Podcasts with LeiLani Cauthen
Author, Researcher, Systems Strategist
These conversations go beyond trends to examine what is structurally changing in education—and what must follow.
Topics include the forces reshaping learning at every level: legislation and policy constraints, AI agent and temporal personalization, the collapse of industrial-era schooling models, emerging learning architectures, and the evolving intersection of technology, human development, and economic reality. Discussions span system design, identity and security, organizational change, learner motivation, hybrid logistics, and the growing shift toward networked, distributed learning environments.
A Distinct Point of View
People often sense that education isn’t working—but cannot articulate what replaces it.
The issue isn’t a lack of options. It’s a lack of structural understanding.
Technology is not simply a set of tools layered onto classrooms. It is a force that redefines how time, access, instruction, and organization work together. When those elements shift, the entire model of schooling must shift with them.
Today’s tension in education reflects a deeper misfit:
- between how humans actually learn and how time is structured
- between institutional models and economic realities
- between policy frameworks and technological possibility
Choice, in this context, is not meaningful unless the underlying structure is understood.
These podcasts explore that structural shift—what is breaking, what is emerging, and what is still missing. They connect leadership decisions, technology architectures, and learning design into a coherent view of where education is going.
Most importantly, they aim to make the future visible—not as speculation, but as something already taking shape.
About the Host
LeiLani Cauthen brings a rare combination of perspectives—researcher, author, media leader, and technology architect. As the founder of Learning Counsel and Knowstory, her work spans industry analysis, system design, and the development of next-generation learning models, including Time AI and AI-driven course creation.
Through conversations with education and technology leaders, she surfaces not just what is happening—but how the pieces fit, and what they point to next.
Dimensions to Math Equity
In this episode of the Learning Leadership Society Podcast, Host LeiLani Cauthen speaks with Twana Young, Vice President of Curriculum and Instruction for Mind Research Institute. In addition to access, Young explains that there's also agency and power and identity and belonging, and those are all part of the different dimensions of equity, especially around mathematics. As Mind Research Institute builds out content and curriculum, they are thinking about the opportunities for agency, and who has the power. It is a fascinating look at equity through a different lens.
Accelerating Math Learning through the Science of Math
In this episode of the Learning Leadership Society Podcast, Host LeiLani Cauthen speaks with Nigel Nisbet, Vice President of Content Creation at the MIND Research Institute. Nisbet shifts the question from ‘How should I teach,' to ‘How do they learn?’ It’s a profound difference which helps you to focus on optimal learning methodologies, and to gain an understanding of the Science of Math.
Inspiring Math Learning through the Science of Math
Host LeiLani Cauthen speaks with Jay Flores, Global STEM Ambassador, and founder of Invent the Change. “If our youth aren't loving math, or at least somewhat excited by it and challenged by it in positive ways, then they're going to have trouble with those problem-solving skills and navigating through ordinary life in the future,” said Flores. This is a fascinating look at the value of mathematics and STEM in the world of Emergent Bilinguals.
Making Literacy Skills Age Appropriate for Your Students
As education embarks on pandemic recovery, the mission of continued support for literacy skills beyond early elementary grades is emerging as vital. What does this mean for teachers needing solutions for literacy skill gaps after those foundational school years? Listen in as Host LeiLani Cauthen discusses structured literacy strategy through bite-sized professional development with Meg Van Voorhis, Director of Professional Learning at Lexia.
Learning Loss and Acceleration
A discussion with Dr. Tiffany Hogan, MGH Institute of Health Professions, and Dr. Liz Brooke, Chief Learning Officer, Lexia Learning, about what the post pandemic research is showing about learning loss. Guests mention that over thirty States are implementing laws or policies around evidence-based instruction. Further discussion about the challenges of learning loss and acceleration for students, including how teacher training is bringing a new level of precision to teaching using professional grade courseware. Don't miss this podcast for the points being made and personal stories about the meaningfulness of addressing learning loss.
Removing Accent Bias in the Classroom: Where Technological Excellence Meets Human Intelligence
Listen in to guest Maya Goodall, Senior Director, Emergent Bilingual Curriculum from Lexia as she informs us about accent biases and how technology is coming to the rescue. Host LeiLani Cauthen marvels at the ingenuity of this latest technological breakthrough that uses Artificial intelligence (A.I.) alongside advanced speech recognition and human intelligence to help students from many languages with English language development. Learn important points about capitalizing on learning in a foreign language to advance English language learning. Hear the thinking around how supporting heritage languages creates more culturally sustaining learning environments where all students can equitably feel welcome and advance in their learning.
Education’s Serious Decision Point
In this episode of the Learning Leadership Society Podcast, your host, Learning Counsel News Media and Research CEO LeiLani Cauthen talks with Mary Schlegelmilch, Education Advocate at Cisco. They discuss the post-pandemic world, and the technology-driven changes that will catalyze an increasingly bright future among learners in this world.
Your Share of the Stimulus Wallet
In this episode of the Learning Leadership Society Podcast, your host, Learning Counsel News Media and Research CEO LeiLani Cauthen talks with Phyllis Jordan, Associate Director of Future Ed, and Brittany Martin, Education Department Relations Manager at Lexia Learning. “The Learning Counsel has been tracking Stimulus funds and spending with our big national surveys,” said Cauthen. “There's anywhere from $140 billion and maybe as much as $171 billion still in the game for K12. And a lot of that money is the last act, which is going straight to districts, so the states don't get to play funny money with it. The districts have to spend it and we're imploring them to do that, and most of it is voiced by that act towards technology. So, let's talk about this. What have the two of you been hearing?”
The Right Now Imperative is Learning Logistics
What is logistics when it comes to education and learning? This podcast defines them and goes further, hosting Mary Schlegelmilch from Cisco, a seasoned educator who consults schools and Cisco itself about where education is going. Comments on the perfect storm of teacher shortage, personalization demand and a lack of reasoned workflow are punctuated with a vision of network maturity to meet the future. Progress that elevates human teachers with a surround of tech, potentially also changing the way space and time are used, are part of the lively discussion.
Devolution & Cascading Failure in Schools
Research sourced from multiple industries and the definition of both devolution and cascading failure are the topics of this podcast. The mass teacher shortages are mirrored in other industries, and some new data from the insurance actuaries are indicating part of the “why.” At the end, LeiLani challenges listeners with the key questions about meeting challenges in K12 arriving as soon as Summer 2022.