To celebrate 500 episodes of Edtech Insiders, Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell are joined by Reed Hastings for a special conversation about AI, education, and the future of learning. They explore the potential of AI-powered tutoring, the changing role of teachers, the future of assessment, and what schools could look like in the years ahead.

Reed Hastings is the co-founder of Netflix and Chairman of Powder in Utah. He served as Netflix CEO for 25 years and previously founded Pure Software. Reed serves on the boards of Bloomberg and Anthropic and is an active education philanthropist. He previously served as President of the California State Board of Education and currently supports organizations including KIPP, City Fund, and the Charter School Growth Fund.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Reed Hastings’ vision for AI-powered tutoring.
2. How conversational AI could transform learning and assessment.
3. Why Hastings believes charter schools can drive education innovation.
4. How AI could expand access to personalized learning globally.
5. What the future of teachers and schools could look like.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:05:42] Reed Hastings joins EdTech Insiders' 500 episodes celebration.
[00:11:29] The case for AI-powered individualized tutoring.
[00:16:32] The future of AI tutors and conversational learning.
[00:22:21] How AI could reshape the role of teachers.
[00:30:31] AI and the growing “tech lash” in schools.
[00:34:00] Why learning and assessment could become conversational.
[00:38:00] AI’s potential to transform schools over the next decade.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

Dacia Toll is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Coursemojo, an AI teaching assistant designed to help students make meaningful reading gains. A former teacher and principal in New Haven and founder of Achievement First, Dacia brings a deep focus on instructional quality, student outcomes, and what it takes to improve learning at scale. Coursemojo has now expanded to more than 85 school districts, from large districts like Boston, Denver, and Duval County to 5 small districts in rural Wisconsin and 13 districts of all sizes in Texas.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why productive struggle matters for learning
2. How Coursemojo uses AI without giving away answers
3. The role of high-quality instructional materials
4. Supporting multilingual learners and students with IEPs
5. Using AI to strengthen teacher efficacy

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:03:10] Dacia Toll’s journey from Edtech skeptic to founder
[00:04:58] Why outcomes drive Coursemojo’s approach
[00:06:29] Why high-quality instructional materials matter for reading achievement
[00:11:26] Designing AI around productive struggle
[00:18:58] Supporting multilingual learners and students with IEPs
[00:22:33] AI as a tool for teacher efficacy
[00:25:25] Coursemojo’s vision for a more coherent learning experience

Learn more: What It Looks Like to Build Educational AI Based on Cognitive Science – K12 Digest

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

George Siemens is a prominent learning theorist and digital education researcher serving as the Chief AI and Innovation Officer at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), he co-founded SNHU's AI-learning platform. He is widely known as the pioneer of the learning theory Connectivism and for creating the first Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

Hosted by Matthew Rascoff
This episode is part of the Edtech Insiders HigherEd Podcast Series, featuring conversations with leaders shaping the future of higher education.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How MOOCs shaped online learning.
2. How AI can move education toward deeper thinking and human connection.
3. What universities should own vs. rent in AI.
4. Why student agency and data matter.
5. How SNHU is building an AI-ready culture.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:03:21] The origins and evolution of MOOCs.
[00:10:00] AI, human connection, and education.
[00:14:46] Lessons from learning analytics.
[00:20:20] Developing the “whole human.”
[00:23:32] What universities should own vs. rent.
[00:31:05] SNHU’s approach to AI and sovereignty.
[00:33:14] SNHU’s “forward deployed engineer” model.
[00:35:39] Sharing AI lessons across higher education.

Learn more: Explore the Chief AI Officer Network (CAION)

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.