Author: BelieveAgain

Sienna Daniel and Sean Segal join host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the work they are doing at Escalate, a company focused on upskilling frontline workers. Sienna and Sean share their backgrounds in education and workforce development, explaining how their experiences led them to start Escalate. We discuss the high costs of frontline worker turnover and how upskilling can help retain employees by providing career advancement opportunities. Sean explains Escalate’s approach of pitching retention strategies to employers first, then using that time to upskill workers for middle-skill roles. Sienna elaborates on the pressing need for workers to fill open…

Michael J. Feuer is Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at George Washington University and the author of Can Schools Save Democracy? Civic Education and the Common Good. He joins host Mike Palmer in an insightful discussion about the role of education in addressing some of society’s biggest challenges including threats to democracy, polarization and more.  Feuer explains his perspective that schools need to be part of the solution by equipping students with the analytical skills to think critically about issues like the tension between individual rights and the common good. He advocates for more interdisciplinary…

In a lively and thought-provoking session at SXSW EDU 2024, Mike Palmer, host of the Trending in Education podcast, and a panel of experts delve into the “Sweet 16” of learning trends for the year. The discussion covered a wide range of topics, from hyper-personalized learning and the role of AI in education to the importance of mental models and the responsibility of being an “accomplice” in driving positive change. Check out 2024 March Madness 16 Learning Trends The panelists, including Melissa Griffith from Kaplan, Beth Rudden from BAST AI, and Dr. Robin Naughton from Queens College, brought unique perspectives…

Mike Palmer sits down with Spencer Russell, the founder and CEO of Toddlers CAN Read while at SXSW EDU, just after Spencer delivered a keynote there. Spencer shares his journey from being a kindergarten and first-grade teacher to taking the leap and starting his own business focused on helping parents teach their toddlers to read. We explore his motivational, step-by-step methodology that breaks down the process into simple, actionable steps that engage both parents and children. Here’s the link to the video referenced in the episode. Spencer emphasizes the importance of giving clear directions to kids instead of asking questions…

In this special episode recorded live at SXSW EDU 2024, host Mike Palmer moderates a powerful panel on breaking down silos in education. Featuring multilingual learning consultant Dana Gastich-French, special education expert Dr. DeShanna Reed, and parent coach Punam Saxena, the conversation dives into the trifecta of community, culture, and collaboration. Learn how to be a link, while busting silos across the K12 ecosystem. The panelists, who first met serendipitously at the prior year’s SXSW EDU, explore the problems caused by working in isolation and offer solutions for bridging disparate worlds. They advocate creating networked improvement communities, fostering authentic connections…

Last fall, students in New Jersey and Washington state used artificial intelligence tools to create fake, pornographic images of their female classmates.If bipartisan legislation recently introduced in Congress is enacted, these kinds of activities would be against federal law and students who undertake them could be on the hook for thousands of dollars in damages.The legislation—nicknamed the “No AI Fraud Act”—gives “all Americans the tools to protect their digital personas,” said Rep. Madeline Dean, D-Pa., who introduced the bill with Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., “By shielding individuals’ images and voices from manipulation, the [bill] prevents artificial intelligence from being…

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up an Indiana school district’s appeal asking that the justices clarify whether Title IX or the U.S. Constitution’s equal-protection clause bars districts from requiring transgender students to use restrooms corresponding to their “biological sex.”The court’s action leaves districts without uniform, national guidance on a topic on which federal courts around the country have differed, though advocates for the transgender student pointed out to the court that pending federal regulations on Title IX, which support the right of transgender students to use school facilities consistent with their gender identity, would resolve the…

The $1.2 trillion funding package that will keep the federal government operating through September includes a cut of about $100 million to the U.S. Department of Education’s budget even as it provides small increases to key K-12 programs and holds the line on others.President Joe Biden signed the funding package into law over the weekend after it passed the House on March 22, and the Senate early the next day, averting a partial shutdown. The package combines six annual spending bills to pay for different parts of the federal government, which had been operating on stopgap measures in the absence…

Critics of programs that allow parents to spend state funds on private school options for their kids want more regulatory scrutiny over where the funds go, what parents do with them, and how participating students fare in the classroom.In Arkansas, a coalition of education advocacy organizations including the state teachers’ union is pushing to secure a referendum spot on the election ballot this November asking voters to support requirements for all schools that receive state funds to comply with the same standards for academics and accreditation. Arizona’s governor recently unveiled a proposed legislative package that would require students to attend…

The Biden administration wants states and school districts to increase student attendance, adopt high-dosage tutoring, and expand summer and after-school learning as part of a new agenda for reversing declines in student achievement.U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden announced on Wednesday the administration’s new “Improving Student Achievement Agenda” at a White House event with governors and state education leaders. The announcement comes at the start of an election year in which President Joe Biden will likely face former President Donald Trump.“These three strategies have one central goal: giving students more time and…