Marc Isseks and special guest co-host, Karen Walsh sit down with Dan Thomas, a recently retired STEM teacher who spent his entire 32-year career at the same school he graduated from in Jamestown, New York. Now consulting and speaking under his Coach Thomas Tech brand, Dan brings a hands-on, PBL-driven philosophy to educators looking to make learning visible, meaningful, and yes, actually usable by Tuesday morning.

This conversation covers a lot of ground: why AI has finally moved past the shiny-new-thing phase and into real implementation, how the Tuesday Test reframes professional learning (if you cannot use it tomorrow without hand-holding, what is the point?), and why AI may be the first tool that makes genuine differentiation possible at scale. Dan and Karen, a veteran English teacher known for her commitment to creativity and reinvention, bring decades of classroom experience to a discussion that is as practical as it is forward-looking. The takeaway: the teacher who embraces this moment has more power than at any point in the history of education.

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GUEST LINKS

Dan Thomas | Coach Thomas Tech

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• LinkedIn: Dan Thomas (coachthomastech)
• The TechEd Clubhouse Podcast on Apple Podcasts
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Nick and Marc sit down with Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket, elementary school principal, adjunct professor at McDaniel College, TEDx speaker, president of the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals, and one of the top 100 influencers in education. She is also the author of two bestselling books, The Principal's Journey and Relational Intelligence.

Dr. Edoho-Eket shares the leadership lesson she wishes every aspiring principal understood before stepping into the role, why relationships are the engine of every great school, and how consistency, communication, and presence build the kind of trust that makes the hardest parts of the job possible. She also opens up about navigating imposter syndrome as a new principal, the surprising challenges of moving from assistant principal to principal, and why you don't need all the answers - you just need to know who to ask.

The conversation also tackles one of education's most pressing topics: AI in the classroom. Dr. Edoho-Eket shares her district's pragmatic approach to ethical AI implementation, why "guidance" beats "policy" in a fast-moving landscape, and how schools can build a strong foundation in digital citizenship starting at the elementary level.

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Nick and Marc spend time with Dr. Cynthia Taines, a sociologist, associate professor, and author of The Metropolitan Community: Partnering for Equality Across the Educational Divide. They discuss the many inequities facing our nation's schools and the potential solutions that could bridge existing divisions.

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In their ongoing FETC series, Nick and Marc sit down with Jeff Piontek, an education leader, author, and international speaker with more than 25 years of experience advancing early literacy, instructional design, and school leadership. Jeff is the former director of instructional and informational technology for the NYCDOE. His work focuses on protecting the human foundations of learning while thoughtfully integrating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

Jeff is also the creator of the AI, EI, O, and You framework, a practical model designed to help educators and leaders balance innovation with well-being, oral language development, and human agency.

Find Jeff Piontek: website, X, LinkedIn

Check out Kibeam.

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Click HERE to watch this episode of State of Ed Podcast

In their ongoing FETC series, Nick and Marc sit down with Austin Levinson, Director of Learning at MEGAMINDS. They discuss the shifting landscape of edtech and how MegaMinds is leveraging artificial intelligence to create more meaningful learning experiences for students in schools.

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See MegaMinds in action.

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First-timers at the FETC Annual Conference in Orlando, Nick and Marc got to meet many incredible educators from across the country. In this episode, they sit down with the incomparable Barbara Bray, who gushes about her love of teachers and addresses the importance of remembering your "why."

Get to know Barbara Bray: online, Grow Your Why Podcast, her books

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Nick turns the tables and interviews Marc about his book, Captivate as well as the message he is sharing with educators across the country as a featured speaker at conferences. They discuss challenges faced by today's school leaders, ways to leverage educational technology in the classroom, and how to effectively mentor new teachers.

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Marc is joined by author, podcaster, speaker, and instructional technology expert, Alana Winnick. Recorded at the School Administrators Association of New York's Annual Conference, amid the picturesque backdrop of Lake George, Marc and Alana discuss the role of AI in today's classrooms, the challenges of implementation, and the incredible opportunity available to our schools and students in this generative age.

Find Alana Winnick online, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn

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