EdTech Digest

A s education leaders assess the potential for AI to transform K-12 classrooms, many face a similar challenge: too many tools and not enough clarity about what actually moves the needle.

A former broadcast news leader on crisis communications, trust, and why school systems must think—and communicate—like modern brands to survive and thrive.

Early learners are disappearing into AI's cognitive Divide GUEST COLUMN | by Chris Holoka

D istricts are heading into budget season with a problem that's no longer manageable: too many tools, not enough clarity, and shrinking dollars.

AI can spark curiosity and expand learning—but when chatbots start acting like friends, the line between education and emotional manipulation quickly disappears.

C oncentric Educational Solutions has launched a new 90-Day Summer Pilot Program designed to help school districts tackle chronic absenteeism and reconnect disengaged K–12 students before the new academic year begins. The initiative combines human-centered outreach with Concentric's proprietary voice-to-narrative technology, transforming conversations with students and families into actionable insights that schools can use to strengthen support systems and improve attendance outcomes.

Adolescents can focus deeply when they feel competent. The challenge for schools is making reading feel rewarding instead of revealing.

As schools rethink screen time and digital learning, one model shows how technology paired with authentic relationships can help vulnerable students persist toward graduation.

A s schools race to keep pace with technological change, the challenges facing education leaders extend far beyond connectivity. Equity, affordability, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and student opportunity are increasingly intertwined—creating new gaps even as old ones begin to close.

After nearly two decades in edtech sales, I learned that success isn't about louder messaging or better automation—it's about earning the next conversation through creativity, humanity, and genuine connection.