The AI Educator Podcast

In this episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Michael Klein, Senior Director for Preparedness and Response at the Institute for Security and Technology. Drawing on his 20-year background in education, from teaching in Brooklyn and Harlem to leading K–12 cybersecurity at the U.S. Department of Education, Michael shares why the most exciting potential of AI in education isn't in the classroom, but in the server room. He explains how AI can empower under-resourced districts with security tools comparable to a Fortune 500 security team, while also stressing that the human capacity to fix those vulnerabilities remains a hurdle.
Michael challenges the major misconception that AI safety in schools is strictly about the model layer, like preventing cheating or hallucinations, arguing that the crucial gap lies in infrastructure safety. He flags systemic risks around data retention, FERPA compliance, expanded attack surfaces, and vendor concentration. He also notes that relying on a small number of core software vendors creates dangerous single points of failure across K–12 education. He reassures overwhelmed educators that defending against transnational criminal organizations shouldn't fall solely on local district staff, calling on states, federal agencies, and vendors to shoulder their share of the burden. To help districts act immediately, he offers practical steps schools can take – like tracking actual software usage, requiring student data agreements, and turning on multi-factor authentication.

In this episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Dr. Courtney Kofeldt Grove, Director of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation at Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (PALCS) and 2026 EDSAFE Vanguard Fellow. Courtney shares how PALCS proactively embraced generative AI as an unavoidable shift, particularly in their fully virtual learning environment. In this episode, she introduces the school's newly launched AI Resource Guide. This practical blueprint helps educators navigate student privacy, academic integrity, and ethical considerations in an online mindset.
Courtney challenges the common misconception that using AI automatically shortcuts student learning, arguing instead that thoughtful AI integration can require even more complex cognitive work. She outlines how teachers can push students from passive consumption of AI-generated content toward active evaluation, verifying claims, detecting bias, and challenging assumptions. Shifting the classroom's focus from final products to the value of the learning process itself, Courtney explains why AI should speed up iteration rather than replace critical thinking. Finally, she offers a reassuring message to overwhelmed school leaders: you don’t need to become an AI expert overnight; the most vital intelligence in the classroom will always be human intelligence.View AI Resource Guide: https://www.aipolicylab.org/post/pennsylvania-leadership-charter-school-ai-resource-guide

In this episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Anne-Sophie Seret, Executive Director of Everyone AI and Chief Program Officer at iRAISE. Anne-Sophie explores how AI can level the global playing field by providing tutoring to children in developing countries and tailoring education for those with learning disabilities, ensuring that a child's potential is no longer limited by their zip code. She challenges common misconceptions about safety, warning that an EdTech tool is not automatically secure just because it is used at school or popular in other districts. 
Anne-Sophie highlights the hidden risks of anthropomorphic design, where AI models pretend to be human and foster dangerous emotional dependence in children. She critiques the industry’s reliance on engagement as a flawed KPI for actual learning. She also suggests reinventing the classroom by shifting the focus from final results, like essays and exams, to the value of the learning process itself. Finally, she shares an exclusive look at new tools for evaluating AI models and celebrates that the discussion about the impact of AI on cognitive and socio-emotional development has reached the global stage of the G7 agenda.

In another special edition episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with a collaborative team from Missouri representing the state’s Policy Lab Network. The group includes Michael Corcoran from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jayme Pingrey from Columbia Public Schools, and University of Central Missouri professors Lauren Hays and Charlene Atkins. Together, they share their journey in developing state-level AI guidance and literacy resources designed to support school districts as they navigate the rapid emergence of generative AI.
This group collectively views AI literacy as an essential compass for the modern classroom, emphasizing that proactive education is far more effective than banning tools, which they argue only creates a dangerous equity gap. Jayme and Michael highlight how vetted, centralized resources can reduce the burden on educators, allowing them to reclaim time for student relationships and deeper learning. Drawing on their collective expertise across the K-20 pipeline, they urge educators to take a deep breath and stay grounded in the science of learning. Their message to those feeling overwhelmed is simple: start small, stay student-centered, and remember that while AI can generate text, it can never replace the vital human mentorship and pedagogical expertise of a teacher.

In another special edition episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Winterset Community Schools' Chad Sussex, 7-12 Assistant Principal and AI task force leader, and Sandy Groom-Meeks, Technology Integration Consultant. Chad and Sandy share their journey in developing a safety policy addressing AI companions. The pair also talk about their recently released book titled AI Express: Leading the Future of Learning, which shares practical implementation strategies for K-12 schools. Chad and Sandy view the effective use of AI as a cognitive amplifier, a productivity tool to “prime the pump” so teachers can save time and students can drive their own critical thinking and creativity. They urge educators to dive in and start their AI journey, even with small personal tasks, while never allowing  AI to steal your voice or “hand over your perspective to an algorithm’s echo.”  
View Winterset CS’s AI Policy Addendum: https://www.aipolicylab.org/post/addendum-to-district-ai-policy-restriction-of-ai-companion-platforms
Connect with Chad and Sandy on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-sussex/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandygroommeeks/

In this episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Mary Burns, Independent Researcher and Co-Author of the Brookings Institution report on AI in education. As AI reforms education systems, Mary explains how this shift can revitalize a liberal arts education, cultivate flexible cognitive thinking, and force a deep conversation about the true purpose of schooling. She cautions educators and leaders against treating AI safety as a purely user-side responsibility, emphasizing that the most critical risks are structural and architectural vulnerabilities inherent to the technology itself. Additionally, with the rapid pace of AI development, Mary advises overwhelmed educators that it is okay to pause and take their time, urging schools to step back from an unchecked adoption agenda and critically evaluate whether these tools should be introduced at all.

In another special edition episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Dr. Eva Harvell, Director of Technology at @Pascagoula-Gautier School District. Eva shares how Pascagoula-Gautier’s multi-stakeholder AI guidance empowers educators, parents, and students with flexible parameters for safe and effective AI adoption. From classroom guardrails and real-world accessibility tools to deep stakeholder focus groups and transparent student communication, these resources cover it all!
 
Eva addresses the misconception that AI will halt student learning. She emphasizes that school leaders must design policies to support the 90% of students using the technology responsibly rather than over-restricting the 10% who might misuse it. Given the overwhelming speed of technological change, Eva stresses that these guidelines must remain evergreen and reminds educators that they don't need a complete tech takeover; they just need to put their learning standards first and let the technology follow organically.
 
View PGSD’s AI Guides: https://www.aipolicylab.org/post/pascagoula-gautier-school-district-ai-guidance

In this special edition episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Steven Priest, Digital Learning Consultant at the Wyoming Department of Education. Steven shares how Wyoming's innovative, LMS-based AI toolkit empowers school leaders with the best practices for safe, ethical, and responsible AI adoption. The toolkit spans everything from EdTech procurement and tool vetting to stakeholder engagement and addressing community concerns. Steven goes on to address the ‘ban it’ mentality around AI integration in schools, emphasizing that school leaders must work together with vendors, parents, and students to decide how AI is implemented. Lastly, given the rapid pace of change, Steven stresses that there are no true experts in AI yet and that educators don't need to know everything about AI; they just need to be three lessons ahead of their students! 
View Wyoming’s Public AI Toolkit

In this episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Jeff Carlson, Head of Education Strategy and Advocacy at Clever. As AI reshapes education, Jeff explains why classrooms must pivot to teach students how to ask the right questions – of technology, themselves, and society. He cautions educators and leaders not to treat AI in school like consumer AI, minimizing the deployment of unchecked tools and safeguarding data by understanding how data is really being used. Additionally, with the rapid pace of AI development, Jeff warns against letting the ‘perfect be the enemy of good’ and that educators must be their own auditors before introducing tools to students.

In this special edition episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Dr. Kristin Moon, Director of Teaching and Professional Learning at Portland Public Schools, and Melissa Lim, Learning Technologies Program Administrator at Portland Public Schools. Kristin and Melissa share Portland Public School's journey in creating a living document that translates high-level guidance into actionable practice for teachers, parents, and students. A central theme of Portland Public School’s work is ensuring the human element of teaching remains core to their technology integration. Kristin and Melissa believe AI gives educators a chance to highlight their unique expertise and unify different departments through a shared challenge. For those feeling overwhelmed, they suggest taking bite-sized, actionable steps and personal automations rather than a complete overhaul! 
 
View the Portland Public Schools AI Guidebook: www.pps.net/departments/office-of-teaching-learning/artificial-intelligence-in-pps/ai-guidebook