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.