Week in Edtech 7/9/25: OpenAI’s $28M K-12 Push, Meta’s Talent War, Higher Ground Bankruptcy, Teaching Lab + Relay Merger, & More! Feat. Josh Reibel, Dreamscape Learn; Dr. Jennifer Cruz, Pendergast Elementary; & Thomas Thompson & Thomas Hummel, Eduaide.ai

Jul 18, 2025

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Thomas Hummel

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In this engaging discussion, Josh Reibel, CEO of Dreamscape Learn, shares insights on the transformative power of VR in education, emphasizing immersive storytelling in STEM subjects. Dr. Jennifer Cruz, Superintendent of Pendergast Elementary, highlights the real-world challenges teachers face while integrating AI. Thomas Thompson and Thomas Hummel from EduAid.ai reveal how AI can empower educators by personalizing learning and supporting lesson planning. The group also tackles the competitive landscape of AI in education and the implications of recent developments.

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INSIGHT

OpenAI's Major K-12 AI Initiative

OpenAI's $28M initiative aims to train 400,000 K-12 educators in AI use, filling a crucial training gap.
68% of teachers currently lack AI training despite frequent usage, indicating strong demand for resources.

INSIGHT

Bottom-Up AI Strategy

OpenAI pursues a bottom-up approach partnering with teachers unions and Microsoft to accelerate AI adoption in schools.
This contrasts Google’s top-down model, highlighting strategic diversity in AI education deployment.

INSIGHT

Meta’s AI Talent War

Meta aggressively hires AI talent to avoid being left behind, investing heavily in "Superintelligence Labs."
However, challenges remain as they lack clear front-end AI channels to compete effectively.

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Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI showdowns to immersive learning pilots and funding updates.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:00] OpenAI announces $28M K-12 AI training initiative with AFT, UFT, and Microsoft
[00:04:34] Gallup-Walton poll reveals 68% of teachers lack AI training despite high usage
[00:07:11] OpenAI takes a bottom-up approach as teachers criticize Google’s AI rollout
[00:23:41] Meta forms Superintelligence Labs, aggressively hiring AI talent across the industry
[00:36:17] Senate blocks AI regulation ban, states retain power to legislate AI in education
[00:37:31] Higher Ground Education files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, prompting edtech funding debate
[00:42:05] Honor Education raises $38M to enhance asynchronous social learning
[00:42:45] Teaching Lab merges with Relay Graduate School of Education to scale AI-aligned PD

Plus, special guests:

[00:44:17] Josh Reibel, CEO of Dreamscape Learn and Dr. Jennifer Cruz, Superintendent of the Pendergast Elementary School District discuss VR and immersive learning with Dreamscape Learn
[01:46:15] Eduaide.Ai founders Thomas Thompson and Thomas Hummel on empowering teacherpreneurs with AI

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This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.