Episode 227 - State‑Mandated AI, Back‑to‑School Mayhem & the Birth of ”Grumpy Josh”

Josh, Chris and Mark dive into the chaos of the back‑to‑school rush and the latest K‑12 tech headlines. Topics include Ohio’s new requirement that districts adopt AI policies, the pros and cons of writing evergreen AI regulations, and how that mandate could interact with existing tech agreements.

The trio also covers recent news like ChatGPT‑5’s launch and integrations, a Fortinet vulnerability alert, and San Francisco Unified’s payroll/ERP struggles. Between updates they share candid stories from the frontline: ticket surges as staff return, construction and classroom rollouts, recovering deleted Google accounts, and practical coping strategies for IT teams (from daily planning tricks to quick wellness tips).

Expect first‑hand anecdotes, real‑world advice for managing summer‑to‑school transitions and a light‑hearted finale — the improvised children’s story “Grumpy Josh and the Magical Gummies.” Tune in for an episode that blends policy debate, troubleshooting war stories, and a little comic relief.

Referenced Links:

• https://marketbrief.edweek.org/regulation-policy/ohio-is-requiring-ai-policies-for-all-k-12-schools-will-other-states-follow/2025/08

• https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/sfusd-payroll-software-prompts-teachers-union-labor-complaint

• Grumpy Josh Storybook: https://g.co/gemini/share/477028792b1c

00:00:00-Intro

00:12:44-AI Policies in Education

00:17:00-Summer Woes

00:42:55-Grumpy Josh

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NTP

Managed Methods

CTL

VIZOR

Fortinet

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Music by Colt Ball

Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.