Episodes

Recorded on-site at the 2026 NeMTSS Summit, this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast explores our evolving understanding of dyslexia and what that means for identifying and supporting students in Nebraska classrooms. Joining the conversation are Theresa Nicholls, an education consultant and former school psychologist, and Pamela Bazis, assistant professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and co-director of the Kit and Dick Schmoker Reading Center. Together, they unpack the newly updated de...

Recorded on-site at the 2026 NeMTSS Summit, this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast explores our evolving understanding of dyslexia and what that means for identifying and supporting students in Nebraska classrooms. Joining the conversation are Theresa Nicholls, an education consultant and former school psychologist, and Pamela Bazis, assistant professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and co-director of the Kit and Dick Schmoker Reading Center. Together, they unpack the newly updated de...

Recorded live from the main stage at the 2026 NeMTSS Summit in Kearney, Nebraska, this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast brings together educational leaders and practitioners to explore one important question: What can all educators do for literacy? Joining host Andrew Easton for this special conversation are Dr. Jane Stavem, Deputy Commissioner of the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE); Jamie Cook, NDE Literacy Officer; Sara Renken, Principal of Hamlow Elementary in Waverly; and David Lo...

What makes a school leader credible? It isn’t simply the title they hold or the expertise they bring to the role. Leadership credibility is built through the everyday ways leaders earn trust, connect with others, communicate what they value, and contribute to the culture of their schools. In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew welcomes Tara Gossman of ESU 4 and Ernie Valentine of ESU 7 for a conversation centered on the five domains of leadership credibility: trustworthiness, compe...

Literacy development doesn’t end when students learn to read, and supporting adolescent readers requires attention not only to skills, but also to identity, confidence, and dignity. In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton welcomes Dr. Naomi Watkins, Secondary English Language Arts Specialist for the Utah State Board of Education, for a conversation about what adolescent literacy truly requires. Drawing from her experiences as a middle school English teacher, literacy research...

What are educators actually learning about AI in the classroom after several years of experimentation? In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton is joined by Matt Mervis, Director of Skills21 and AI Strategy at EdAdvance and co-host of the ChatEDU podcast, for a grounded look at the classroom practices beginning to emerge around artificial intelligence. Rather than focusing on predictions about what AI might do for education, Matt shares what teachers and students are already d...

In this installment of The Good Life EDU Podcast’s NeMTSS Summit preview series, Andrew Easton is joined by Jonathan Mooney, advocate for those who learn differently and founder and CEO of the Divergent Impact Fund. Jonathan shares his own experience growing up as a neurodivergent learner—struggling to read, spending much of his school experience feeling like the proverbial square peg in a round hole, and internalizing messages about what he could not do. He also explores the shift from viewing ...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome Bill Bass, an award-winning educator, author, and national leader in instructional technology and literacy, for a conversation about how school and district leaders can thoughtfully navigate AI implementation. Bill serves as Innovation Coordinator for Parkway School District in St. Louis and has held leadership roles with ISTE and the National Council of Teachers of English. Rather than framing AI as something schools either fully embrace ...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton is joined by Ben Hartranft, along with his mother, Sandy, and brother, Dan, for a conversation ahead of Ben’s upcoming keynote at the 2026 NeMTSS Summit. Diagnosed with autism at age two, Ben’s journey has been shaped by family members, educators, therapists, and others who saw his potential and helped him take the next step. Ben, Sandy, and Dan reflect on those early experiences and the importance of being the person who creates opport...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton welcomes Otis Pierce of ESU 7 back to the show for a summer learning recap and a some fun back-to-school conversation. Together, they reflect on ideas and experiences that shaped their thinking heading into the 2026–2027 school year, including takeaways from the Future Ready Nebraska Conference, the evolving conversation around digital citizenship, and the need for thoughtful local decision-making around screen time, AI, and technology ...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton is joined by members of the NEMTSS leadership team: Amy Rhone, Scott Eckman, and Brooke Kahl for a preview of the 2026 NEMTSS Summit. Together, they discuss the history and evolution of Nebraska’s MTSS work, including its roots in supporting improved outcomes for students with disabilities and its growth into a statewide system of support focused on all learners. This year’s Summit's theme, Destination Impact: Turning MTSS Systems Into ...

For nearly three decades, the E-rate program has helped schools and libraries across the country afford the connectivity and internal networks essential to their work. Now, as federal officials reconsider the program’s purpose and future, education leaders are being called upon to explain why dependable connectivity remains vital to America’s schools. In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew welcomes Keith Krueger, CEO of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), for a timely conv...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew welcomes Cynthia Curry, Project Director, and Jena Fahlbush, Technical Assistance Specialist, from the National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction, known as NCADEMI. Together, they unpack what digital accessibility means for K–12 schools and why this work is about much more than compliance. The conversation explores accessibility as a civil right, the relationship between ADA Title II and IDEA, and the importance ...

Across her previous visits to The Good Life EDU Podcast, Dr. Katie Novak has helped listeners understand the foundations of Universal Design for Learning, its role within MTSS, and the possibilities created when educators bring UDL and artificial intelligence together. In this return conversation, Katie and Andrew take the next step by examining what educators must understand themselves before they can use AI to design learning responsibly and effectively. Drawing from her latest book, The UDL S...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton welcomes back Amanda Bickerstaff, CEO and Co-Founder of AI for Education, for a timely conversation about where schools are in their generative AI journey and what practical next steps can help educators, leaders, and students move forward with greater clarity. Amanda shares the thinking behind AI for Education’s new SEE Framework, which defines generative AI literacy as the knowledge, mindsets, and practices that allow individuals to u...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome author, coach, and educator Elena Aguilar, along with Jeremy Stoll and Ted Dondlinger from Westside High School, for a conversation about emotional resilience, educator well-being, and the power of teachers supporting teachers. The episode highlights Westside High School’s ongoing use of Elena Aguilar’s book Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators and its accompanying workbook. Ted shares how the work began during a difficult...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton welcomes Dr. Kanyon Chism, Chief of Staff and Administrator at ESU 19/Omaha Public Schools (OPS), for a thoughtful conversation about de-implementation and the importance of creating space for the work that matters most in education. Dr. Chism shares how OPS began exploring de-implementation as part of its broader strategic work connected to the district’s moonshot goal of having all students reading on grade level by 2030. Inspired in ...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome Jill Pancoast, President of The Breakthrough Coach, for a conversation about how school leaders can reclaim time, strengthen office systems, and focus more fully on the instructional leadership work they were hired to do. Jill shares the history of The Breakthrough Coach, a management training and coaching firm that has supported school administrators and their secretaries since 1998. The conversation explores how principals, superintenden...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Kristen Mattson—author, educator, and co-creator of the Edvolve Framework—returns for a deep and timely conversation on digital citizenship in today’s rapidly evolving, AI-driven world. Together, Kristen and Andrew explore how Nebraska is moving from fragmented, siloed efforts toward a coherent, statewide approach to digital citizenship, grounded in shared language and practical application. Kristen breaks down the four strands of the Edvolve Framewo...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we sit down with Nebraska ESU regional literacy coaches (RLCs) Claudine Kennicutt (ESU 10) and Caryn Ziettlow (ESU 2) to explore the evolving work of Nebraska’s statewide literacy initiative. Together, they unpack the foundation of the Nebraska Literacy Project, including the role of high-quality instructional materials, the science of reading, and the intentional development of a statewide coaching system designed to support educators and leaders al...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton reconnects with educator, author, and speaker Tisha Richmond to explore her unexpected return to the classroom and the powerful insights that have come with it. After years of supporting educators at a systems level and working globally, Tisha shares what it’s been like to step back into a Career & Technical Education (CTE) classroom, rediscover the intensity and joy of teaching, and reconnect with students in deeply meaningful ways. Ti...

Artificial intelligence continues to evolve at a pace that challenges educators and leaders to think not only about what AI means today, but where it may take us in the years ahead. In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, host Andrew Easton sits down with Matt Winters, Artificial Intelligence Specialist at the Utah State Board of Education, to explore how futures thinking can help education systems prepare for the opportunities and risks emerging alongside AI. Their conversation spans ever...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome back Nebraska native Trevor Goertzen, Regional Vice President at SchoolAI and former teacher and principal, for an honest and practical conversation about artificial intelligence in schools. Two years after our first discussion, Andrew and Trevor reconnect to explore how the national conversation around screen time, technology rollback, and AI integration has evolved and what that means for educators today. Rather than chasing headlines or...

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton is joined by Tony Frontier, author of AI With Intention and director of the AI Center for Effective Teaching and Learning. Rather than approaching artificial intelligence as a technical problem to solve, this conversation grounds AI in what educators already know to be true about effective teaching and learning. Tony shares why AI represents an inflection point for the profession—and why this moment demands greater intentionality, not a...