Week in EdTech 2/25/26: FBI Raids LAUSD, Screen Time Backlash Grows, Google Trains 6M Teachers in AI, Southern States Post Gains, NationGraph Raises Funding, and More! Feat. Ariella Racco of CoLab Education

Mar 6, 2026

Ariella Racco, founder and CEO of CoLab Education and former middle school teacher, builds collaboration tools for K–12 educators. She discusses why collaboration infrastructure, not content, is the bottleneck. Short takes cover AI-era moderation, limits of social platforms, scaling a teacher network, and how CoLab aims to connect educators to co-design learning.

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ADVICE

Provide Centralized EdTech Guidance

Build industry-level guidance and playbooks so schools and parents can implement edtech responsibly instead of reacting with bans.
Ben recommends centralized approvals and implementation guidance like many European systems to align privacy, use cases, and training.

INSIGHT

Test Scores Gate Deeper Learning Time

Test-score gating shapes school schedules: districts compress assessment-focused work to earn 'permission' for deeper project-based learning.
Matt Tower highlights Alpha School and Rocketship examples where assessment performance unlocks innovative afternoons.

INSIGHT

Google Pivots AI Strategy Toward Teachers

Google's commitment to train 6 million educators signals a major shift: AI initiatives are being positioned around teacher enablement rather than student-first deployment.
Ben notes this is a large, safety-conscious B2B play integrating Gemini, Notebook LM, and Google Classroom support.

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Join Ben Kornell and guest host Matt Tower as they break down the biggest stories shaping K–12 policy, AI in education, edtech funding, and emerging school models.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:02:55] FBI raids LAUSD headquarters and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s home, raising questions about federal investigations and possible ties to the AllHere scandal
[00:06:07] The hosts unpack whether the LAUSD probe is about vendor fraud, immigration tensions, or broader political conflict
[00:11:06] A provocative Economist headline fuels growing backlash against edtech and classroom screen time
[00:16:44] A deeper debate on what education reformers are actually advocating for beyond simply reducing screens
[00:19:49] Alpha School, small school models, and whether test scores have become the gateway to deeper learning innovation
[00:24:51] Google commits to training 6 million educators in AI, signaling a major investment in teacher-focused AI literacy
[00:29:23] Comparing Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic’s evolving strategies in the education market
[00:31:59] NationGraph raises funding in the procurement intelligence space as edtech infrastructure tools expand
[00:34:13] Southern states like Louisiana and Mississippi post notable academic gains, prompting questions about policy and funding models

Plus, special guest:
[00:37:27] Ariella Racco, Founder of CoLab Education, on building dedicated collaboration infrastructure for teachers in the AI era

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Cooley LLP is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.