In this Smarter Campus Podcast episode, host Zach Kinzler sits down with Scott Carr, a veteran educator with over 30 years of experience transforming classrooms for students who’ve often been left behind by traditional systems.

Scott shares his journey from being a disengaged student himself to spending two decades teaching special education in Milwaukee’s inner city—and now helping districts reimagine alternative education with AI as a catalyst for change.

The conversation dives deep into what truly drives engagement: relevance, experimentation, and permission to fail forward. Rather than chasing the next tool, Scott challenges educators to focus on connecting learning to life, freeing up time for meaningful interactions, and building a culture of innovation where educators feel empowered to experiment.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• How Scott’s early struggles in school shaped his entire career
• Why disengagement—not technology—is the real crisis in education
• How AI can amplify what great educators already do
• Practical ways to give teachers permission to tinker and learn together
• A roadmap for small, iterative innovation that makes learning relevant again

Scott’s story is both grounding and inspiring—a reminder that technology alone won’t transform education, but the people using it can.