Volume 54
This was one of the worst days I've had in a very long time.
It was Memorial Day. I was stuck in traffic with my mom critiquing my driving. My head was against the steering wheel and I was just wishing I was anywhere else. I'd organized a family trip, everyone under one roof for the first time since we were kids. I planned everything, mediated, and showed up with every last thing I had. Sitting there in that traffic, I had to get honest with myself: there was never any level of effort that was going to fix the deeply rooted family dynamics.
For a long time, I've measured my own happiness by whether the people around me were happy. After MANY years and lots of beyond exhaustive efforts, I’ve slowly come to realize that the only person who can truly make you happy is YOU. I'm still learning to actually be ok to feel that and even say it out loud. But this time, something felt different.
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is just stop. Stop forcing. Stop fixing. Stop trying to make something work that never really was going to. The clarity that comes from letting go doesn't feel like giving up. It can feel like freedom.
A client told me recently: “Because of you, I finally had the confidence to say no to the things that weren’t working, even though we’d been investing in them for a long time.” That's one of the hardest things I coach, and it shows up in my work constantly.
I’ve been talking to more and more EdTech companies that express interest in spending money in marketing BEFORE they’ve even established their go-to-market strategy, which defines the market segment you’re targeting (states, type and size of schools/districts, job titles of decision makers and influencers), potentially aligning with funding sources, and so much more.
Once that foundation is clear, only then can you build an effective marketing plan and choose the right channels. Without that foundation, no agency or budget will fix it. If you're not talking to your specific buyer, you're talking to no one.
This is where positioning shines. Positioning is the clarity that makes your ideal buyer stop and think: "That's me. They're talking about me." When you get there, your messaging starts working and real traction follows.
Sometimes the clearest lessons come from the hardest moments. So before you invest in a marketing plan, get clear on your foundation first. You can thank me later. 🙂
Until next time. Elana
With gratitude,
Elana
Resources Powered by LCG
[Popular] What Principals Actually Pay Attention To, How They Evaluate EdTech and Why Outreach Gets Ignored (podcast)
Elana is featured in Education Week's "Meet the Marketer" section of The Wired Marketer
EdTech Good News
The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee has a new champion! Shrey Parikh, 14, took home the title by correctly spelling cashaw in a lightning-round tiebreaker — after breaking the spell-off record by spelling 32 words in 90 seconds.
The Bee has been promoting literacy since 1925, and millions of students still work their way up from classroom competitions to the national stage each year. It's a great reminder that some achievements can't be automated. This one took years of dedicated study, one word at a time.
Marketing & Education Must Reads
Marketing
The State of Brand on LinkedIn Link Posts: New data suggests that posts with links actually stay in the feed longer than conventional wisdom says, so it might worth revisiting your linking strategy.
Social Media Today on Meta's Future: A data-driven response to the viral NYT opinion piece asking whether Meta is really dying, and the answer is more nuanced than the headline.
Amy Porterfield on Converting Fans: A powerful reminder that no one will buy if your positioning doesn't align with your buyer's needs (even if they love your work!).
Jay Schwedelson on AI: This Do this, NOT that episode shares an easy AI trick for exposing gaps in your positioning that most brands are missing.
Later on Instagram Reels: A current look at which Reels formats and trends are actually performing right now.
⭐ BONUS REPORT — Social Media Examiner's 2026 Industry Report is worth a read. 👀 Facebook's perceived importance has dropped from 54% to 36% since 2021, video is now the top content format for nearly half of all marketers, and B2B vs. B2C strategies are diverging more sharply than ever.
Education
Edutopia on Student Attention: Research-backed strategies for improving students' attention spans in an era of constant distraction.
The Atlantic on Teachers and Screens: A look at how educators are rethinking their relationship with EdTech and screens as concerns about student learning grow louder.
EdWeek Market Brief on the State of the Industry: A broad look at where the EdTech market stands in 2026 as the sector moves from chaos toward stability and growth.
Whiteboard Advisors on EdTech's Bigger Question: A thoughtful challenge asking whether the sector has been focused on the wrong EdTech questions all along.
CASEL on SEL and Academic Performance: New data shows a meaningful link between social-emotional learning programs and academic outcomes for students.
Evolving Education on School Redesign: A provocative piece asking what school should actually look like if we redesigned it from scratch today.
Reach Capital on Efficacy: A compelling case for why the $300B education market needs to get serious about proving what works.
Hechinger Report on Cellphone Bans: A global look at what the research actually says about cellphone bans in schools and whether they're delivering the promised results.
The 74 on Reading Instruction: A new report finds that nearly one-third of teachers are still using discredited reading methods, raising questions about how far the science of reading has actually reached.
The Atlantic / David Brooks on Universities: A more optimistic take, arguing that something is quietly going right at universities even amid all the noise.
Deep Dive into AI
The 74 on AI and Assessment: A case for why schools need to stop testing students like it's the 1990s and how AI can help lead the way.
Google on AI Readiness in Education: A practical AI readiness assessment for schools paired with new AI policy guidance for district leaders thinking through implementation.
Business Insider on AI and College Majors: College students are changing their majors because of AI, and the patterns reveal a lot about where the next generation thinks the workforce is heading.
The AI Education Project with Greg Toppo on AI in Schools: A balanced look at the promise and perils of AI in schools, worth a watch if you want a grounded take that goes beyond the hype.
CAPS Network on AI and School Redesign: A timely reflection on whether better tools are actually prompting us to rethink how school works or just doing the same things faster.
Reports
Education Scorecard May 2026: The latest Education Scorecard report offers a snapshot of where key education indicators stand heading into summer 2026.
CALIE on Effective Technology Guidelines: A practical framework for effective technology use in education with guidelines districts can implement.
In Good Company
Our chance to brag about the brands we have the honor of partnering with:
TCI: A new case study shows how TCI helped the Hillsboro school district make social studies instruction work at scale.
Canyon GBS has acquired Intellidemia, Inc. and Apidapter, Inc., expanding its reach to more than 150 colleges and universities worldwide.
Cerebrate: A closer look at how Cerebrate strengthened Tier 2 and Tier 3 support at Traut Knowledge Elementary in Colorado.
BoardSync has launched its new membership platform, giving nonprofit board members and executive directors on-demand access to governance training, practical resources, and leadership support.
CAST: The full schedule for UDL-Con is now live, with session titles and presenters confirmed. Mark your calendars for July 21-22, 2026.
Playworks: EdSurge recently spotlighted the push to bring recess back to schools, and it's a timely reminder of the work Playworks has been doing in this space for years.
Teach for America: In the spirit of commencement season, here’s how Aneesh Sohoni, CEO of Teach for America, would address the Class of 2026.
Thinking of refreshing your MarTech Stack? Here are some of the tech tools LCG uses on the daily:
Video & Recording
Design & Creative
Canva
Email, CRM & Automation
Kit (powers LCG emails)
HubSpot (CRM of choice)
Mailchimp (many clients use this ESP)
AI
Claude (our preference)
ChatGPT (easier collaborating)
Social & Content
AgoraPulse
Productivity & Ops
Slack
Trello
Google Drive
LastPass
Squarespace
👀 And we're not done yes! Have you heard of Kelsey Pfendler?!
She's on a mission to become the first American woman to row solo across the Pacific, 2,400 miles from Monterey, California to Hawaii. She's already done it as part of a four-woman crew. Now she's going alone. You can follow her journey in real time!