K12 Tech Talk

Episode 268 - E‑Rate Under Scrutiny: FCC's Proposed Rule Changes Explained

In episode 268, Josh, Chris, and Mark break down the Federal Communications Commission's newly published proposed rule changes to the E‑Rate program. The conversation explains the scope of the public comment period, where the proposals came from, and what districts, consortia, and vendors should watch for over the coming months.
The guys discuss what services could be removed from E‑Rate eligibility, the FCC's questions about screen time, CIPA filtering expectations, and how the Commission is reexamining the program's original connectivity goals. They also dig into the changes to consultant definitions and fee structures, managed internal broadband services (MIBS), and potential unbundling of hardware vs. service costs, and more.
Carr Opens E-Rate Program Review to Ensure it Meets Congress's Vision 
CoSN Statement
Join us July 6th-10th, 2026 – GAMEIS Conference in Savannah, GA
Join us at MidwestTechTalk
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Sponsored by:
Meter
CyberNut
CDWG
Fortinet
ClassLink
NTP
Extreme Networks
Lightspeed Systems
SMC Electric
SMC Electric Testimony
 
CDWG - K12 Solutions & Services Overview Video: https://webobjects2.cdw.com/is/content/CDW/cdw/on-domain-cdw/videos/ssi/k12/mkt94999-k12-ssi-video-full-with-captions.mp4
 
CDWG - Strengthening K12 Cybersecurity: https://webobjects2.cdw.com/is/content/CDW/cdw/on-domain-cdw/videos/ssi/k12-cybersecurity/mkt94971-k12-cybersecurity-ssi-full-video-with-captions.mp4
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Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

Episode 267 - Josh Gets Replaced with AI

On this week’s episode, the guys test whether artificial intelligence can replace a person - with AI‑cloned "Josh" sprinkled through the episode.
Chris and Mark cover the rapid early success of Apple’s new MacBook Neo, including Kansas City Public Schools’ plan to replace roughly 30,000 Windows PCs and Chromebooks after a 4,500‑unit proof of concept.
Elizabethtown Area School District’s cell phone and smartwatch ban (and the community reaction to program names like “Cellcatraz” versus “Device Den”) is discussed. The guys highlight new guidance from the National Council of Teachers of English on using AI in ELA classrooms, centered on a practical stoplight model (red, yellow, green) that helps teachers define AI use. A major segment revisits last week’s episode about showing movies in class. Finally, Chris interviews Chantell Manahan, Director of Technology at MSD of Steuben County, to discuss her district’s experience with SysCloud.
Join us July 6th-10th, 2026 – GAMEIS Conference in Savannah, GA
Join us at MidwestTechTalk
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Sponsored by:
SysCloud
Meter
Fortinet
Managed Methods
NetWatch
 
Today’s K-12 schools are balancing more than ever, student safety, campus communication, cybersecurity, and growing technology demands. For more than 20 years, NetWatch has partnered with schools to help create safer and smarter learning environments through integrated technology and security solutions. From AI-powered video surveillance and access control to emergency communications and IP paging systems, structured cabling, and managed IT services, our team helps keep yourcampuses SAFE, SECURE, and CONNECTED. As an Axis Communications Gold Solution Partner, NetWatch delivers industry-leading security technology backed by trusted expertise and long-term support for your district. Whether you’re planning infrastructure upgrades, improving campus security, or preparing for future technology needs, NetWatch is here to help. Ready to strengthen your campus technology and security strategy? Visit NetWatchIP.com and connect with our team today. NetWatch, Protect and Connect with Confidence.
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Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

Episode 266 - Summer School, Screen Time, and Movies

Episode 266 of the K12 Tech Talk podcast finds Josh, Chris and Mark diving into the summer school circus, national policy, guidance on watching movies in schools, and screen time. This week’s guest is Amy Bennett, Chief of Staff at Lightspeed Systems, who joins to unpack the screen time debate, data-driven monitoring, and what tech leaders should do next.
The main topic is on MOVIES! "Can I watch that movie in my classroom?" The guys discuss copyright, fair use, and the difference between streaming subscriptions and licensed educational services.
Oh, and Josh loves cookies.
Join us July 6th-10th, 2026 – GAMEIS Conference in Savannah, GA
Join us at MidwestTechTalk
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Sponsored by:
SysCloud
Meter
Fortinet
Managed Methods
Lightspeed
Twotrees
NTP
 
As Tech Directors, we all know that buying the hardware is the easy part. Rolling it out across a district and dealing with the anxiety of "what-if's"? That’s the real headache. That’s where Twotrees Technologies comes in. For over 40 years, they’ve been purpose-built to support school districts, which means they actually get it. They aren’t just dropping off boxes and disappearing. Twotrees brings deep E-Rate expertise, certified engineers, and a sales team that stands by you from the initial design to deployment and ongoing support. Plus, they can bring transparent, contract-backed pricing to the table so you can get the board approvals you need without the stress. Stop wrestling with resellers who don't understand K-12. Partner with Twotrees and let them do the heavy lifting. Visit twotrees.com to learn more.
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Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

Episode 265 - Why the Class of 2026 Is Rejecting AI

On Episode 265, Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the end‑of‑year scramble in K‑12 technology and a growing cultural moment - the Class of 2026’s strong reaction to AI at college commencements.
The guys dive into several stories affecting schools - cybercriminal deep‑fake sextortion attacks using student photos from public sites; a public GitHub repository that exposed highly privileged CISA credentials; and the ongoing fallout from the Instructure Canvas breach.
The main topic explores why recent commencement speakers have been booed when addressing AI. Josh, Chris, and Mark unpack students’ resentment, perceived academic hypocrisy (banning AI in coursework while urging graduates to use it in the workforce), fear over job displacement, and the pedagogical shifts already appearing in syllabi and assessment methods.
Join us July 6th-10th, 2026 – GAMEIS Conference in Savannah, GA
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Sponsored by:
SysCloud
Meter
Fortinet
Incident IQ
VIZOR
Lightspeed
Provision Data Solutions
————
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com
OR our "professional" email addy is info@k12techtalkpodcast.com
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Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

Episode 264 - Googlebook Announcement & Canvas Breach Debrief

On this episode, the guys discuss Google's announcement of the new "Googlebook" (a reported merge of Android and Chrome OS), growing controversy and litigation around iReady and screen time in schools, and a debrief of the recent Canvas/Instructure security incident with guest Michael Klein from the Institute for Security and Technology.
Unofficial demo of AluminumOS: https://youtu.be/dXmFIfv_tIA?si=Baw0OInBqJf-IkDD
The largest segment is a deep dive into the Canvas/Instructure incident with cybersecurity expert Michael Klein. He walks through the timeline (initial unauthorized activity detected April 29; exfiltration via cross‑site scripting of a free‑for‑teachers account; a later attack that posted extortion notes to some users), the involvement of CrowdStrike, the public claims by the ShinyHunters group, and Instructure’s statement about an agreement with the actor. The conversation covers the technical nature of the attack, impacts on confidentiality, integrity and availability (including disruptions to finals/registrar functions), the downstream consequences for integrations with SIS and other edtech systems, and why many institutions remain cautious to reconnect APIs.
Michael and the hosts discuss practical guidance and explore policy implications.
Join us July 6th-10th, 2026 – GAMEIS Conference in Savannah, GA
————
Sponsored by:
SysCloud
Meter
Fortinet
Incident IQ
ClassLink
NTP
————
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com
OR our "professional" email addy is info@k12techtalkpodcast.com
X @k12techtalkpod
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Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

Episode 263 - Canvas Ransomed

Episode 263 covers the unfolding Instructure/Canvas breach by the threat group ShinyHunters. Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the timeline, the potential scope of compromised data, and immediate steps schools should take.
The episode also examines a new bill aimed at restricting AI companion chatbots for minors and debates age verification and safety concerns. Finally, the guys review a National Bureau of Economic Research study on lockable cell phone pouches, weighing the limited academic impacts found after one year against observed cultural benefits in schools.
Finally, Chris interviews Dave Barclay, Director of Product with Deledao!
https://www.k12dive.com/news/proposal-to-ban-ai-companions-for-minors-advances-in-senate/819239/
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Sponsored by:
Deledao
PowerGistics:
How K-12 Charging Models Impact Chromebook Sustainability
Textbooks Didn’t have Cables
Bring Chromebooks Back to the Classroom, but NOT Carts!
One-Person Tech Department Success Story
SysCloud
Meter
Fortinet
VIZOR
Lightspeed
Extreme Networks
Managed Methods
————
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com
OR our "professional" email addy is info@k12techtalkpodcast.com
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
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Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

Episode 262 - EdTech AI Gone Wild

On Episode 262, Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the risks of edtech tools that add generative AI without age checks or strong guardrails, share a new K12 SIX resource and rubric for security essentials, and cover email security best practices.
For the main topic, the guys talk about "secure email." Districts are being asked to send more sensitive information outside the network - to parents, agencies, vendors - but there's no shared standard for what "secure email" even means in K12. TLS encryption in transit isn't the same as end-to-end encryption. A password-protected PDF isn't a secure channel. And most staff don't know the difference.
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Sponsored by:
PowerGistics:
How K-12 Charging Models Impact Chromebook Sustainability
Textbooks Didn’t have Cables
Bring Chromebooks Back to the Classroom, but NOT Carts!
One-Person Tech Department Success Story
SysCloud
Fortinet
Extreme Networks
————
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com
OR our "professional" email addy is info@k12techtalkpodcast.com
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

Episode 261 - Navigate360 Breach, LAUSD Screen-Time Plan, & Climbing the K-12 Tech Ladder

In episode 261 of K12 Tech Talk, the hosts are back from CoSN Chicago and revisit the P3 breach story that has been ongoing for the last few weeks. The latest reports show the stolen records have now been listed for sale, while the company has not issued a full public disclosure.
On the screen time front, the hosts review LAUSD’s draft approach that emphasizes guidelines over hard time caps, reductions in K–1 screen use, changes to device programs for grades 2–5, and limits on student-led YouTube use.
The episode closes with a deep dive into K-12 IT careers: why pay and titles vary widely, how to grow from help desk roles to director or CTO positions, and practical tips - gain hands-on experience, earn relevant certifications, build communication skills and networks, be patient, and be intentional about career moves.
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Sponsored by:
PowerGistics:
How K-12 Charging Models Impact Chromebook Sustainability
Textbooks Didn’t have Cables
Bring Chromebooks Back to the Classroom, but NOT Carts!
One-Person Tech Department Success Story
Incident IQ
FortinetClassLink
Lightspeed
NTP
————
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com
OR our "professional" email addy is info@k12techtalkpodcast.com
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.