Manage episode 498238879 series 2999353
Katy Knight is President and Executive Director of Siegel Family Endowment, where she leads bold, systems-focused philanthropy at the intersection of technology and society. Since 2017, she has advanced equity, flexible funding, and inquiry-driven grantmaking grounded in the scientific method, and centered on reframing big questions and learning alongside grant investments.
Dr. Allison Scott is CEO of the Kapor Foundation, leading work at the intersection of racial justice and technology. She drives research, programs, and advocacy to expand equity in tech and entrepreneurship. A national PI on major CS equity grants, she also co-leads CSforCA, advancing access to K-12 computer science across California.
💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why AI literacy isn’t enough for future-ready students
- Coding vs. computer science vs. computational thinking
- How philanthropy can modernize education
- The surprising role of “unsexy tech” in schools
- Real paths to public-private collaboration in edtech
✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:04:40] Allison Scott on AI and tech equity
[00:06:39] Katy Knight on Siegel’s AI readiness
[00:11:06] Barriers to equitable CS education
[00:14:15] Rethinking school systems for CS reform
[00:25:46] Tech overload fears for kids
[00:30:52] Philanthropy’s bet on public interest tech
[00:51:49] Why backend tech matters in schools
[00:52:46] The risk of ed workforce disruption
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🎉 Presenting
This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 30 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.
Ednition helps EdTech companies reclaim rostering and own their integrations. Through its flagship platform, RosterStream, Ednition replaces costly data providers and complex internal infrastructure with direct, secure connections to any SIS or data source. The result: scalable integrations, lower costs, and seamless experiences for schools and districts of every size. With Ednition: Reclaim rostering. Own your integrations. Cut the cost.
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.
Chapters
1. Why AI Literacy Alone Isn’t Enough and What We Can Do About It with Katy Knight of Siegel Family Endowment & Dr. Allison Scott of Kapor Foundation (00:00:00)
2. Allison Scott on preventing AI from repeating tech’s inequities (00:04:20)
3. Katy Knight explains why Siegel has been ready for AI for years (00:06:19)
4. The structural barriers still blocking equitable CS education (00:10:46)
5. Why real CS reform requires rethinking the whole school system (00:13:55)
6. Should we replace math with CS? A provocative idea (00:19:56)
7. Addressing fears of too much tech in kids’ lives (00:25:40)
8. Why philanthropy is investing in public interest technology (00:30:46)
9. How schools and companies can better share learning tools (00:37:51)
10. Building a shared vision for AI education across sectors (00:42:49)
11. Why “unsexy” backend tech matters for teachers (00:51:43)
12. The looming risk of workforce displacement in education (00:52:40)
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