Believe IT 2026

The Salad Bowl Became a Salad Spinner

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2488463/fan_mail/new] (recorded May 18, 2026) Episode Sponsor: PowerGistics Join Marc, Rachel, and our guests: Josh Kesecker, ACPE Board Member and Technology Director at Wallowa County ESD and Chris Rowbotham, Director Of Technology at Siuslaw School District 97J _________________________________ We chat this episode about BelieveIT—the ACPE 2026 conference, recapping the fun, the quiet moments and heavy work, the laughter, activities, presentations, community, treehouses, and so much. We also welcome Chris Rowbotham to the PluggedIn mics after months of "stealth Chris" on each episode. Marc's fault. Cory Horton is not on this episode, but is the reason we had so many beautiful stories to tell in this post-conference episode. We love you, Cory! THANK YOU *Oh, and sometimes, you know, you just want to like chillax and crush your opponent. —Josh K

Believe IT 2026

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2488463/fan_mail/new] (recorded April 7, 2026) Episode Sponsor: IncidentIQ Join Marc, Rachel, and our guests: Steve Langford, ACPE Board President Cory Horton, ACPE Event Coordinator and Matthew Emerzian, CEO of Every Monday Matters and ACPE 2026 _________________________________ We chat this episode about BelieveIT—the ACPE 2026 conference and the theme. Matthew Emerzian joins us to preview the keynote and his journey to this work and the importance of belonging. Note, Steve's audio did not capture for this episode. Cory joins us to talk pop culture and about all of the exciting conference elements this year! *Oh, and Marc's hairline is **still** uneven.

I'll Have What She's Having

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2488463/fan_mail/new] (recorded December 17, 2025) Episode Sponsor: Securly Join Marc, Rachel, and our guests: Ellen Dorr, Chief of Technology and Strategic Initiatives for the Renton School District and ACPE Board Member and Melissa Lim, Learning Technologies Program Administrator at Portland Public Schools _________________________________ We chat this episode about leading change through generations of technology innovations, with a focus more on the people change than the technology change itself. We also remember Rob Reiner and celebrate his most quotable, memorable films. *Oh, and Marc's hairline is uneven post-surgery, or as Nicole says, it adds character.

Sometimes Your Brains Are Too Full

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2488463/fan_mail/new] (recorded December 11, 2025) Episode Sponsor: Insight Financial Services Join Marc, Rachel, and our guests: Kevin Johnson, Director of Technology at Fife School District and ACPE Board Member and Leigh Anne Scherer, Director of Technology & Information Services in the North Clackamas School District _________________________________ We chat this episode about technology purchases, levies, long-range planning, replacement cycles, and paying for it all. We also dither on future tech K-12 shifts to the as-a-service model. What comes next? *Oh, and Kevin and Marci look forward to seeing how many impalements per show there are on Chicago Fire. Noted.

Marc Is Older Than Claire Danes

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2488463/fan_mail/new] (recorded December 4, 2025) Episode Sponsor: Magic School AI Join Marc, Rachel, and our guest Kris Hagel, CIO at Peninsula School District. _________________________________ We chat this episode about AI. We focus first on the people change that Kris has led in PSD the past four years. And then we settle into a broad-ranging tech and human-focused conversation about AI and its impacts in our lives, schools, and the world. *Oh, and Marc is mean to Claire Danes, but we're so happy about his successful surgery that we're only slightly mean back to him. Defend Claire Danes.