Volume 53
Last Sunday, I was standing in line at a bakery, surrounded by some of the most beautiful pastries you can imagine. I joked to the woman next to me, and said, “This is dangerous.” She laughed and said, “Well, the world feels like it’s going a little off the rails anyway, might as well enjoy it.”
It made me laugh too, but it also stayed with me. Because in a world that can feel heavy, complicated, and uncertain, there are people who show up every single day in ways most of us don’t fully see. I'm talking about teachers.
As Teacher Appreciation Week approaches, I didn’t want to send another message that sounds like everything else filling your inbox. But I did want to pause and acknowledge something that feels incredibly important. The job of an educator has never been more complex. Expectations continue to grow while resources shrink. Technology is evolving quickly, and at the same time, student needs, especially around mental health, are becoming more urgent and more visible. There’s also a growing tension in how we think about schools, tools, and what students need, and educators are navigating all of it in real time.
And still, they show up. They adjust. They figure it out and many times they fundamentally impact a student's life. I know this because it happened to me and chances are, it happened to you, too.
If you’re in marketing or an EdTech leader, you likely already have your plans in motion for this week. But if you’re looking to ground that work in something more meaningful, we just released a helpful conversation with educator Matt Miller on what thoughtful appreciation can look like, and what tends to miss the mark. We’ve also put together a simple guide with gift ideas educators actually value.
To the educators reading this, THANK YOU (and yes...I'm screaming this at you 😃 ). Thank you for not just for what you do, but for how consistently you do it, especially on the days that feel the hardest. This week is a reminder, but it shouldn’t be the only time we say it.
And maybe that moment in the bakery stuck with me for a reason. Not because everything is falling apart, but because even in the middle of complexity, there are still people holding things together in quiet, steady ways.
So if there’s a small moment this week to enjoy something simple, take it.
Even if it’s just the extra cookie. 🍪
With gratitude,
Elana
New! K-12 Lead Generation Sprint
We’ve had some great results with our new multi-channel sprint that’s helping education brands generate qualified leads. In 45 days, our team executes it all, and the best part is we use what’s working to inform your next campaign.
We’re taking on two more partners for Q3 and Q4. If you’re curious, reach out. We’ll walk you through what we do and assess whether it’s a fit for you.
Resources Powered by LCG
What Teachers Really Think About EdTech Right Now (podcast)
When to Hire an Agency vs. a Contractor in EdTech Marketing (blog)
When “All EdTech Is Bad” Becomes the Conversation (podcast)
What Principals Actually Pay Attention To, How They Evaluate EdTech and Why Outreach Gets Ignored (podcast)
[Popular] AI Signals, Email Myths, and the Spring EdTech Buying Cycle (podcast)
What Districts Actually Want from EdTech Partners (podcast) [PS: This episode just won an award!]
EdTech Good News
State-funded preschool is reaching more families than ever. Last school year, enrollment hit a record 1.8 million children, with 37% of 4-year-olds and 10% of 3-year-olds participating nationwide. This growth comes as states continue expanding access and investing at historic levels, with spending reaching $14.4 billion, according to new data from the National Institute for Early Education Research.
Get our EdTech Marketer’s Planner Before it’s Gone
Next week, we’re taking our EdTech Planner off the site. For reals! If you’ve been meaning to grab it, now’s the time.
It includes monthly calendars filled with key education moments, from events and conferences to holidays and milestones that actually matter when you’re planning campaigns.
Marketing & Education Must Reads
Marketing
Manychat on Company Pages: This is a great reminder that company pages perform best when the content feels human, specific, and worth paying attention to.
Neil Patel on AI Sources: LLMs pull most often from forums, blogs, and news sites, so showing up in those spaces matters more than relying on your own website.
Social Media Examiner on Facebook Reach: Facebook is prioritizing relevance over volume, so content that sparks interaction and feels tailored to your audience is more likely to get seen.
Richard van der Blom on LinkedIn Algorithm 2026: This 200+ page report breaks down how LinkedIn now rewards interest-based content, with practical insights on what drives reach, from formats to timing to topic authority.
Gary Vaynerchuk on Attention and Interest Media: Start around 9:12 for Gary’s take on the shift to interest media, where content spreads based on what people care about instead of who they follow. Fair warning, it’s Gary Vee, so expect some profanity. :)
Education
Class Tech Tips on Educator Communities: A list of educator communities worth joining if you’re looking for ideas, support, or just people who get it.
Andrew Marcinek on Intentional EdTech: A helpful reset if you’re deep in the “no screens” debate, introducing a practical framework for making more intentional decisions about when tech supports learning and when it doesn’t.
Classroom in the Future on Human Skills: Schools have optimized for efficiency and standards, but this piece argues that human skills like collaboration, problem solving, and resilience deserve equal focus, especially in an AI world.
Chronicle of Higher Ed on Assessment: This piece argues that an overfocus on assessment is narrowing what teaching can be, often prioritizing what’s easy to measure over what actually matters for learning.
Chalkbeat on Special Education Impact: New research shows special education services lead to meaningful, sustained gains in student learning.
Education Week on the EdTech Backlash: Concerns about screen time are moving beyond schools and into mainstream culture, with growing pressure from parents, policymakers, and even celebrities.
TIME on Top EdTech Companies: This ranking looks at the 250 companies shaping education right now, from Duolingo to Coursera.
Deep Dive into AI
Education Week on Gen Z and AI: Gen Z is using AI more than ever, but skepticism is rising as excitement drops and concerns start to take hold.
Hechinger Report on AI Tutors: AI tutors don’t always improve learning, but this study shows real gains when practice is personalized to the student’s level instead of fixed.
EdTechnical Podcast on Voice AI: This SXSW EDU panel explores how voice AI is being tested in real classrooms, and why accuracy, bias, and privacy need to be built in from the start.
Dan Meyer on AI Tutors: Khanmigo didn’t fail because of the tech—it just never became essential. This is a reality check on how far AI tutors still have to go.
K–12 Dive on “Vibe Coding”: One district is using AI to build its own tools instead of buying them, and expects to save $250K in the process. It’s an interesting look at how teams are rethinking EdTech spend.
Reports
FullScale on AI in Rural Schools: A grounded look at how rural districts are actually adopting AI, from informal early use to gaps between policy and practice. It’s especially helpful if you’re thinking about what real implementation looks like on the ground.
HolonIQ on EdTech Investment: Funding is down overall, but the signal is clear. Investors are focusing on AI-enabled, workforce-aligned platforms with clear outcomes.
In Good Company
Our chance to brag about the brands we have the honor of partnering with:
Playworks featured in Axios: Playworks’ efforts are featured in new research showing that structured recess can meaningfully improve attendance and help students stay engaged in school.
Teach for America featured in Education Week: TFA’s approach to getting undergrads into tutoring is helping more people see themselves in the classroom.
Alex Kotran on Design Tech High School: Love seeing Design Tech High School students recognized for pulling off a TEDx event with real polish. A great example of what students can do when given the chance.
Gates Foundation on Canyon GBS: Great to see Canyon GBS featured in this work on student success. Their approach brings advising, support, and AI into one place so students get help faster and staff can focus on what matters most.
Have you heard of Radio Garden? It's a globe that spins and wherever you land it will play radio stations going on there. In this hour, I’m head nodding to the beats in Luleå, Sweden Try it if you haven't before and let me know what you like.