Trending in Education

K12

Erika Kitzmiller, Research Associate Professor at the University of Chicago
K12 Education
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How One Public High School Transformed First-Gen College Success with Dr, Erika Kitzmiller

In this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer welcomes Erika Kitzmiller, a research associate professor at the University of Chicago and author of the new book, ⁠Unchartered: How One Public High School Transformed First Generation College Success⁠. Drawing on her own background as a former middle school teacher and a proud first-generation college graduate, Kitzmiller shares the insights gained from an intensive, multi-year case study of a public high school pseudonymously named Clayton.

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Kenan Sahin, Founder and President of ⁠CAMX Power⁠
Education
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Exploring American Educational Excellence with Author and Founder Kenan Sahin

Host Mike Palmer welcomes Kenan Sahin, the Founder and President of ⁠CAMX Power⁠ and author of ⁠American Educational Excellence: The Foundation of Our Values, Democracy, and Market Capitalism⁠, to the podcast. We explore his educational roots as a product of California public schools and early career as an MIT professor, as well as his time leading Bell Labs as a Vice President of Technology. Kenan shares the story of the catalyst for his book, which began when he challenged an expert in the Hague who could not find enough bad words for the American system. He compares US-trained engineers to those from Europe, arguing that our system excels because it prioritizes what students do with their knowledge rather than just the depth of what they know.

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Anu Vaid, founder of ⁠ParentSquare⁠.
K12 Education
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Parent Communication in the Age of AI with Anu Vaid, CoFounder of Parentsquare

How do we bridge the communication gap between schools and families in an increasingly fragmented digital world? In this episode of ⁠Trending in Education⁠, Mike Palmer is joined by Anu Vaid, the founder of ⁠ParentSquare⁠, to explore the evolution of school-home partnerships over the last 15 years. Anu shares her journey as a computer engineer and immigrant parent who was overwhelmed by the disjointed tools of the K-12 system, from papers stuffed in backpacks to disparate robocalls and long emails.

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Ola Ozernov-Palchik
K12 Education
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Bridging Early Literacy, Brain Research, and AI Innovation with Dr. Ola Ozernov-Palchik

On this episode of ⁠Trending in Ed with Mike Palmer⁠, unlock the secrets of the reading brain and the future of educational technology in this deep dive with Dr. Ola Ozernov-Palchik. A researcher at ⁠Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education and Human Development⁠ and ⁠MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research⁠, Dr. Ola sits at the cutting edge of cognitive neuroscience and the science of reading. 🧠

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Andrew Sliwinski
K12 Education
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Launching LEGO Education’s Hands-On AI and CS Product with Andrew Sliwinski

In this episode of ⁠Trending in Education⁠, Mike Palmer welcomes Andrew Sliwinski, Global Head of Product Experience for ⁠LEGO Education⁠, on the day of a major product launch. Together, they explore the intersection of physical play and artificial intelligence, revealing how LEGO is redefining AI literacy for the next generation.

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Stephanie Smith Budhai and Marie K. Heath
AI
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Understanding Critical AI in K12 Classroms with Stephanie Smith Budhai and Marie K. Heath

AI permeates K-12 education, but the rush to adopt new tools often bypasses critical questions about equity, bias, and human connection. On this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer sits down with Stephanie Smith Budhai and Marie K. Heath, co-authors of the new book ⁠Critical AI in K-12 Classrooms: A Practical Guide for Cultivating Justice and Joy⁠.

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Jon Deane
K12 Education
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Providing a Balanced Scorecard for GreatSchools Across the US with Jon Deane

On this episode of ⁠Trending in Education⁠, host Mike Palmer sits down with Jon Deane, CEO of ⁠GreatSchools⁠, for a deeply informed conversation about the choices—and complexities—facing modern parents. GreatSchools’ mission is simple: to help every parent cut through the noise and truly understand their children’s educational options. As a parent to a 6-year-old, Mike knows firsthand that the pressure to choose the right path is real, and it often doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

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Scott R. Levy
K12 Education
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Why School Boards Matter with Author Scott R. Levy

On this episode of Trending in Education, Mike Palmer welcomes author ⁠Scott R. Levy⁠ to discuss his new book, ⁠Why School Boards Matter: Reclaiming the Heart of American Education and Democracy⁠. Scott shares his journey from Wall Street to serving on his local school board in 2015, driven by the unintended negative consequences he observed from federal programs like Race to the Top.

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