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The education issues we're watching in 2025 | Teachers' Lounge Podcast

Jason Klein, the Senior Director of Learning Partnerships at Northern Illinois University.
Northern Illinois University
Jason Klein, the Senior Director of Learning Partnerships at Northern Illinois University.

On a new Teachers' Lounge, it’s time for our annual “Top Issues of the Year” episode with Jason Klein, the Senior Director of Learning Partnerships at Northern Illinois University.

The conversation revolved around seven prompts:

  • "This year, I'm excited about..."
    • Peter said he's excited about what students say they're excited about; the clubs, activities, & sports that make them excited to come to school every day.
    • Jason said he's excited about Illinois continuing to invest in both ends of the education experience, that means putting money into early childhood programs and career readiness at the high school level.
  • "This year, I'm concerned about..."
    • Peter said he's concerned about federal COVID relief for schools ending.
    • Jason said he's concerned about how money and politics impact schools.
  • "This year, I want more people to talk about..."
    • Peter wants more people to talk about solutions and plans that work, but need continuous investment.
    • Jason wants more people to talk about school improvement and data.
  • "This year, I want to learn more about..."
    • Peter wants to learn more about how the state plans to improve math instruction and why. He also wants to learn more about school procurement and the programs that district's spend the most money on.
    • Jason wants to learn more about how to bring more student perspectives to the decision-making table.
  • "This year, everyone is talking about this, but what they should be talking about is..."
    • Peter and Jason both know everyone is talking about the potential termination of the U.S. Department of Education, but what we should be talking more about is what role the department actually plays in public education.
    • Jason also knows everyone is talking about AI in education but wants you to consider what we even mean by AI and what its uses actually can be in schools.
  • "This might not sound incredibly important, but hear me out..."
    • Peter wants you to hear him out about the significance of the 5-year anniversary of the pandemic and it's legacy on the education system.
    • Jason wants people to know about the lesser known, hidden people who are crucial to making schools successful, like family liaisons, data analysis, and work-based learning positions.
  • "This might not be on your radar yet, but it will be soon..."
    • Peter thinks that the fight for state education funding will be on your radar soon, whether that's to continue funding K-12 education at its current rate while Illinois is in a tighter financial position or the state potentially passing a law that would change the way higher education is funding — and mean spending a lot more money.
    • Jason thinks you'll start hearing more about classrooms without teacher and schools without principals.
Teachers' Lounge Podcast
Peter Medlin
Teachers' Lounge Podcast

If you’ve never listened before, our show is based on a simple idea -- we’ve all had teachers in our lives who shaped who we are. And we want to hear about the teachers who inspired you or deserve a spotlight in your community.

So, tell us about the person who comes to your mind. Shoot us an email and nominate an educator at teacherslounge@niu.edu and they could be on the podcast! And subscribe to our newsletter right here to keep up to speed on everything to do with the show.

Also, Teachers’ Lounge is on the radio! You can catch the show as an hour-long radio program every month on WNIJ. We’ll have multiple guests, stories, and exclusive segments like classroom and student correspondents. Our next episode airs on Friday, January 31st at noon and at 6 a.m. on Saturday, February 1st on 89-5 FM and right here WNIJ.org. Tune in on the last Friday of the month at the same time for future episodes!

Peter joins WNIJ as a graduate of North Central College. He is a native of Sandwich, Illinois.