This Week with EdSurge

Education journalist Ed Finkel and technology reporter Adam Stone examine why men now make up just 23% of public schoolteachers, from recruitment gaps to stereotypes about discipline and coaching. They also explore the rise of AI-generated “baby slop,” bizarre toddler videos that blur reality and fiction, and how parents and educators can vet what young children watch.

Megan Kuhfeld, NWEA’s growth and data analytics director, shares research on why struggling middle school readers are falling further behind and why K-3 reforms miss them. Dacia Toll, former school leader and Coursemojo co-founder, explores the “comprehension wall,” background knowledge gaps, and students who read fluently without understanding. They also discuss literacy support for content teachers and AI that guides students with questions instead of answers.

Two Voices of Change Fellows had the same kind of moment this year, when a student comment that could have been brushed off as attitude turned out to be a warning sign. On This Week with EdSurge, Melinda Medina explains what happened when a student answered a literature question with "I use ChatGPT, how am I supposed to know that?" and what it revealed about students quietly outsourcing their own thinking. Then Beth Yirga describes the eighth grader who asked her, "If AI will do everything, then what's the point of learning?" and how that question sent her looking for answers outside of education entirely.WHAT YOU'LL LEARNMelinda Medina cites a Brown University economics class where students averaged nearly 96% on a take-home midterm, then under 49% once the professor switched to an in-person proctored exam, a trend she now sees echoed in her own classroom.When Melinda's 11th graders were asked how author Kate Chopin uses irony, one replied that she'd used ChatGPT instead of working through the text, a moment Melinda says worried her less as cheating and more as a sign students no longer wanted to engage with productive struggle.Beth Yirga's question came from an eighth grader during a planning meeting for a new career exploration program at Freire Charter School Wilmington, and it sent her to the Women Who Code Summit in New York, where she was the only K-12 educator in a room of more than 500 people.Beth is building an "identity year" for students, pairing AI literacy with outdoor hikes, a trip to the opera, and a visit to the state capitol, on the belief that students need to know who they are before they can direct any tool toward a future worth having.STORIES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEProtecting Student Cognition in the Age of AI by Melinda Medina The K-12 Silo Won't Survive AI, But Our Relationships Might by Beth YirgaSTAY CONNECTEDSubscribe to EdSurge newsletters at edsurge.com.Find the latest education news at edsurge.com/news.Follow EdSurge on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.HOST AND CONTRIBUTORSHost: Ira ApfelFeaturing:Melinda Medina, English and Special Education Teacher, Brooklyn, NYBeth Yirga, Assistant Head of School, Freire Charter School Wilmington, DE

Adam Stone, an education and technology journalist, reports on pre-K teachers navigating screen-time guidance with Play-Doh, conversation and hands-on learning. Missouri civics teacher Dan Clark examines a statewide cellphone ban that sidelined students’ social-media outreach for a community project. They explore when screens support learning, the limits of blanket rules and why digital citizenship belongs in the classroom.

Brittany Miller, outcomes-based contracting leader who ties payment to student results, and Jean-Claude Brizard, Digital Promise CEO and former superintendent, discuss the new federal edtech guidance. They debate evidence standards versus rapid product change. They highlight state-led implementation, procurement as the lever, and the need for teacher support and third-party checks.

Mi Aniefuna, a public health and behavioral sciences researcher tracking AI infrastructure and costs. Michael Hernandez, an educator and author who builds teacher tools like the Cheat Vulnerability Index. They discuss assignment design that resists AI misuse. They trace the hidden energy and billing costs of AI for districts. Conversations focus on practical tools, assignment traits, and long-term procurement risks.

Dr. Nneka McGee, founder of Muon Global and former math teacher researching age-appropriate AI literacy. Nicol Russell, Chief Academic Officer at Teaching Strategies with two decades in early childhood education and a focus on teacher retention. They discuss supporting early educators as professionals. They explore conversation-first ways to introduce AI to young children and hands-on activities like Play-Doh robotics to teach questioning and anthropomorphism.

Tambra Clark, a tech integration leader focused on AI literacy and STEM equity, and Jody Britten, a researcher who coded AI policies across 122 districts, discuss K–12 AI rules. They compare a five-level policy framework with real classroom practice. They talk about how policies are written, how districts cluster between promotion and prohibition, and what practical steps districts take when policy meets the classroom.

Court Shuller, a middle school English teacher and reading specialist, advocates for pencil‑and‑paper literacy and stronger teacher voice. Nathan Kraai, Director of Innovation and Design Thinking, links a vinyl resurgence to how people respond to AI and shares classroom stories about where AI falls short. They debate which learning tasks should stay hands‑on and why some experiences resist easy digital shortcuts.

Cobretti Williams, mentor for K–12 writers in the EdSurge Voices of Change Fellowship, helps teachers craft multi-draft essays. Rita Finkel, co-president of the Armory Foundation, defends four-year degrees and human skills in an AI era. They explore why time-consuming work like degrees and writing still matters, how AI changes but does not replace judgment, and what learning struggle preserves.