offers programs for students year-round in grades K-8 through their local school or homeschool program. To learn more, visit https://www.heartland....

Molly Evans is the Executive Director of the McLean County Children’s Advocacy Center & CASA program. Molly grew up in McLean County and has over 20 years of experience in the child protection field, serving children and families in McLean, Livingston, and DeWitt counties. Learn more about the McLean County CAC by visiting https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/125/Child-Advocacy-Center-CAC-CASA

In this episode, we sit down with Tracy Warne, a member of the Planning Team for 100 Women for Good Bloomington-Normal. 100 Women for Good is a group of 100 women who are passionate about making a positive and meaningful impact on Bloomington-Normal, the neighborhood they call home. Their goal is to bring together at least 100 women who will contribute financially to local nonprofits in Bloomington-Normal. Learn more at https://www.100womenforgoodbn.org/

Kristin Mangrich is entering her 10th year in education at Woodland CUSD 5 and her 2nd year as the principal of the elementary school. Prior to her current role, Kristin served as an assistant principal for the district and an athletic director for another district. Before entering educational leadership she taught physical education. Kristin received an astounding 11 nominations for the ROE # 17 Regional Recognition at the end of last school year so we had to sit down and learn about the amazin...