Designing AI for Agency and Human Connection

Can AI help students connect with people instead of replacing them? What does a real PISA question look like? And why is microschool research so hard to trust?

Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia catch up on a new Christensen Institute report on building AI that connects students to people, plus a closer look at PISA, including Mason's attempt at a sample question. They also get into a new bipartisan push for an education R&D agency, what Arizona's ESA spending shows, why student motivation matters even more with AI in the picture, and a new public boarding school in Alabama. Stay for the song at the end.

Links mentioned

NEED Act reintroduction: https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/09/17/bennet-van-hollen-tillis-reintroduce-bipartisan-bill-to-boost-innovation-in-education/ Arizona ESA FY2026 Q3 report: https://www.azed.gov/sites/default/files/2026/06/ESA%20FY26%20Q3%20Executive%20_%20%20Legislative%20Report.pdf Prosocial Possibilities (Christensen Institute): https://www.christenseninstitute.org/publication/prosocial-possibilities/ MySky: https://newpublic.substack.com/p/meet-the-algorithm-you-can-actually Schools Have a Motivation Problem (The 74): https://www.the74million.org/article/schools-have-a-motivation-problem-ai-is-making-it-impossible-to-ignore/ The Disengaged Teen episode: https://www.gettingsmart.com/podcast/jenny-anderson-and-rebecca-winthrop-on-the-disengaged-teen/ Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences: https://alabamanewscenter.com/2025/10/20/alabama-school-of-healthcare-sciences-brings-transformative-approach-to-high-school-education/ The Hogeweyk: https://www.bethecareconcept.com/en/hogeweyk-dementia-village-hogeweyk-netherlands/