This Week with EdSurge

This Week with EdSurge

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This Week with EdSurge episodes

  • AI Is in Schools. Teachers Are Not Ready.

    Three-quarters of school districts now have AI guidelines, up sharply from just a year ago, yet 82 percent of teachers say they have never received formal guidance on how to use AI in their work. EdSurge reporter Lauren Coffey breaks down the 2026 CoSN State of Ed Tech report and what it reveals about AI adoption, cybersecurity gaps, and edtech vetting inside K-12 districts. Then host Ira Apfel talks with Joseph South, chief innovation officer at ISTE+ASCD, about why teachers say they feel unprepared to bring AI into their classrooms and what it would take to change that.

    What You'll Learn
    • Why AI adoption in K-12 districts jumped from 54 percent in 2025 to 75 percent this year, and why most prefer local flexibility over state or federal mandates.
    • Why cybersecurity remains many districts' top concern even as two-thirds lack the staff and budget to address it, and what the Canvas ransomware attack reveals about the real cost of that gap.
    • What the Gallup and Walton Family Foundation data actually shows about the teacher guidance crisis: 82 percent of teachers have received no formal AI guidance, 34 percent have received no guidance at all, and 69 percent have received no guidance specifically on using AI for one-on-one instruction or tutoring.
    • How districts in Long Beach, Gwinnett County, and Fairfax County are building transparency-first AI frameworks, and what the Lighthouse Schools model offers as a replicable path for districts that want to move without waiting for policy from above.

    Stories Mentioned in This Episode

    CoSN U.S. State of EdTech 2026 Report with coverage by Lauren Coffey

    Teachers Say Lack of AI Guidance Is a Major Problem from Education Week featuring Joseph South, Chief Innovation Officer, ISTE+ASCD

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    Host and Contributors

    Hosted by

    Ira Apfel: Editorial Director, Journalism

    Featuring

    Lauren Coffey: Reporter, EdSurge (public policy, early childhood education, K-12 technology)

    Joseph South: Chief Innovation Officer, ISTE+ASCD

    Stay informed, stay curious.

    23 min
  • Career Readiness in the Real World
    As industries evolve and the skills gap widens, the question remains: How can we better connect education to employment?
    In this episode of The Idea Spark, host Carl Hooker welcomes Jennifer Wilkerson, VP of Innovations and Advancements at NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research), and Andy Dunaway, Product Manager, Career Connected Learning at Pearson. Together, they explore how credentialing, industry alignment, and strong partnerships help students move from the classroom to meaningful careers. Using construction as a lens, this conversation highlights scalable strategies for building career-ready pathways across CTE programs and beyond.
    This week's episode of The Idea Spark is brought to you by Pearson, NCCER, and the EdSurge Solutions Studio team.
    29 min
  • Live from ISTE+ASCD with Heather Brantley
    Carl Hooker brings us a live podcast from the ISTE+ASCD conference in San Antonio, Texas. He connects with conference attendees, friends old and new, asking each to share a problem they're working to solve in their corner of the education world — or, as Carl puts it: “Tell me your idea spark."
    In this episode, Carl sits down with Heather Brantley, Events and Community Specialist at Curipod. Listen to find out how Curipod replaces an expected AI bot with a human!
    This episode of The Idea Spark is brought to you by EdSurge Solutions Studio.
    5 min
  • Live from ASCD + ISTE with Lexi Daly
    Carl Hooker brings us a live podcast from the ISTE+ASCD conference in San Antonio, Texas. He connects with conference attendees, friends old and new, asking each to share a problem they're working to solve in their corner of the education world — or, as Carl puts it: “Tell me your idea spark."
    Carl sits down with Lexi Daly, Learning Innovation Coordinator and Reading Teacher at Trinity Episcopal School in New Orleans. Find out how this self-proclaimed non-coder creates her own mini-games using AI.
    This episode of The Idea Spark is brought to you by EdSurge Solutions Studio.
    7 min
  • Live from ASCD + ISTE with Victoria Andrews
    Carl Hooker brings us a live podcast from the ISTE+ASCD conference in San Antonio, Texas. He connects with conference attendees, friends old and new, asking each to share a problem they're working to solve in their corner of the education world — or, as Carl puts it: “Tell me your idea spark."
    Carl sits down with Victoria Andrews. She’s Partner, Professional Learning at Getting Smart. In this role, Victoria is focusing on closing the gap in AI media literacy.
    This episode of The Idea Spark is brought to you by EdSurge Solutions Studio.
    8 min
  • Live at ASCD + ISTE with Leo Ortiz Villacorta
    Carl Hooker brings us a live podcast from the ISTE+ASCD conference in San Antonio, Texas. He connects with conference attendees, friends old and new, asking each to share a problem they're working to solve in their corner of the education world — or, as Carl puts it: “Tell me your idea spark."
    Carl sits down with Leonardo Ortiz Villacorta (aka Leo). Leo is a leader in communications, global social impact, and public affairs at Pokemon.
    This episode of The Idea Spark is brought to you by EdSurge Solutions Studio.
    8 min
  • Live at ASCD + ISTE with Bria Jones
    Carl Hooker brings us a live podcast from the ISTE+ASCD conference in San Antonio, Texas. He connects with conference attendees, friends old and new, asking each to share a problem they're working to solve in their corner of the education world — or, as Carl puts it: “Tell me your idea spark."
    Carl sits down with Bria Jones. Her title is Customer Success, Wakelet & bulb, and in this role she is focusing on the curation space for both educators and learners. Find out how Bria defines an “unexpected idea spark.”
    This episode of The Idea Spark is brought to you by EdSurge Solutions Studio.
    6 min
  • Live from ISTE + ASCD with Jerod Wright
    Carl Hooker brings us a live podcast from the ISTE+ASCD conference in San Antonio, Texas. He connects with conference attendees, friends old and new, asking each to share a problem they're working to solve in their corner of the education world — or, as Carl puts it: “Tell me your idea spark."
    In this episode, Carl sits down with Jerod Wright, a teacher and former coach who now teaches business and technology in the Frenship Independent School District in Lubbock, Texas.
    This episode of The Idea Spark is brought to you by EdSurge Solutions Studio.
    8 min
  • Live from ISTE+ASCD with Peggy Hammond
    Carl Hooker brings us a live podcast from the ISTE+ASCD conference in San Antonio, Texas. He connects with conference attendees, friends old and new, asking each to share a problem they're working to solve in their corner of the education world — or, as Carl puts it: “Tell me your idea spark."
    In this episode, Carl sits down with Peggy Hammond. She teaches technical theater at the Alabama School of Fine Arts.
    This episode of The Idea Spark is brought to you by EdSurge Solutions Studio.
    7 min
  • Live from ISTE+ASCD with Barbara Bray
    Carl Hooker brings us a live podcast from the ISTE+ASCD conference in San Antonio, Texas. He connects with conference attendees, friends old and new, asking each to share a problem they're working to solve in their corner of the education world — or, as Carl puts it: “Tell me your idea spark."
    In this episode, Carl sits down with Barbara Bray, an author, speaker, podcaster, coach, story weaver, and difference-maker who is passionate about transforming teaching and learning.
    This episode of The Idea Spark is brought to you by EdSurge Solutions Studio.
    5 min

About This Week with EdSurge

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This Week with EdSurge is the essential weekly podcast that takes you past the headlines and deep into the fascinating, fast-evolving world of education. Hosted by Ira Apfel alongside our talented…

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