This year-end episode of the Voices of D303 podcast spotlights three outstanding members of our Class of 2025–James Shimon, Ellen Jahoda, and Tanner Karsjen. They talk with Dr. Gordon about finding their pathways and their “people,” as well as the experiences they most treasure and most look forward to as they get ready to head off to college.

Effective Collaboration is one of three key priorities in the District 303 Strategic Plan, and Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, play a vital role in bringing this priority to life. PLCs are thriving in every school across the district, including Corron Elementary, where educators are seeing a significant impact from collaborative teaching. Corron Principal Christine Balaskovits and 5th Grade PLC Leader Erik Robinson recently joined the Voices of District 303 podcast to share their insights on what makes PLCs so effective.

A key theme of their discussion was the importance of vulnerability—teachers openly sharing data and welcoming peer feedback. Even veteran educators are prioritizing transparency and continuously reflecting on their strategies to ensure the best outcomes for students.

“Because it’s all about the students, they’re not afraid to ask for help,” Balaskovits said. “Just because you’re the leader doesn’t mean you’re always going to have the best data, the most growth.”

Many PLCs, including Robinson’s, bring together educators with a range of experience levels. This mix of perspectives allows teams to blend time-tested teaching strategies with innovative, research-based approaches to enhance student learning. Robinson explained how this collaboration leads to dynamic problem-solving.

“We are bringing not only the old tried and true methods, but we are also bringing the new methods that research is uncovering. We’re able to try a lot of different things to see what works,” he said. “Some classes try one thing, other classes try another thing, we all come together to see what’s working, what we can go forward with, what do we need to adjust, what did you do that I want to try, or what can I give you that you might want to try to help your students achieve more.”

For many educators in District 303, formative assessments serve as a diagnostic tool, helping them to analyze the effectiveness of their teaching methods. Receiving real-time feedback on student achievement encourages flexibility, as instructors are able to tailor lessons to each individual class and revisit concepts that kids may be struggling with.

Tina King, Senior Director of Learning and Teaching, compares formative assessment data to mission control.

“If I don’t get good feedback along the way when we’re flying the shuttle, we’re not going to hit that target,” King said. “[Formative assessment] is that super clarity for teachers on learning targets and that input along the way, so we don’t get to the end of a unit of study and realize that we didn’t get students where they need to be.”

Formative assessments can take many different forms, from entrance slips, to homework checks, to short quizzes. Jennifer Anderson, Math Department Chair at St. Charles North, believes that no matter how they look, formative assessments emphasize ongoing learning, rather than one-time evaluations.

“That’s really important for students to be explaining their work as they go because then those misconceptions can come to light. That’s our teaching moment, for our teachers to jump in and say ‘I’d like to add on to that’ or provide some clarification,” Anderson said. “Or turn it to other students [and ask] ‘anybody want to add to this?’ to help provide and get that conversation going amongst them.”