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 educatio...

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...

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 lim...

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 Atkin...

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 A...

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 cauti...

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...

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 vetti...

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 deployme...

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...

In this episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Dr. Kimberly Williams, Director of College Career and Military Readiness at Richardson ISD. Kimberly emphasizes that even as the technology rapidly evolves, AI tools are catalysts for personalized learning and reducing the administrative burden on educators. Drawing parallels to the calculator and smartphone era, she argu...

In this episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Emma Venetis, Senior Research Analyst at the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. Emma sees AI's greatest potential in transforming student assessment beyond traditional point-in-time testing, envisioning interactive, multimodal tools that support students, while also tracking soft skills, progress...

In this special edition episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Drew Olsson, Director of AI at Agua Fria Union High School District. Drew speaks about their latest iteration of their comprehensive, stakeholder-driven AI Integration Guide. He sheds light on the process of building their living document, designed to empower student agency that leverages Agua Fria’s CARE...

In this episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Kelsey Karcher, Director of Advanced Learning Programs and Services at Richardson ISD. Kelsey explores the transformative potential of AI as a tool for extreme differentiation, envisioning a future where technology supports teachers in delivering multiple unique and perfectly leveled lessons simultaneously! She pushes bac...

In this episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Zach Kennelly, Senior Manager of STEM, AI, and Partnerships at DSST Public Schools. Zach discusses a "human-centered, AI-leveraged" approach, exploring how students can use technology as a tool to drive real-world impact in their communities while prioritizing their own unique creativity. He addresses the paradox of trust...

In this episode of The AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Adam Browning, Director of Academic Innovation and AI Implementation at Washington Leadership Academy. Adam discusses how AI can be a catalyst for educational evolution by automating administrative tasks to reclaim time for mentoring and student relationships. He addresses common anxieties surrounding generative AI, expla...

In this episode of the AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with David Miyashiro, Superintendent of Cajon Valley Union School District. David discusses how AI can drive system-wide transformation by dismantling silos and redefining workflows to better support student outcomes. He addresses the misconception that AI is inherently unsafe, explaining how existing data privacy and interope...

In this episode of the AI Educator, Andrea Claver from EDSAFE AI speaks with Kip Glazer, Principal of Mountain View High School and author of Ready to Lead with AI. Kip discusses the transformative potential of personalized learning for both students and staff, drawing inspiration from the Montessori philosophy of exploration. She addresses common misconceptions about AI in schools and offers a su...

For our second AI Educator podcast episode, EDSAFE hosts Matt Winters, Artificial Intelligence Education Specialist at the Utah State Board of Education, who leads a statewide professional development initiative that has rapidly increased AI literacy among Utah educators. Winters discusses Utah's ambitious training program and offers a fresh perspective for those overwhelmed by the constantly evol...

Season's Greetings from The AI Educator! In this episode, host Andrea Claver steps in for a quick, solo update to catch up on everything EDSAFE AI has released during the month of December. Tune in for a valuable resource roundup detailing the key new tools we've dropped to help you navigate AI policy and safety. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at episode 2 dropping on January 13, 2026! Happy ho...

In this insightful interview, EDSAFE hosts Clara Hawking, Co-founder and Executive Director of Kompass Education. Clara dives into the strategic challenges facing schools today, explains why the rise of GenAI is forcing institutions to address governance, values, and data ethics systemically, and shares a crucial message for overwhelmed educators: You are not behind. You are just early.