The Friday Download: Graduation Requirements, Million-Dollar Bets, and the Great Phone Paradox (May 1, 2026)
Episode Description
This week: Boston makes AI fluency a graduation requirement with $1M backing from tech entrepreneur Paul English. Stanford launches a grant program funding AI skeptics (yes, really). 31 states introduce 134 AI education bills with zero consensus. Plus: the bizarre paradox of being told to embrace AI while banning phones, and Rasmussen University's major platform switch to AI-native tools.
**Sources:**
- EdWeek: "Schools Are Urged to Embrace AI—and Ban Phones" (April 13, 2026)
- Pursuit: "Latest AI in Education News: Policies and Innovations" (2026)
- Multistate: "AI in Education Legislation: 2026 State Policy Trends" (April 8, 2026)
- D2L/Rasmussen University announcement (April 20, 2026)