Cody Sullivan returns and the conversation goes from light jokes to big questions fast. The crew debates whether AI is “smarter” than humans, why our brains run on about 12 watts while AI gulps city-sized power, and what happens when automation doesn’t just replace jobs—but replaces purpose. From robot caregivers (Jetsons) and sci-fi warnings (Westworld, Ex Machina, Subservience) to real-world concerns like farming, education adapting to AI, and AI-powered cyberattacks, the discussion keeps circling back to one core tension: we’re building powerful tools faster than we can agree on the morals guiding them.

They close by unpacking the “positive reinforcement” issue—when AI mirrors your assumptions so well that truth, wisdom, and virtue matter more than ever, especially for raising kids in a world where the tool is everywhere.

The hosts shift into the wellness space with special guest Dr. Isaac Castellanos, a chiropractor and former Fleet Marine Force Corpsman whose path into healthcare began in high school volunteering in the ER and running emergency calls with a California fire department. Isaac shares how years in emergency medicine, deployments, and repeated exposure to seriously ill and injured children shaped his focus on pediatric and perinatal care and, ultimately, pushed him to look beyond “protocol-only” treatment.

A pivotal part of his story involves his sister’s long struggle with chronic illness, misdiagnosis, and dismissal inside the conventional medical system—until she was finally tested and treated for Lyme disease. That experience, along with watching providers get penalized for practicing outside narrow guidelines, led Isaac toward chiropractic and a more investigative, whole-person approach.

The conversation explores the difference between emergency care and long-term healing using Isaac’s “firefighter vs. carpenter” analogy: medicine is critical for putting out the fire, but real recovery requires rebuilding the house. From nervous system regulation and individualized adjustments to advanced lab work (hormones, stool testing, inflammation, toxins), the group discusses why supplement quality matters, why many health plans fail due to incomplete testing, and how lifestyle, stress, and environment drive outcomes in areas like energy, digestion, and fertility. Isaac also shares how people can find him locally through The Wellness Way Casper and why he believes a doctor’s job is to teach—not just prescribe.

In this episode, the hosts sit down with Cross True—homeschooled K–12 and now planning to homeschool his own children—to unpack why more families are considering homeschooling and what it actually looks like day to day. The conversation avoids “anti-public school” framing and instead focuses on the real questions parents are asking: safety and peer environments, moral formation, family connection, and flexibility.

Cross shares what homeschooling looked like across a large family, from early play-and-learn rhythms to a more demanding high-school season built around Casper College dual-enrollment (BOCES), athletics, and higher-level coursework. The group digs into common misconceptions (academic rigor and “socialization”), argues that education always forms a worldview, and explores how incentives in large systems can drift away from student outcomes. They close by emphasizing responsibility and intentionality—whatever education model a family chooses—and the importance of staying connected to kids in a rapidly changing world.

In this episode of Unmuted, we’re joined by Rob Hill and Andy Elston for a candid conversation about Career & Technical Education (CTE) and the urgent workforce gap facing Wyoming.

Rob shares his path from the trades into teaching and workforce policy, and Andy explains how early hands-on experience turned into a career in engineering and building systems across the state. Together, we break down why Wyoming is facing an aging skilled workforce, why students often get blocked out of CTE pathways (capacity, scheduling, “level one bottlenecks”), and why “industry-ready” can’t just mean a couple of classes and a credential.

We also challenge some long-held assumptions in education: what “21st century jobs” really require, why competency-based learning matters, and why communities need stronger partnerships between schools, employers, colleges, and mentors. If Wyoming wants to stop exporting talent—and start building opportunity at home—this conversation is a blueprint.

Julie Jarvis returns with a boots-on-the-ground legislative update as Wyoming heads into session—and the stakes for public education are high. In this episode, the crew breaks down the Wyoming school funding “recalibration” bill and why Julie believes the current proposal could reshape classrooms across the state.

Julie explains recalibration in plain terms, then highlights key concerns educators should track: proposed class size changes, a potential reduction of hundreds of classroom teachers, and a major shift away from a block-grant model toward categorical funding—which could reduce local flexibility in how districts staff schools, support students, and use Title I resources. The conversation also digs into the bill’s language around teacher pay (base vs. average salary), the loss of longer-term funding stability, and how these changes could affect everything from staffing to services like counselors, nurses, and intervention supports.

From there, the discussion widens to the bigger budget picture: property tax, the use of the term “backfill,” and how Wyoming’s reserve and investment accounts tie into school funding and statewide services. Julie lays out why she believes the public narrative doesn’t match Wyoming’s education outcomes—and why she’s urging citizens to pay attention and get involved as decisions move quickly.

If you’re a teacher, parent, or taxpayer trying to understand what’s coming and why it matters, this episode is your roadmap to the debate—and what to watch next.

In this stripped-down, two-host check-in, Seth and Coebie pull listeners behind the scenes of their ongoing public records fight with Natrona County School District. They break down two key requests: who authored the Barnon and Woods school closure recommendation documents (and the broader facilities recommendation), and policies tied to class waitlists and student absences—and why the lack of clear authorship and delayed responses have become a major community trust issue.

Along the way, they connect the district’s “stall-and-stress” tactics to a familiar everyday experience: the exhausting runaround of dealing with a massive corporation that keeps billing you even after you’ve done everything right. The takeaway is simple: this process is designed to wear people down—but they’re not backing off. The episode closes with next steps (including the public records ombudsman route), an update for listeners, and a reminder to stay steady, document everything, and keep pushing for transparency.

On this episode the team talks with don anderson about his implementation of problem based learning and his transition from college to k-12 teaching.

In this episode of Unmuted, we sit down with Brandy Sorensen—Wyoming mom, realtor, and advocate—to unpack House Bill 9 (HB9), a proposal aimed at making the grooming of minors a felony. Brandy shares how her family’s experience exposed legal gaps, what “grooming” looks like before it crosses current criminal thresholds, and why protections for kids can’t rely on “it’s concerning, but not illegal.” We also talk warning signs for parents, the role of protective orders, and how listeners can contact their representatives to support HB8 and HB9.

Content warning: discussion includes sensitive, adult topics involving minor

After the district’s decision to close Woods Learning Center and Bar Nunn Elementary, Seth and Coebie explain why they launched a petition—and why transparency matters, especially when families feel blindsided. Joined by Eric Nelsen, they unpack the petition process, what the school board can (and might) do next, and what the community is asking for moving forward: clearer analysis, better communication, and real engagement before future closures are decided.

In this episode, I chat with Ted Hanson about the complexities of behavior and discipline in education, building on our previous discussion. We explore the importance of understanding each child's unique background and context when addressing behavioral issues. Ted emphasizes a nuanced approach to disciplinary methods, debating corporal punishment versus positive reinforcement while highlighting societal influences on student behavior. We discuss the challenges educators face, particularly in under-resourced settings, and the value of restorative practices in fostering accountability. This thought-provoking dialogue urges listeners to consider empathy and community involvement as essential components of effective behavior management.