K12 EdTech Connection
Claim This Podcastby Peter Polygalov & John Faig
Podcast Overview
<p><strong>K12 EdTech Connection</strong> is a candid, no-fluff podcast about how K-12 schools and EdTech companies can work better together.</p><p>Hosted by <strong>Peter Polygalov</strong>, CEO & Founder of EdWave Marketing, and <strong>John Faig</strong>, Director of Technology at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School, each episode brings both sides of the table together: the vendor trying to reach schools, and the K-12 administrator deciding what to buy, pilot, or ignore.</p><p>If you care about building EdTech that truly serves teachers and students and about buying it wisely, you’re in the right place.</p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
12/11/2025
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Recent Episodes
June 18, 2026
How a Silicon Valley Microschool Actually Buys EdTech (with Joseph Dalton-Stark, Leadways)
<p>Most vendors pitching Leadways imagine they're pitching a district. They're not. Joseph Dalton-Stark is the founding principal of a microschool in Cupertino, CA, with roughly thirty students and families who work at Google and Apple down the road. The site licenses, the five-year rollouts, the "we work with 400 districts" pitches: none of it fits, and most reps don't bother to find out before they send.</p><p>This episode walks through how Joseph actually buys. He'll engage on LinkedIn if you sound like a human. He'll ignore a cold email unless it accidentally strikes gold. He doesn't pilot. He watches a short demo, makes the call, and moves on. He's allergic to the five-year vision pitch because his school is in year two and needs traction now. Most of his current vendors came through dinner-table referrals, not outbound. And when reps lean on scale to impress him, he tunes out: he doesn't care how many districts you serve, he cares whether someone answers the phone when something breaks.</p><p>For vendors, the lesson is sharper than usual: K-8 isn't a buyer profile, and the size of the school changes everything about how the pitch needs to sound.</p>
May 27, 2026
Why One-and-Done EdTech Dies in the Classroom (with David Platt, CUSD)
<p>Most vendors approach Compton Unified assuming three things: that the money is there, that David Platt controls it, and that he's already interested. Usually none of the three is true. As EdTech Coordinator at the Southern California district, Platt sits between Ed Services, IT, CTE, and curriculum, and he's the one deciding whether a STEAM tool earns a place in classrooms or quietly dies on a shelf.</p><p>This episode digs into what that decision actually hinges on. Platt makes the case against "one and done" products: the windmill kit that gets built once and forgotten. The tools he keeps are the ones students can build, modify, and rebuild into something new, the ones that interface with Lego, Arduinos, and micro:bits, and that keep getting upgraded. He also gets candid about the vendor video that showed a student population that doesn't match his own, and the AI-written emails with the instructions still pasted in.</p><p>For vendors, the lesson is blunt: a Title I label tells you nothing about a district's budget, and a demo tells you nothing about whether a product will last.</p>
April 9, 2026
Two Buyers, Two Systems: Public vs. Private Tech Purchasing (with Chris Bell, HBCSD)
<p>Chris Bell runs technology for Huntington Beach City School District, a K-8 public district with about 4,700 students. John runs tech at a K-8 private school in DC. Same grade levels, completely different procurement realities.</p><p>We put them side by side to show vendors what actually changes when you're selling into public vs. private. Budget cycles, approval chains, decision speed, and who holds the checkbook — almost none of it transfers cleanly. Chris needs cabinet approval and board consent. John can buy overnight from an innovations fund.</p><p>Where they align is what matters most: both dislike cold outreach and pressure tactics, both talk to other tech directors behind the scenes, and both want vendors who lead with the problem, not the product. Chris shares a story about an AI startup that never pitched — just asked for feedback — and earned his trust. John wants self-serve content so he can evaluate on his own terms before ever scheduling a demo.</p>
10 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is K12 EdTech Connection?
<p><strong>K12 EdTech Connection</strong> is a candid, no-fluff podcast about how K-12 schools and EdTech companies can work better together.</p><p>Hosted by <strong>Peter Polygalov</strong>, CEO & Founder of EdWave Marketing, and <strong>John Faig</strong>, Director of Technology at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School, each episode brings both sides of the table together: the vendor trying to reach schools, and the K-12 administrator deciding what to buy, pilot, or ignore.</p><p>If you care about building EdTech that truly serves teachers and students and about buying it wisely, you’re in the right place.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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