Week in EdTech 9/10/25: Apple Integrates OpenAI & Gemini to Siri, NAEP Scores Show Continued Learning Loss, EdTech Funding Slows, Alpha Schools’ 2-hour AI Model Sparks Debate, and More! Feat. Chris Walsh of PBLWorks
Description
Join hosts Alex Sarlin and guest co-hosts Matt Tower of Whiteboard Advisors, & Kate Eberle Walker, CEO of Presence as they break down the latest headlines in education technology and from Big Tech’s AI push to the evolving future of school models.
✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:00:00 ] Kate Eberle Walker on parents’ concerns about AI chatbots and student mental health
[00:03:20 ] Apple integrates OpenAI and Gemini into Siri, reshaping the AI race
[00:04:15 ] Global AI shake-up: Microsoft shifts to Anthropic, Baidu gains ground, Google antitrust update
[00:14:45 ] Edtech funding slowdown and investor focus on regulated markets like special education
[00:18:07 ] OpenAI launches certifications for frontline workers; Google gamifies AI literacy with Stanford
[00:27:43 ] First NAEP results post-pandemic show continued learning loss and lack of political focus on academics
[00:39:01 ] Accountability challenges in education: attendance, wellness, and equity in public vs. private models
[00:43:46 ] Debate on Alpha Schools’ “two hours of AI per day” model and its implications for learning
Plus, special guest:
[00:50:17 ] Chris Walsh, Chief Product and Technology Officer of PBLWorks on scaling project-based learning
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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:
This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 30 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.
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