“That’s soooo AI” - 10/27/26

Hey, Marketing Pals!

Two-thirds of a mile. That’s how far I live from DC. Why does that matter for education marketing? Gimme a moment, I’ll get there.

DC has universal pre-K. Maryland doesn’t. So, unless your family qualifies for a funded seat, a Maryland address means paying roughly $25K a year for private tuition. A few blocks over, your kid goes for free.

This was not on my radar when I moved to Maryland in my late 20s, childless and carefree, more focused on boozy brunch than pre-K. Lesson learned.

Enough about me. Here’s what’s in it for you: $14.4 billion. Billion, with a B, people! That’s how much states put into public pre-K in 2024–25. You can’t go into this blindly (like I did) though. You have to be familiar with state-wide policies and build your marketing campaign around these.

Want more? Join me and my coworker Holly Kurtz, Director of the EdWeek Research Center, ✨ today ✨ for a webinar on selling into early childhood education.

ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀

Your WirED Marketer,

—Melissa, Senior Director, Marketing at Education Week

📩 Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ‎⠀⠀⠀⠀

ㅤㅤㅤ
P.P.S. Trivia Time: At last year’s EdWeek Market Brief Summit, Stephanie Elizalde, Superintendent of Dallas ISD, said she gets this many emails every day:

• 106
• 227
• 188
• 22 – 90% go to spam

Answer is at the bottom of the email.

✨ In this edition you’ll find:

• That’s so AI: Navigating Gen Alpha’s POV on AI
• DO THIS: Find your brand evangelist and book them for conference season
• Pop Quiz: What’s Driving the Early Childhood Education Market?

✨ What’s Trending

“That’s so AI”

This slang is new to me. The Guardian tells me “That’s so AI” is Gen Alpha’s biggest insult. It’s said when something feels unbelievable, cheap or inauthentic.

Gen Alpha definitely sees things differently. My third-grade son, my little counterculture contrarian 🙃 doesn’t really understand what AI is, but always emphatically reminds me, “It’s BAD!” when it comes up in conversation. I try to talk to him about the good and the bad associated with it—but commend him for his skepticism. He’s bold and has big opinions.

So just the other day I heard an older friend of my sons say, “That’s so AI.” I was intrigued. That’s when I found this article titled, Some Kids Will Never Think AI is Cool. It’s fascinating and a good reminder for companies that lead with AI in their value prop to think about their audiences.

DO THIS: 👇

Start Thinking Through Your Conference Programming

It’s not too early to start thinking about conference season, which in K-12 is typically April through early July. Yeah, I know, it feels like ages away, but your event planners are probably already mapping out their strategy.

EdWeek Market Brief asked district leaders, school leaders and teachers which conference strategies make them want to learn more about a product. The top answer? A presentation by a district or school official who actually uses it.

Let’s face it; most district leaders can sniff out a sales and marketing pitch from a mile away. But hearing a trusted peer talk about their success with your product? That gets their attention.

Not sure where to start?

• Set up time with your friendly customer success manager. They likely know best which customers are using your product with fidelity and could be a collaborative partner.
• Consider geography. Heading to ISTE in Boston next year? Is there a customer nearby? Ask your CSM. Nurturing relationships is hard work and takes time, so it’s never too early to start these conversations.
• Think about how you can ethically and responsibly support teachers. Matt Miller, author of Ditch That Textbook reminded me recently, “Companies want teachers to come talk for free. Teachers will hear, “Oh, you’re already going to be at ISTE? Would you speak at our booth? I love how you use our product and show up in our community.” It becomes more unpaid labor on the backs of teachers. Some (companies) do a good job of compensating them ... but as expensive as ISTE is, the teachers sometimes become more exploited. Lots of them just don’t realize their worth—and that they could ask for some compensation for the value they bring to the companies.”

Nurturing relationships is hard work and takes time, so it’s never too early to start these conversations. Read the full article here on What Actually Gets Educators’ Attention at K-12 Conferences.

Quick Poll 📊

Wow, just over half of you are a bunch of Halloween haters! For those who missed it, last edition’s poll was about whether or not you’re obsessed with Halloween like me.

This edition’s poll brings us back to marketing.

Does your company feature current K-12 customers at your booth or in sessions at conferences?
ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀

Events on Our Radar 🎯

[Virtual] Selling Into Early Learning: New Survey Data and Strategies for Marketers

💥TODAY! 💥

Tuesday, 10/27 from 12:00-12:30 PM ET

Why join? You’ll get access to the latest survey data on early childhood education from The EdWeek Research Center, and you’ll walk away with actionable takeaways that you can bring to your new meetings. Can’t make it? No biggie, register and watch on demand when you’ve got time.

[In-Person] The EdWeek Market Brief Summit

November 11-13 | Nashville, TN

I’m one of those tortured individuals who are constantly haunted by FOMO. True story: I didn’t study abroad in college because I couldn’t fathom my friends having fun without me! Pathetic, I know. Meanwhile, I opted to stay in Athens, Ohio rather than tour the world. I have regrets. That’s a cautionary tale, my friends. Don’t sit this one out—join me at the annual EdWeek Market Brief Summit. Afterall, your competitors will probably be there. More than 40 companies will be in attendance, many with teams. Including Renaissance Learning, Solution Tree, PowerSchool…

Curious who’s taking the stage? District leaders from: Miami Dade (FL), Broward County (FL), Knox County (TN), Tomball (TX), Alpine (UT) and more.

At the Summit you’ll hear directly from district leaders, join cohorts with other marketers and revenue owners, and you’ll come back energized and ready to put your learnings into practice.

Buy your ticket here.

What We’re Reading 📚

[EdWeek Market Brief] When Districts Are Buying Academic Resources, How Do They Plan for the Long-Term?

Here’s an excerpt from the article 👇

Companies that can help leaders “find time, save time, find money, or save money,” James Stoffer, CEO of Abre, said, are “going to have a significantly better leg up than those that are just standing on the academic returns, because the academic [result], as we know, isn’t necessarily an isolated variable.”

Pop Quiz ⚡

What’s Driving the Early Childhood Education Market?

Which surprising difference emerged between pre-K and K-3 teachers in their use of play to teach mathematics?

a. 33% of pre-K teachers incorporate play into mathematics, compared with 68% of K-3 teachers
b. 68% of pre-K teachers incorporate play into mathematics, compared with 33% of K-3 teachers
c. 52% of pre-K teachers incorporate play into mathematics, compared with 62% of K-3 teachers
d. 82% of pre-K teachers incorporate play into mathematics, compared with 47% of K-3 teachers

Say What?! 🦜

What we’ve heard at the watercooler, on social, out and about…

Answer: 227 emails daily. If you’re one of the many vendors writing her emails, make it count.

That’s all folks. Thanks for reading.

Your WirED Marketer,
Melissa AND team, because every marketer knows, it takes a village.

📩 Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here.

What did you think of this newsletter?

😍 I LOVED IT, 10/10
🤔 It was ok, 5/10
😒 Needs improvement, 1/10

We can help you develop a successful campaign tailored to your unique marketing goals. To learn more, contact Advertising & Marketing Solutions Director Mike Bell at mbell@educationweek.org.