The CoSN Podcast

In this “From the Vault” episode, we revisit CoSN’s August 2024 webinar, “Trailblazing into 2025: Initiatives that Under-resourced, Suburban & Large Urban Districts Are Implementing Now.” We take a fresh look at the innovative strategies district leaders shared—from VR explorations and virtualized engineering labs to new professional learning structures, AI readiness, UDL integration, and pathways for achieving “yes” in complex...

In this episode, we unpack insights from CoSN’s recent webinar, AI, Automation, and the Future of K–12 Networks. The discussion explores how artificial intelligence and automation are transforming district operations—from network security and data management to staffing, readiness, and responsible adoption.

You’ll hear how district leaders and technology experts are using AI to strengthen cybersecurity, streamline help-desk operatio...

In this episode, we unpack CoSN’s CIRCUITS — Critical Infrastructure and Resilient Clouds for Unified Innovation and Technology in Schools — Committee's resource, Building Your Learning Continuity Plan or Business Continuity Plan. The discussion explores how districts can create resilience frameworks that keep learning and essential operations running—even when systems go down.

You’ll hear how to design, activate, and test a...

As K–12 school districts grow increasingly dependent on always-on, secure, and high-performing networks, IT leaders face mounting challenges in managing complexity, ensuring security, and supporting digital learning at scale. With a surge in connected devices, cloud-based applications, and IoT infrastructure, the traditional approach to network operations is being tested.

To better understand how districts are addressing these c...

In this episode, we break down CoSN’s webinar, Navigating Updates on COPPA and Beyond: What K–12 Technology Leaders Need to Know. The discussion unpacks how the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) latest changes to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) affect districts, vendors, and the broader edtech ecosystem.

You’ll hear how these updates reshape definitions of personal information, raise the bar for vendor security p...

In this episode, we take a practical deep dive into the Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Practices Self-Evaluation—the first big step districts can take on the journey to earning the CoSN TLE Seal.

You’ll learn how the Self-Evaluation helps schools measure their privacy practices across five key areas: Leadership, Business, Data Security, Professional Development, and Classroom. More importantly, you’ll hear how districts can use ...

The FTC recently finalized its changes to the COPPA, and while they didn’t move forward with a number of proposed updates specific to education, there are still requirements for ed tech companies that you should know about. Join data privacy consultant Linnette Attai, director of CoSN’s Student Data Privacy and Trusted Learning initiatives and policy expert Reg Leichty, founder of Foresight Law + Policy PLLC who lead’s CoSN’s polic...

In this episode, we kick off a two-part series on student data privacy with a deep dive into the CoSN Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Seal.

The TLE Seal is more than just a badge—it’s a commitment that a school system is protecting student data across five critical practice areas: Leadership, Business, Data Security, Professional Development, and Classroom.

You will learn:

• Why the Seal matters for building trust with families a...

Join us on a journey to understand the pivotal role this dynamic duo plays in fostering a culture of innovation, empowering educators and IT professionals through skill development, and preparing students for a future that seamlessly blends curriculum and technology.

Key Take Aways:

• Enhanced Collaboration Strategies: Learn effective methods for fostering seamless collaboration between curriculum and technology departments, en...

In this episode, we explore highlights from CoSN’s recent webinar, Remember the Human: Deploying AI in Your District. Four education leaders: Mike Lawrence (ABC Unified), Jerry Almendarez (Santa Ana Unified/Creative Futures), Christopher Hoang (LACOE), and Chad Laines (ABC Unified), share how they’re implementing AI in real K–12 contexts.

From district-wide pilots to county-level training, each speaker emphasizes one guiding princi...

Generative AI. Digital equity. Staffing shortages. These aren’t abstract trends; they’re the real forces shaping schools in 2025.

In this episode, Driving K–12 Innovation 2025: Ethics, Workforce, and What’s Next: Insights from a CoSN Webinar, we break down CoSN’s 2025 findings and what they mean for educators today. Based on the Driving K–12 Innovation 2025 Summit webinar, this conversation distills the big themes into practical in...

As districts across the globe grapple with the tectonic shifts caused by generative AI, there is a tendency to rush to the tool as an answer to nearly all challenges of content creation, evaluation and synthesis. This approach, while exciting, diminishes the human intelligence that is essential to effective, ethical and equitable deployment of this technology. This session provides guidance for a responsible process by which your e...

Cellphones are everywhere in schools — in backpacks, pockets, and sometimes under desks. But should they be banned, restricted, or embraced as learning tools? In this episode, inspired by CoSN’s To Ban or Not to Ban? Tackling Cellphones in Classrooms webinar, Common Sense Media’s Merve Lapus reframes the debate.

We explore why banning phones alone doesn’t teach digital discipline, how schools can combine policy with digital citizens...

During this session, we will highlight the implementation journey of our Generative AI Pilot Program, which aims to teach high school students how to use Generative AI safely and ethically within an academic setting.

This session will cover the development of teachers’ expertise in Generative AI, creation of AI policy, our decision-making process for selecting an AI platform, and the strategic structure of the Pilot Program to ensu...

In this episode of the CoSN Podcast, we recap highlights from CoSN’s webinar Safeguarding Student Privacy: Ethical Use of AI in K–12 Education.

• Why student privacy is about trust, not just compliance.

• How districts are building strong data governance frameworks.

• Key federal privacy laws—FERPA, COPPA, and PPRA—and why they’re struggling to keep pace with technology.

• What to ask edtech vendors before adopting new tools.

• Emerging priv...

Eliminating students' use of smartphones during the school day is right in concept but challenging in execution. Students would absolutely benefit from less distraction from phones and social media, and more in-person interaction at school. The challenge for schools comes not in establishing these policies but in enforcing these policies, which requires diligent participation from the whole community. School policies should be acco...

This presentation explores responsible AI implementation in K-12 education, focusing on enhancing learning while protecting student data. Topics include the benefits and risks of AI, best practices for data privacy and security, compliance with legal standards, and practical AI applications that ensure student privacy. Learn how to use AI responsibly to create a safe and effective educational environment.

Key Take Aways:

• How to i...

How will you innovate in your school district or organization this year?

Join CoSN’s Edtech Innovation Committee at our upcoming webinar on Wednesday, August 21, when you will discover how under-resourced, suburban, and large urban districts are implementing groundbreaking strategies to transform education in the upcoming school year. Edtech leaders in K-12 education will highlight practical examples and successful innovations that...

Continuous Learning, AI, and Digital Education Strategy

CoSN CEO Keith R. Krueger welcomed everyone, particularly the delegation from the US and Australia, to discuss the importance of continuous learning, especially in the context of the pandemic. The conversation focused on the sustainability of investments in education and infrastructure, and the potential of artificial intelligence in education. Carlos Medina from the Spanish M...