The Purple Zone

Latest Episodes:

An Idaho Lawmaker Walks Into a Book Club: A Conversation on Learning Sep 22, 2026

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This episode marks an exciting first for The Purple Zone: a brand-new experiment in bringing people together around ideas, not just single books. Alexis is joined by Representative Dr. Britt Raybould to pilot a new kind of book club, one that lives right here on the podcast and spreads out through social media, inviting listeners to engage with a topic (not a specific book) in a whole new way.

For this trial run, the topic is learning...how it actually happens, what gets in the way of it, and what helps it stick. The conversation moves between light, humorous moments and genuinely touching reflections, while still digging into real depth on the science and theory behind how people learn.

Alexis and Britt pull from several books to frame the discussion, including Think Again by Adam Grant and Benedict Carey's How We Learn, which explores the science of memory--storage strength, retrieval strength, and why "forgetting" some information is actually part of learning it well.

The conversation gets personal too, touching on what's helped Alexis support her own kids as they navigate learning in the classroom, and how her approach to learning has shifted between undergrad and her current work on her PhD at Boise State, with far more lived experience to draw from now than she had as a young student.

This is a trial run, and Alexis & Britt hope this becomes a regular monthly or bi-monthly feature on the show. If you enjoy this new format, share it with a friend, and jump into the conversation on social media — tell us what learning means to you, and what's helped you learn something new recently.

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Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
email@thealexismorgan.com
Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
https://www.thealexismorgan.com

The Naming of The Purple Zone: What It Really Means Sep 15, 2026

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It's a solo episode this week and Alexis is pulling back the curtain.

Most people hear "The Purple Zone" and think politics: red meets blue, somewhere in the middle. But that's not where the name came from, and it's not what it means. Alexis takes you back to where the podcast really started: the early days of her PhD program, and the idea that began shaping everything she'd go on to build.

Before diving in, Alexis shares a few stories from her weekend, moments that turned out to be an unexpected, real-time reflection of last episode's conversation, Dance with Dignity. If you haven't listened yet, this will make you want to.

Then, she breaks down the two features at the heart of actually reaching the Purple Zone: dialogue and collaboration. Dialogue is where dignity lives. Collaboration is where intention becomes action. Alexis shares what these look like in practice, not just in theory, and leaves you with a challenge (or maybe more of a request) for your own reflection this week.

This one's personal and foundational...and it's a must-listen if you've ever wondered what "Purple Zone" really means.

🎧 Enjoyed the episode? Leave a review...it helps more people find the show. Share it with a friend. Let's keep growing this community, together.

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Idaho’s AI in Education Journey: Guardrails, Implementation, and the “Now What?” Sep 08, 2026

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Alexis Morgan welcomes Will Goodman, Director of People and Organizational Services for Boise School District, to unpack the Idaho journey of AI in Education legislation and why Idaho is leading the nation on guardrails and implementation. They talk candidly about the question many people are asking: Is this a good move, or a potential risk?

They dive into the process behind Senate Bill 1227, including the work group work and how the bill ultimately moved through the 2026 legislative session. From there, the conversation gets practical: what implementation actually looks like on the ground, and how Idaho is working to answer the “now what?” for schools.

The episode covers educator impact, student impact, the parent perspective, and industry perspective, including the most common concerns like misinformation, data privacy, and the difference between screen time and AI. Will and Alexis explore what we’re actually worried about when AI enters classrooms, and they end by reinforcing the episode’s guiding theme: AI is already here, so the goal is human-centered guardrails: first, middle, and last...including clear boundaries for what should never be automated in schools.

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My Date with Dignity Sep 01, 2026

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In this opening episode of the season, I’m stepping in solo to share a quick recap of my summer with my kids as they head into a new chapter: college town life and off-to-school mornings that feel like both a goodbye and a beginning.

But the heart of this episode is my “date with dignity.” I’m sharing a personal story in honor of my late aunt, an important relationship, a lasting lesson, and a reminder that dignity isn’t just a word we say. It’s something we practice, protect, and show up for.

From there, I’ll talk about what you can expect this year, including: a new collaboration with a national group, upcoming local conversations, a new type of book club, and policy breakdowns.

My Date with Dignity is a season opener about meaning, civic life, and what it looks like to insist that our communities, and the people in them, matter.

Thanks for being here. 💜

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Community Schools, Shared Power: Mountain Home's “One Town, One Team” Aug 25, 2026

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In this season opener, Alexis Morgan sits down with guest Stehvn Tesar, principal at Bennett High School, to explore how the community school strategy at Bennett High helps meet students’ needs and strengthens the surrounding community. We start by defining what a community school is and why this model fits the Mountain Home School District, before digging into the work happening at Bennett High, including an alternative school approach designed to support students through real barriers.

You’ll hear how collaborative, community-driven leadership supports key priorities:

Improvements in Student academic outcome
Family & community engagement
Student belonging
Food insecurity support
Mental health support

We also spotlight how the strategy is used through programs like T-shirts, a STEM center, daycare, and a greenhouse, and discuss feedback from students, parents, and community members. Finally, we look at why this approach is continuing to grow across Idaho.

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Rethinking Tech in the Classroom with Joey Palmer May 12, 2026

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In this episode, Alexis sits down with Joey Palmer, a school administrator in the Treasure Valley (larger Boise area in Idaho), who’s taking a different approach to technology in the classroom. This isn’t about being anti-tech—it’s about asking better questions: When does technology actually improve learning, and when does it get in the way?

Joey shares how his district is shifting from tech as the default to tech as a tool, one that should be purposeful, powerful, and proportional. We talk about No-Tech Days, bell-to-bell phone expectations, and the return of more analog learning like paper drafting, face-to-face discussion, printed reading, and hands-on problem solving.

We also get into what classroom observations revealed about off-task device use, the mixed research behind EdTech programs, and the growing tension between reducing screen dependence while also preparing students for a future shaped by AI.

What stands out most about Joey is not just his willingness to challenge conventional thinking, but his openness to rethink his own ideas, engage perspectives that push him, and keep learning. This conversation is for educators, parents, and policymakers thinking seriously about the role of technology in schools.

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1 in 5 Rural Idaho Students Rely on IDLA: And It Just Lost Half Its Funding Apr 28, 2026

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In this episode, Alexis sat down with Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA) Superintendent Dr. Jeff Simmons to unpack what really happened with HB 940 and related legislation and why this moment is about far more than online classes.

We break down the full policy landscape and the impacts on kids in the state? The 50% in funding cuts to IDLA means fewer courses, fewer enrollments, and a new reality for schools trying to meet student needs.

But here’s where it matters most:
IDLA isn’t just a program...it’s statewide infrastructure.

For many schools, especially in rural Idaho, it’s how students access required courses, dual credit, credit recovery, and pathways to graduation. When that access changes, the ripple effects don’t show up in headlines, they show up in student schedules, missed opportunities, and narrowed futures.

We also get into what lawmakers intended, where perception and reality diverged, and what it felt like to lead through a moment of statewide uncertainty.

This conversation ultimately asks a bigger question:

What does the state owe students when it comes to access?

Because this isn’t just about IDLA.
It’s about whether every Idaho student has what they need to succeed.

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Anti-Teacher Union Bill Breakdown (HB 516) & The System Impact Apr 14, 2026

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This episode breaks down a new Idaho law impacting teachers unions, but more importantly, what it reveals about how policy actually works in practice. This isn’t just about unions. It’s about systems, processes, and what happens when infrastructure quietly shifts underneath schools.

Segment Breakdown:

1. Radiator Capping (process shift): Bypassing the normal legislative process changes how policy gets vetted, debated, and understood.

2. What HB 516 Actually Does: It does not ban unions, it restricts how districts interact with them.

3. Payroll Deduction Ban: Districts can no longer deduct union dues from paychecks.

4. Broad Definition of Union Activity: The law creates gray areas, making it unclear what qualifies, thus increasing risk for districts.

5. Representation Still Exists--With Conditions: Unions can still represent teachers, but now with added administrative burden and reimbursement requirements.

6. Majority Requirement (Not New): The 50% + 1 threshold remains, but verification and compliance expectations are tighter.

7. Facility Use & District Partnerships: Unclear guidance will likely lead districts to act more cautiously.

8. Who This Applies To: The law targets teachers unions specifically, not all unions.

9. Governor Little's Position: He signed the law, but raised concerns about overreach and ambiguity.

10. The Bigger Impact: This isn't just political, it affects infrastructure, trust, and the ability for systems to work together.

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The Stories that Shaped Us and Built our Communities Mar 17, 2026

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Lately I’ve been asking myself a question.

Have we forgotten the stories that built the communities we live in today… or were many of us never really taught them in the first place?

In this reflective solo episode, Alexis explores the stories that shaped her understanding of service and community, from Anne Frank and a Holocaust survivor who visited her classroom, to her immigrant grandfather’s journey to America in 1914, to visiting Minidoka National Historic Site with her children.

She also shares the story of discovering the Idaho PTA archives, the work of 35 mothers who founded the organization in 1905, and reflects on the legacy of Rebecca Brown Mitchell, a pioneer teacher and the first woman to serve as chaplain of the Idaho Legislature.

This episode isn’t about politics. It’s about something deeper: how history, family stories, and community memory shape who we are, and why staying connected to those stories still matters today.

Because maybe the work of civic life isn’t about shouting louder or retreating further. Maybe it begins with remembering where we come from and recognizing that our individual stories are part of something larger.

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Idaho Lawmaking 101: The Budget, Medicaid, and a Rare Senate Rejection Mar 16, 2026

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Budgets aren’t flashy and they’re usually not the most fun thing to talk about. But when the Idaho Senate rejected the state’s largest budget bill the $5.7 billion Health and Welfare budget it revealed deeper tensions inside the Legislature over fiscal responsibility, Medicaid spending, and recent tax cuts. In this episode of The Purple Zone,

I break down:

1. How Idaho’s budget process works,

2. Why the Senate rejected the proposal, and

3. Work to connect the policy to our everyday language and lives, because budgets are where government decisions become real for communities.

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