Trending In Ed with Mike Palmer
At the intersection of learning, media, and the future of work, join us each week as we sense and discover where the future of education is heading. Join host Mike Palmer, the Founder of Palmer Media, as he engages with thought leaders, pioneers, and entrepreneurs exploring the cutting edge of learning in these tumultuous times.
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The Future of Work, AI, and Economic Mobility with Dr. Steve Taylor, Stand Together Trust
<p>Recorded LIVE! on the Harbor Terrace at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, Mike Palmer is joined by Dr. Steven Taylor, Policy Director and Senior Fellow for Economic Mobility at Stand Together Trust. Steve brings a unique perspective to the table, combining a national philanthropic lens with his roles on the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the National Advisory Committee for Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). </p> <p>The conversation captures the shifting energy of the summit, moving away from the peak of AI hype toward what Steve calls "optimistic skepticism" - a more mature...
Unpacking Student Success in Higher Ed with Ruth Bauer, President InsideTrack
<p>Mike Palmer catches up with Ruth Bauer, President of InsideTrack, amidst the sun and high-stakes energy of San Diego for the ASU+GSV conference. Ruth shares her transition from a first-generation college student and mall-employed English major to an e-learning "OG" (like Mike) to leading a powerhouse in student success at InsideTrack.</p> <p>The conversation dives into the "secret sauce" of Inside Track: a potent mix of technology and deep human connection. Ruth explains how coaching supports the entire student journey, from first-time enrollment to the critical "some college, no degree" population. With more than 40 million Americans in...
Talking Outcomes-Based Literacy with Really Great Reading CEO Karl Rectanus
<p>Coming to you live from the harbor terrace in sunny San Diego, Mike Palmer sits down with Karl Rectanus, the new CEO of Really Great Reading, amidst the buzz of the ASU+GSV Summit. Between views of sailboats and silver-lined clouds, the duo digs into why literacy remains the fundamental building block of the educational system and how we might finally be cracking the code on systemic improvement.</p> <p>Karl shares his unique path to leadership, which began with chasing a girl to Australia and starting a digital Q&A service for children museums during the 2000 Sydney Olympics...
LIVE from ASU+GSV with Jeremy Singer, President of the College Board
<p>LIVE! from the ASU+GSV Summit, Mike Palmer catches up with College Board President Jeremy Singer against the backdrop of the San Diego marina to dive into the launch of Jeremy's new podcast, The Education Equation. Produced by Mike, this new series aims to bring a much-needed level of scientific rigor to the education space, drawing inspiration from data-heavy health and fitness media to identify scalable, evidence-based practices that actually move the needle for students.</p> <p>Jeremy shares candid insights from his 13-year tenure, detailing how the College Board moved from a culture of slow stability to one...
MARCH MADNESS OF LEARNING LIVE FROM SXSW EDU with AJ Gutierrez, Jasmine Maze, and Justin Serrano
<p>We’re back in Austin for the 2026 SXSW EDU "March Madness of Learning Trends" LIVE panel. Host Mike Palmer is joined by AJ Gutierrez (CEO of Equal Opportunity Schools), Jasmine Maze (Senior Managing Director at Teach for America’s Reinvention Lab), and Justin Serrano (CEO of Littera Education) to reveal a bracket of 16 trends shaping the future of education.</p> <p>The conversation moves past the usual AI hype to focus on human capital and accountability. Justin Serrano introduces the "outcomes economy," describing a shift in procurement where school districts move away from buying software and toward outcomes-based contracting that...
Crisis and Issues Management in Higher Ed with Jeff Hunt, Founder of Legend Labs
<p>When the house is on fire, you don't want to be reading the manual for the first time. On this episode of Trending in Education, Mike Palmer sits down with Jeff Hunt, the founder of Legend Labs and a professor at the University of Texas, to discuss the high-stakes world of crisis communication in higher education .</p> <p>Jeff brings a unique perspective shaped by 18 years at a global firm and a career spent managing issues across the world, from Seoul to London . His deep dive into higher education began with the reputational recovery of Penn State after the...
March Madness of Learning Trends Sweet 16 and Final Four Revealed!
<p>Mike Palmer and virtual co-host Nancy are back from the podcast stage at SXSW EDU in Austin, Texas. In this special update, we break down the Sweet 16 of Learning Trends and announce which four have fought their way into the Final Four. This episode explores the collective zeitgeist of the education world, from the challenges of chronic absenteeism to the futuristic potential of vibe coding and agentic intelligence.</p> <p>The conversation begins with a look at the trends submitted by AJ Gutierrez of Equal Opportunity Schools. AJ highlights the pressing issue of chronic absenteeism in K-12 and the...
Parent Communication in the Age of AI with Anu Vaid, CoFounder of Parentsquare
<p>How do we bridge the communication gap between schools and families in an increasingly fragmented digital world? In this episode of Trending in Education, Mike Palmer is joined by Anu Vaid, the founder of ParentSquare, to explore the evolution of school-home partnerships over the last 15 years. Anu shares her journey as a computer engineer and immigrant parent who was overwhelmed by the disjointed tools of the K-12 system, from papers stuffed in backpacks to disparate robocalls and long emails .</p> <p>Today, ParentSquare serves over 22 million student families, providing a unified platform where everyone from the principal and teachers...
The Future of Math Education in the Age of AI with Ted Dintersmith, Author of Aftermath
<p>What if everything we’ve been told about math education is backwards? In this episode of Trending in Education, Mike Palmer is joined by Ted Dintersmith,venture capitalist, filmmaker, and author of the upcoming book Aftermath: The Life-Changing Math That Schools Won't Teach You to discuss why our schools are still teaching low-level math mechanics that phones and AI already do perfectly. You can learn more about Ted's work at What Schools Could Be.</p> <p>Ted shares his journey from the world of high-tech innovation to becoming a "code red" alarmed citizen advocate for radical school change. We di...
Forecasting 2100 | Strategic Optimism with A Century of Plenty Author Chris Bradley
<p>Is Abundance Inevitable? A 100-Year Vision with McKinsey’s Chris Bradley</p> <p>What if the "Black Mirror" version of the future is wrong? In this episode, Mike Palmer talks with Chris Bradley, Senior Partner at McKinsey and Director of the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), about his new book, A Century of Plenty: A Story of Progress for Generations to Come.</p> <p>Chris breaks down the "Machine of Progress" and explains why a "strategic optimism" mindset is essential for navigating the next century. We explore a future where global prosperity could reach Swiss standards, the radical shifts in ou...
