The Good Life EDU Podcast

Recorded live from the main stage at the 2026 NeMTSS Summit in Kearney, Nebraska, this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast brings together educational leaders and practitioners to explore one important question: What can all educators do for literacy?

Joining host Andrew Easton for this special conversation are Dr. Jane Stavem, Deputy Commissioner of the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE); Jamie Cook, NDE Literacy Officer; Sara Renken, Principal of Hamlow Elementary in Waverly; and David Lowe, Managing Director of Implementation and Scale at SPED Strategies.

Together, the panelists offer perspectives on Nebraska's collective efforts to advance literacy outcomes for all students. From statewide initiatives and district success stories to high-quality instructional materials, inclusive practices, and intentional leadership, the conversation highlights the progress taking place across Nebraska and the important roles educators play in sustaining that momentum.

Grounded in the collaborative, systems-oriented approach emphasized through the NeMTSS framework, this episode offers both inspiration and practical insights into how educators, leaders, and partners can work together to strengthen literacy instruction and support every learner.

What makes a school leader credible? It isn’t simply the title they hold or the expertise they bring to the role. Leadership credibility is built through the everyday ways leaders earn trust, connect with others, communicate what they value, and contribute to the culture of their schools.

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew welcomes Tara Gossman of ESU 4 and Ernie Valentine of ESU 7 for a conversation centered on the five domains of leadership credibility: trustworthiness, competence, dynamism, immediacy, and forward thinking.

Together, they explore what each of these areas can look like in practice—from following through on commitments and communicating effectively in brief everyday interactions to being genuinely present with staff, creating opportunities for feedback, and continuing to grow as an instructional leader.

Whether you are new to school leadership or have years of experience, this conversation offers an opportunity to reflect on an important question: How are the people you lead experiencing your leadership—and what kind of culture is that helping to create?

Resources:

The conversation draws from the work of Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey on leadership credibility, along with additional resources Tara and Ernie have used to support administrators in their regions.

Literacy development doesn’t end when students learn to read, and supporting adolescent readers requires attention not only to skills, but also to identity, confidence, and dignity.

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton welcomes Dr. Naomi Watkins, Secondary English Language Arts Specialist for the Utah State Board of Education, for a conversation about what adolescent literacy truly requires.

Drawing from her experiences as a middle school English teacher, literacy researcher, instructional coach, and statewide leader, Naomi explores why literacy development must continue well beyond the elementary years. She unpacks the differences among foundational literacy, content-area literacy, and disciplinary literacy, while illustrating how students need different kinds of support as texts, expectations, and learning contexts become more complex.

The conversation also examines the deeply human side of literacy. For adolescents who have struggled with reading for years, those experiences can shape how they see themselves as learners. Naomi discusses the importance of preserving student dignity, building confidence through meaningful skill development, and providing intervention that is targeted, effective, and designed to help students move forward.

Andrew and Naomi also consider the systems that make this work possible from strong Tier 1 instruction and specialized intervention to helping educators across content areas recognize the role language plays in learning.

Ultimately, the conversation points to literacy as more than an academic skill. Reading, writing, speaking, listening, and story help young people make sense of themselves, others, and the world around them.

What are educators actually learning about AI in the classroom after several years of experimentation?

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton is joined by Matt Mervis, Director of Skills21 and AI Strategy at EdAdvance and co-host of the ChatEDU podcast, for a grounded look at the classroom practices beginning to emerge around artificial intelligence. Rather than focusing on predictions about what AI might do for education, Matt shares what teachers and students are already doing and what appears to be working.

The conversation explores examples ranging from AI-supported tutoring and multimodal learning to flipped classroom experiences, custom chatbots that pressure-test student thinking, and students using AI to solve authentic, real-world problems. One particularly useful framing is “human first, AI in the middle, human last” designing learning so that students begin with their own thinking, use AI strategically to challenge or extend it, and ultimately return to human reflection, discussion, and creation.

Matt and Andrew also discuss the importance of scaffolding AI use rather than assuming students instinctively know how to use these tools well. That includes giving students low-pressure opportunities to practice, helping them critically evaluate AI responses, providing exemplars, and creating learning experiences where AI supports deeper thinking rather than simply completing the work for them.

Another helpful framework explored in the episode is thinking about AI as a clerk, colleague, or coach. Is the tool simply doing a task for us? Is it serving as a thought partner that challenges and extends our thinking? Or is it helping us develop a skill over time? That distinction offers educators and students a practical way to reflect on whether AI is replacing cognition or contributing to it.

The conversation also turns to the broader “techlash” surrounding screen time and educational technology. Matt argues for a more nuanced approach that acknowledges the genuine risks associated with AI and digital tools while also resisting blanket rules that treat all screen use as equal. Instead, he encourages schools and communities to examine the purpose and quality of technology use: reducing low-value screen experiences while preserving opportunities where technology enables meaningful learning, creativity, empathy, collaboration, and problem solving.

Connect with Matt Mervis

Director of Skills21 and AI Strategy at EdAdvance and co-host of The ChatEDU Podcast: https://www.skills21.org/mattmervisbio

In this installment of The Good Life EDU Podcast’s NeMTSS Summit preview series, Andrew Easton is joined by Jonathan Mooney, advocate for those who learn differently and founder and CEO of the Divergent Impact Fund.

Jonathan shares his own experience growing up as a neurodivergent learner—struggling to read, spending much of his school experience feeling like the proverbial square peg in a round hole, and internalizing messages about what he could not do. He also explores the shift from viewing dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and other forms of neurodivergence primarily through a deficit lens toward recognizing them as naturally occurring differences that can bring both genuine challenges and meaningful strengths.

The conversation also moves from mindset to practice. Jonathan challenges educators to focus less on “fixing” students and more on changing environments so that different learners can thrive. He introduces the idea of benign indifference—responding to challenging behavior without turning that behavior into a judgment about the child—and discusses how educators can pair clear expectations and consequences with relationships, respect, and an unwavering belief in students.

Jonathan will continue these ideas at the NeMTSS Summit, where his keynote will challenge participants to think differently about learners who do not fit traditional expectations, while his breakout sessions will focus on what educators and leaders can do differently through concrete changes in practice, policy, and learning environments.

Resources & Connections

NeMTSS Summit

Learn more about the upcoming Summit and registration: https://nemtss.unl.edu/2026-summit/

Jonathan Mooney

Learn more about Jonathan’s advocacy, writing, speaking, and other work: JonathanMooney.com

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome Bill Bass, an award-winning educator, author, and national leader in instructional technology and literacy, for a conversation about how school and district leaders can thoughtfully navigate AI implementation. Bill serves as Innovation Coordinator for Parkway School District in St. Louis and has held leadership roles with ISTE and the National Council of Teachers of English.

Rather than framing AI as something schools either fully embrace or completely avoid, Bill encourages leaders to begin by understanding their local context. He shares the importance of gathering input from teachers, students, families, IT staff, and community members in order to understand current practices, concerns, capacity, and attitudes toward AI.

The conversation explores the difference between AI policy and AI guidance, including why districts may benefit from broader emerging technologies policies that can remain relevant as tools continue to evolve. Bill also shares why guidance should be practical, contextual, and connected to a district’s existing values, such as a portrait or profile of a graduate.

Andrew and Bill also discuss the urgency of helping students develop thoughtful experiences with AI now, while they are still supported by educators who can help them ask better questions, make mistakes safely, and think critically about the implications of using or not using these tools.

Later in the episode, Bill emphasizes that no one needs to position themselves as an AI expert. Instead, educators and leaders can create space for honest conversations about how AI is being used, what safeguards are in place, and how schools can tell their own story before someone else defines it for them.

The episode closes with a preview of Bill’s upcoming work with Nebraska educators around the NCTE guidance for AI in English language arts, including how national-level guidance can support classroom-level decisions and help teachers make AI-related conversations more actionable.

Resources Mentioned:

SupportED AI resources: https://nesupported.org/artificial-intelligence/

NCTE AI guidance for English language arts: https://ncte.org/working-ela-ai-framework/

Bill Bass on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williambass/

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton is joined by Ben Hartranft, along with his mother, Sandy, and brother, Dan, for a conversation ahead of Ben’s upcoming keynote at the 2026 NeMTSS Summit.

Diagnosed with autism at age two, Ben’s journey has been shaped by family members, educators, therapists, and others who saw his potential and helped him take the next step. Ben, Sandy, and Dan reflect on those early experiences and the importance of being the person who creates opportunity, builds confidence, and helps someone discover what may be possible.

Ben also shares how his willingness to dream big (and keep going when others might have given up) has led to some remarkable experiences, from his connection with the Philadelphia Eagles and an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to now sharing his story with schools, businesses, and organizations across the country. Along the way, the family discusses the value of building independence in small steps, leaning into an individual’s interests and passions, and recognizing the ripple effect that one supportive person can have on another person’s life.

The conversation also looks toward Ben’s next big goal: helping create affordable, supportive housing that gives adults with autism greater opportunities for independence, stability, and community.

Ben will bring his trademark “Benergy” to Nebraska as a keynote speaker at the 2026 NeMTSS Summit, October 8–9 in Kearney. Sandy and Dan will also lead a breakout session exploring autism through the family and sibling perspective.

Resources Mentioned

2026 NeMTSS Summit

Learn more about the Summit and register at https://nemtss.unl.edu/2026-summit/

Benergy1

Learn more about Ben’s story, speaking engagements, and advocacy at https://www.benergy1.com/

Benergy1 Foundation

Learn more about Ben and his family’s work to support independent housing opportunities for adults with autism at https://www.benergy1foundation.org/

Swinging From the Chandelier: Finding Joy in the Journey Through Autism

Written by Sandy Hartranft, the book shares stories, experiences, successes, and lessons from the Hartranft family’s journey with autism. Get your copy at https://www.benergy1.com/product-page/swinging-from-the-chandelier

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton welcomes Otis Pierce of ESU 7 back to the show for a summer learning recap and a some fun back-to-school conversation. Together, they reflect on ideas and experiences that shaped their thinking heading into the 2026–2027 school year, including takeaways from the Future Ready Nebraska Conference, the evolving conversation around digital citizenship, and the need for thoughtful local decision-making around screen time, AI, and technology use in schools.

Otis shares insights from Kristen Mattson’s framing of digital citizenship as preparing young people for full participation in an ever-evolving digital world, while Andrew connects that work to Nebraska’s broader digital citizenship efforts, including digital safety, digital well-being, media and information literacy, and social responsibility.

The conversation also explores the nuance needed when discussing screen time and technology in education. Rather than treating devices as simply good or bad, Andrew and Otis consider how technology can support learning when used with intention, while also acknowledging real concerns around distraction, addiction, and student well-being.

The episode closes with a look ahead to the school year, including the importance of helping educators understand AI as a tool that can support their work when used well. Otis highlights prompt writing as a key skill for educators and leaders, and Andrew points listeners toward Nebraska resources connected to digital citizenship, AI, and SupportED.

Resources Mentioned:

Future Ready Nebraska Conference: https://nefutureready.com/

Edvolve Digital Citizenship Framework: https://www.teachdigcit.com/framework

Nebraska Digital Citizenship Symposium: https://bit.ly/NEDigCit

SupportED: https://nesupported.org/

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton is joined by members of the NEMTSS leadership team: Amy Rhone, Scott Eckman, and Brooke Kahl for a preview of the 2026 NEMTSS Summit.

Together, they discuss the history and evolution of Nebraska’s MTSS work, including its roots in supporting improved outcomes for students with disabilities and its growth into a statewide system of support focused on all learners. This year’s Summit's theme, Destination Impact: Turning MTSS Systems Into Literacy-Driven Student Outcomes, reflects Nebraska’s continued emphasis on strengthening literacy instruction and using multi-tiered systems of support to improve outcomes for every student.

The conversation highlights what educators can expect at the summit, including keynote speakers, school spotlight sessions, practitioner stories, and opportunities for school teams to learn together. Amy, Scott, and Brooke also share why MTSS is not a one-time initiative or isolated program, but a systems-level approach to supporting both students and the adults who serve them.

Resource Mentioned:

NEMTSS website: Learn more and register for the Summit at https://nemtss.unl.edu/

For nearly three decades, the E-rate program has helped schools and libraries across the country afford the connectivity and internal networks essential to their work. Now, as federal officials reconsider the program’s purpose and future, education leaders are being called upon to explain why dependable connectivity remains vital to America’s schools.

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew welcomes Keith Krueger, CEO of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), for a timely conversation about the history of E-rate, the questions now surrounding it, and what could be at stake for students, educators, and communities.

Learn More and Take Action

Visit SaveOurERate.com to access advocacy resources, review the E-rate funding received by your district or community, and share the local stories that demonstrate what reliable connectivity makes possible for students and schools.