K12 Tech Talk
A K12TechPro Podcast. This podcast is about trending K12 technology topics and issues. Josh, Chris, and Mark have real conversations, real arguments, and real banter on IT issues and trends in K12 Schools. Current and Past Sponsors: Absolute, Arista, HPE Aruba Networking, Blocksi, Chromebookparts.com, ClassLink, CTL, Eaton, Extreme Networks, Fortinet, Howard Technology Solutions, iDoc, IncidentIQ, Infoblox, INVZBL, Jupiter Education, Lightspeed Systems, Luma Technologies, Managed Methods, Meter, NTP, Papercut, Provision Data Solutions, Pondurance, PowerGistics, Prey, Rise Vision, Ruckus/Commscope, SaferWatch, Scale Computing, SHI, StatusGator, SomethingCool.com, Tripp Lite, Verkada, VIZOR ™ K12 Tech Talk
Episodes
On episode 275, Josh, Chris, and Mark jump into a back‑to‑school conversation covering AI policy, screen time, cybersecurity, and tech in the classroom. They start by sharing how 98 high school students from all 50 states convened at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute to run a mock Congress and produced a comprehensive AI model bill (and it's good stuff!).
The guys discuss the Enhancing K‑12 Cybersecurity Act, Tennessee’s new sc...
Chris and Mark break down some headline stories and dig into a longer conversation about vibe coding in K12. They discuss Common Sense Media’s poor safety rating of Google Search’s AI mode, continued reporting from databreaches.net about the unresolved Navigate360 anonymous tip database breach, and ClassLink data analyzing device screen time across 5.5 million students.
The main conversation is vibe coding - using large...
Josh, Chris, and Mark unpack Anthropic’s surprise launch of "Claude for Teachers," a free‑until‑2027 offering that immediately drew criticism from district leaders for its bottom‑up signup model, suggested student data uploads, and potentially misleading FERPA claims.
The guys cover the ripple effects of the Canvas security incident, including Instructure’s paused notifications when a third‑party vendor (Progress Softwa...
Recorded live from the GAMEIS Conference in Savannah, Georgia, this episode brings you interviews and conversations with district leaders and state education technologists. Josh, Chris and Mark hang out with attendees, presenters, sponsors, and some very special guests. Highlights are community-focused sessions, family events, and record attendance.
Special Guests:
* Daniel Pollack, Checkpoint
* Allison Kensey
* Jason Malick and Vi...
On Episode 271, Josh and Mark sit down with Nicole Sanchez and Matt Winters from the Utah State Board of Education’s Data Privacy Team to explain how Utah became a national model for student data protection. The conversation covers the state’s legal framework, long-running infrastructure efforts, and the practical systems Utah uses. Learn more at schools.utah.gov/studentdataprivacy/index
And don't forget to check out U...
On this week’s episode of the K‑12 Tech Talk podcast Josh and Mark dig into a packed news round-up and sit down with Joey Wender, Executive Director of the Schools, Health, and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, to discuss a wide‑ranging FCC notice that could fundamentally change, or even threaten, the E‑Rate program.
Joey walks us through the FCC’s proposed rulemaking, explains why the item raises existential questi...
The guys discuss tornado watches, tacos, and the World Cup‑driven Scots in Boston.
The news includes New York City Public Schools’ AI guidelines and growing push back, an insider cyberattack in Iowa, and breaking cybersecurity news is also addressed - the newly reported FortiBleed leak that exposed credentials for tens of thousands of Fortinet/FortiGate devices. They also review federal education news - a proposed reorganizat...
In episode 268, Josh, Chris, and Mark break down the Federal Communications Commission's newly published proposed rule changes to the E‑Rate program. The conversation explains the scope of the public comment period, where the proposals came from, and what districts, consortia, and vendors should watch for over the coming months.
The guys discuss what services could be removed from E‑Rate eligibility, the FCC's questions about scree...
On this week’s episode, the guys test whether artificial intelligence can replace a person - with AI‑cloned "Josh" sprinkled through the episode.
Chris and Mark cover the rapid early success of Apple’s new MacBook Neo, including Kansas City Public Schools’ plan to replace roughly 30,000 Windows PCs and Chromebooks after a 4,500‑unit proof of concept.
Elizabethtown Area School District’s cell phone and smartw...
Episode 266 of the K12 Tech Talk podcast finds Josh, Chris and Mark diving into the summer school circus, national policy, guidance on watching movies in schools, and screen time. This week’s guest is Amy Bennett, Chief of Staff at Lightspeed Systems, who joins to unpack the screen time debate, data-driven monitoring, and what tech leaders should do next.
The main topic is on MOVIES! "Can I watch that movie in my classroom?" ...
On Episode 265, Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the end‑of‑year scramble in K‑12 technology and a growing cultural moment - the Class of 2026’s strong reaction to AI at college commencements.
The guys dive into several stories affecting schools - cybercriminal deep‑fake sextortion attacks using student photos from public sites; a public GitHub repository that exposed highly privileged CISA credentials; and the ongoing fallout f...
On this episode, the guys discuss Google's announcement of the new "Googlebook" (a reported merge of Android and Chrome OS), growing controversy and litigation around iReady and screen time in schools, and a debrief of the recent Canvas/Instructure security incident with guest Michael Klein from the Institute for Security and Technology.
Unofficial demo of AluminumOS: https://youtu.be/dXmFIfv_tIA?si=Baw0OInBqJf-IkDD
The largest seg...
Episode 263 covers the unfolding Instructure/Canvas breach by the threat group ShinyHunters. Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the timeline, the potential scope of compromised data, and immediate steps schools should take.
The episode also examines a new bill aimed at restricting AI companion chatbots for minors and debates age verification and safety concerns. Finally, the guys review a National Bureau of Economic Research study on lo...
On Episode 262, Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the risks of edtech tools that add generative AI without age checks or strong guardrails, share a new K12 SIX resource and rubric for security essentials, and cover email security best practices.
For the main topic, the guys talk about "secure email." Districts are being asked to send more sensitive information outside the network - to parents, agencies, vendors - but there's no shared ...
In episode 261 of K12 Tech Talk, the hosts are back from CoSN Chicago and revisit the P3 breach story that has been ongoing for the last few weeks. The latest reports show the stolen records have now been listed for sale, while the company has not issued a full public disclosure.
On the screen time front, the hosts review LAUSD’s draft approach that emphasizes guidelines over hard time caps, reductions in K–1 screen use...
Live from CoSN 2026 in Chicago, this episode brings quick conversations with leaders across K12. Guests include:
Earl Franks, NAESP
Jean-Claude Brizard, Digital Promise Global
CTL (Jason and Michelle)
Dr. Kari Murphy, Deer Park
Joey Wender, SHLB
Amanda Lanicek ("Amanda from LinkedIn")
Joan Wade, AESA
Jim Rowan, ASBO
Stacy Hawthorne, CoSN Chair
David Wren, NTP
School leadership, funding concerns, AI, building coordinated systems, su...
The guys discuss the rising AI-driven security risks facing school districts, including convincing deepfake video and voice scams, advanced phishing, and the implications of new AI research such as Anthropic’s Mythos and Project Glasswing.
They cover recent news items that affect K12 cybersecurity: proposed federal budget cuts that shift CISA and school safety responsibilities to states, the growth of non-classroom education ...
Josh, Chris, and Mark debrief last week’s Infinite Campus interview, explaining new findings about the leaked support data - what was in the release, how directory-level information and PII were involved, and what districts can do to check and respond. They discuss vendor ticket practices, district ticket practices, minimizing data in support requests, and how districts should approach vendor privacy agreements going forward.
...On this episode of the K12 Tech Talk podcast, Josh, Chris, and Mark interview Charlie Kratsch, CEO of Infinite Campus, about a confirmed cyber incident involving the company’s Salesforce instance. Charlie explains how attackers used a fast, professional vishing campaign and an imposter login domain to harvest credentials and bypass MFA, and then ran targeted reports through Salesforce. The data accessed was limited to support...
On this episode, the guys discuss how students are using AI and how districts are responding with pilots, policy lessons, and content controls. They share real pilot data showing most AI chats were educational, while a smaller portion involved attempts at academic dishonesty or flagged content.
The conversation also explores the controversial use of AI chatbots for mental‑health support. Josh, Chris, and Mark share personal experie...
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