Episode 69: What School Could Be. A Conversation with Ted Dintersmith and Garrett Smiley.

The rapidly accelerating capabilities of artificial intelligence are creating an urgent need to rethink how we prepare young people for a world where machines will soon outperform humans in many cognitive tasks.

• Schools train students in what ChatGPT already does best
• AI power doubles yearly, reshaping the workforce
• The “school-to-career” escalator model is collapsing
• Content delivery dominates, but agency and values matter most
• Don’t trade kids’ mental health and relationships for small GPA gains
• Students need entrepreneurial skills to solve real problems
• Hands-on, career-focused learning deserves equal respect with academics
• Families should explore AI tools as “curiosity machines”
• Future success depends more on AI collaboration than college prestige

About our guests
Ted Dintersmith is a change agent focused on the impact of education and innovation. His professional background spans technology, entrepreneurship, and public policy. He has been the executive producer of several films that have premiered at Sundance, including the acclaimed Most Likely to Succeed. Ted’s most recent book What School Could Be: Insights and Inspiration from Teachers Across America is based on a trip he took to all 50 U.S. states during a single school year. In 2018, he received NEA’s prestigious “Friend of Education” Award.

Garrett Smiley is the Co-Founder of Sora Schools, an education startup. Sora is a virtual, project-based high school where students explore their interests, learn however is best for them, and gain exposure to future careers and fields of work. Prior to Sora, Garrett co-founded a charity which built wells in developing nations called Drops of Love. Garret also directed a university startup incubator called Core Founders at Georgia Tech, and started an education non-profit that worked with foster kids to develop financial literacy called Flip. Garrett worked as a Venture Partner at Contrary Capital where he scouted, invested in, and mentored startups in the Atlanta area.

Connect with Ted and Garrett
Sora Schools
Ted Dintersmith
Most Likely to Succeed
What School Could Be

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About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

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