The Purple Zone

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What does it take to turn an issue into legislation? Time? Relationships? Listening? The AI in Education workgroup is highlighted in turning an issue into public policy.

In this episode, Alexis Morgan sits down with Idaho Senator Kevin Cook to talk about what goes into making quality legislation. They explore who needs to be at the table when a bill takes shape, and what happens when those voices aren't included.

From there, the conversation covers a wide range of issues facing Idaho:

• AI in education: how Idaho is approaching it and what's most important to protect in our classrooms
• Protecting kids: keeping kids safer from harmful content and the value of limiting tech
• Water policy: lessons from his research on the Great Basin and what Idaho communities need to understand
• Nuclear energy: what he wants people to know about Idaho's energy future
• Data centers: what they mean for Idaho, from a uniquely Idaho perspective
• Scams targeting older Idahoans: recent work to protect seniors across the state

Whether you're a parent, educator, or engaged citizen, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at how policy gets made and why the people behind it matter.

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Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
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Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
https://www.thealexismorgan.com

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Have you noticed that division in the United States feels higher than ever? What if conflict isn't the cause of our division, but rather the normalization of contempt within conflict?

In this dual release, Matt Todd of The Ranch podcast invites Alexis on to talk all things Dignity Index. As a member of the Dignity Politics team at Dignity.US, Alexis takes listeners behind the scenes of the index: how it was developed, how research studies have verified and validated it, and how it's spreading across the United States.

Together, Alexis and Matt break down:

• What it means to use the language of dignity
• How to see ourselves honestly in the moment through self-confrontation
• How you can be part of the dignity movement to help ease division in your family, neighborhood, school, community, and workplace

Learn more about the Dignity Index at www.Dignity.US.

Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/

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Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
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Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
https://www.thealexismorgan.com

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Have you thought about the difference between transparency and targeting in our election process? Do you know what it means to choose curiosity instead of falling into contempt? And what does contempt actually look like when it comes to a ballot initiative?

In this episode, Alexis pulls these questions apart through a recent incident: a Facebook post that shared the names of citizens who signed a ballot initiative petition. Rather than reacting, she digs in to understand what happened and why it matters. She also walks through how a ballot measure makes it onto your November ballot, from citizen-led initiatives to legislative amendments and advisory questions.

No one is saying it's easy to lean into curiosity. But what would it look like if we chose it over contempt when conflict comes up?

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Connect with Alexis at @the_idaho_lady on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/

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Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
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Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
https://www.thealexismorgan.com

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This episode marks an exciting first for The Purple Zone: a brand-new experiment in bringing people together around ideas, not just single books. Alexis is joined by Representative Dr. Britt Raybould to pilot a new kind of book club, one that lives right here on the podcast and spreads out through social media, inviting listeners to engage with a topic (not a specific book) in a whole new way.

For this trial run, the topic is learning...how it actually happens, what gets in the way of it, and what helps it stick. The conversation moves between light, humorous moments and genuinely touching reflections, while still digging into real depth on the science and theory behind how people learn.

Alexis and Britt pull from several books to frame the discussion, including Think Again by Adam Grant and Benedict Carey's How We Learn, which explores the science of memory--storage strength, retrieval strength, and why "forgetting" some information is actually part of learning it well.

The conversation gets personal too, touching on what's helped Alexis support her own kids as they navigate learning in the classroom, and how her approach to learning has shifted between undergrad and her current work on her PhD at Boise State, with far more lived experience to draw from now than she had as a young student.

This is a trial run, and Alexis & Britt hope this becomes a regular monthly or bi-monthly feature on the show. If you enjoy this new format, share it with a friend, and jump into the conversation on social media — tell us what learning means to you, and what's helped you learn something new recently.

Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/

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Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
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Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
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It's a solo episode this week and Alexis is pulling back the curtain.

Most people hear "The Purple Zone" and think politics: red meets blue, somewhere in the middle. But that's not where the name came from, and it's not what it means. Alexis takes you back to where the podcast really started: the early days of her PhD program, and the idea that began shaping everything she'd go on to build.

Before diving in, Alexis shares a few stories from her weekend, moments that turned out to be an unexpected, real-time reflection of last episode's conversation, Dance with Dignity. If you haven't listened yet, this will make you want to.

Then, she breaks down the two features at the heart of actually reaching the Purple Zone: dialogue and collaboration. Dialogue is where dignity lives. Collaboration is where intention becomes action. Alexis shares what these look like in practice, not just in theory, and leaves you with a challenge (or maybe more of a request) for your own reflection this week.

This one's personal and foundational...and it's a must-listen if you've ever wondered what "Purple Zone" really means.

🎧 Enjoyed the episode? Leave a review...it helps more people find the show. Share it with a friend. Let's keep growing this community, together.

Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/

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Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
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Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
https://www.thealexismorgan.com

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Alexis Morgan welcomes Will Goodman, Director of People and Organizational Services for Boise School District, to unpack the Idaho journey of AI in Education legislation and why Idaho is leading the nation on guardrails and implementation. They talk candidly about the question many people are asking: Is this a good move, or a potential risk?

They dive into the process behind Senate Bill 1227, including the work group work and how the bill ultimately moved through the 2026 legislative session. From there, the conversation gets practical: what implementation actually looks like on the ground, and how Idaho is working to answer the “now what?” for schools.

The episode covers educator impact, student impact, the parent perspective, and industry perspective, including the most common concerns like misinformation, data privacy, and the difference between screen time and AI. Will and Alexis explore what we’re actually worried about when AI enters classrooms, and they end by reinforcing the episode’s guiding theme: AI is already here, so the goal is human-centered guardrails: first, middle, and last...including clear boundaries for what should never be automated in schools.

Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/

JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page

Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
[email protected]

Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
https://www.thealexismorgan.com

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In this opening episode of the season, I’m stepping in solo to share a quick recap of my summer with my kids as they head into a new chapter: college town life and off-to-school mornings that feel like both a goodbye and a beginning.

But the heart of this episode is my “date with dignity.” I’m sharing a personal story in honor of my late aunt, an important relationship, a lasting lesson, and a reminder that dignity isn’t just a word we say. It’s something we practice, protect, and show up for.

From there, I’ll talk about what you can expect this year, including: a new collaboration with a national group, upcoming local conversations, a new type of book club, and policy breakdowns. 

My Date with Dignity is a season opener about meaning, civic life, and what it looks like to insist that our communities, and the people in them, matter. 

Thanks for being here. 💜

Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/

JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page

Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
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Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
https://www.thealexismorgan.com

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In this season opener, Alexis Morgan sits down with guest Stehvn Tesar, principal at Bennett High School, to explore how the community school strategy at Bennett High helps meet students’ needs and strengthens the surrounding community. We start by defining what a community school is and why this model fits the Mountain Home School District, before digging into the work happening at Bennett High, including an alternative school approach designed to support students through real barriers.

You’ll hear how collaborative, community-driven leadership supports key priorities:

• Improvements in Student academic outcome 
• Family & community engagement
• Student belonging
• Food insecurity support
• Mental health support

We also spotlight how the strategy is used through programs like T-shirts, a STEM center, daycare, and a greenhouse, and discuss feedback from students, parents, and community members. Finally, we look at why this approach is continuing to grow across Idaho.

Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/

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Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
[email protected]

Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
https://www.thealexismorgan.com

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In this episode, Alexis sits down with Joey Palmer, a school administrator in the Treasure Valley (larger Boise area in Idaho), who’s taking a different approach to technology in the classroom. This isn’t about being anti-tech—it’s about asking better questions: When does technology actually improve learning, and when does it get in the way?

Joey shares how his district is shifting from tech as the default to tech as a tool, one that should be purposeful, powerful, and proportional. We talk about No-Tech Days, bell-to-bell phone expectations, and the return of more analog learning like paper drafting, face-to-face discussion, printed reading, and hands-on problem solving.

We also get into what classroom observations revealed about off-task device use, the mixed research behind EdTech programs, and the growing tension between reducing screen dependence while also preparing students for a future shaped by AI.

What stands out most about Joey is not just his willingness to challenge conventional thinking, but his openness to rethink his own ideas, engage perspectives that push him, and keep learning. This conversation is for educators, parents, and policymakers thinking seriously about the role of technology in schools.

Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/

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Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
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Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
https://www.thealexismorgan.com

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In this episode, Alexis sat down with Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA) Superintendent Dr. Jeff Simmons to unpack what really happened with HB 940 and related legislation and why this moment is about far more than online classes.

We break down the full policy landscape and the impacts on kids in the state? The 50% in funding cuts to IDLA means fewer courses, fewer enrollments, and a new reality for schools trying to meet student needs.

But here’s where it matters most:
IDLA isn’t just a program...it’s statewide infrastructure.

For many schools, especially in rural Idaho, it’s how students access required courses, dual credit, credit recovery, and pathways to graduation. When that access changes, the ripple effects don’t show up in headlines, they show up in student schedules, missed opportunities, and narrowed futures.

We also get into what lawmakers intended, where perception and reality diverged, and what it felt like to lead through a moment of statewide uncertainty.

This conversation ultimately asks a bigger question:

What does the state owe students when it comes to access?

Because this isn’t just about IDLA.
It’s about whether every Idaho student has what they need to succeed. 

Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/

JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page

Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
[email protected]

Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
https://www.thealexismorgan.com