SchoolStory by ROE #30
SchoolStory is a ten-episode podcast series brought to you by Matthew Hickam, Regional Superintendent of ROE #30. The project is the audio companion piece to SchoolStory Magazine, and is intended to create greater awareness of our schools in the public mind and to start important conversations with and between members of our communities. SchoolStory is produced by Journey12, whose mission is to create greater connection between local schools and the communities they serve. In this series, we explore the role public schools play—not just in educating children, but in holding our communities together.
Recorded across Southern Illinois and hosted by Craig Williams, these conversations bring together superintendents, regional leaders, educators, and partners who are doing the quiet, complicated work of leading schools in a time of change. This is not a podcast about slogans or silver bullets. It’s about proximity. Stewardship. Dignity. And the deeply human decisions that shape what school feels like for students, families, and communities long before the data ever catches up.
Across the series, we explore why small schools still matter in an era of consolidation, how collaboration strengthens—not weakens—local identity, and what it really means to prepare students for a workforce that no longer fits a single narrative. We talk candidly about the future of teaching, the evolving convergence of trades and technology, and the invisible labor schools carry as hubs of care, connection, and continuity.
You’ll hear honest conversations about equity and access as lived experiences, not abstractions. About leading amid public pushback without losing integrity. About mental health as essential to learning. About special education as a promise, not a program. And throughout it all, we return to a central truth: when schools don’t tell their stories, something else fills that space—and it’s rarely complete or fair.
SchoolStory exists to share the important discussions local district leaders are having with one another—openly, thoughtfully, and across district lines—so communities can better understand what’s happening inside their schools, why it matters, and who it’s for. These are conversations rooted in Southern Illinois, but the questions they raise—about trust, belonging, leadership, and the future of public education—resonate far beyond any one region.
At its heart, SchoolStory is an act of stewardship. A belief that schools are not just institutions, but human systems. And that telling their stories—carefully, consistently, and with integrity—is essential to the health of the communities they serve.
We hope you’ll enjoy hearing from this group of hardworking leaders — all of whom are our Southern Illinois neighbors — from across the Region.
SchoolStory by ROE #30
Confrontation & Collaboration: Leading Schools Amid Public Push-back
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Leadership is often described in aspirational terms—vision, alignment, momentum, progress. But the truth is, leadership is more often forged in moments that feel uncomfortable, misunderstood, and, at times, deeply personal.
In this episode, we’re stepping into that reality.
We’re talking about confrontation and collaboration—not as opposing forces, but as twin responsibilities that today’s school leaders must hold at the same time. We’re talking about what happens when public trust feels frayed, when social media amplifies partial truths, and when leaders are asked to absorb criticism while still showing up with openness and integrity.
Joining me today are Landon Summers, Superintendent of Century School District, and Connie Clendenin, Acting Superintendent of Elverado. Both lead in communities where people care deeply, speak plainly, and expect their leaders to be both accessible and authentic.
You’ll hear them unpack what healthy confrontation really looks like. How emotional regulation matters more than winning an argument. Why transparency builds credibility—even when full disclosure isn’t possible. And how showing up—at a swim meet, a baptism, or a hard conversation—can quietly rebuild trust when words alone won’t.
This is a conversation about leadership that doesn’t retreat from tension, but doesn’t weaponize it either. About holding boundaries without losing relationships. And about remembering that behind every critique is usually a person who just wants to be heard.