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The Purple Zone
Hosted by Alexis Morgan, The Purple Zone explores how governance, public institutions, community, and history shape the places we call home.
Through conversations, storytelling, and policy analysis, the podcast connects local experiences to larger civic and political currents--from education, healthcare, and governance to culture, identity, and institutional change.
Rooted in Idaho but reaching far beyond it, The Purple Zone is less about hot takes and more about understanding how communities evolve, how decisions shape everyday life, and what it means to participate in civic life together.
Alexis Morgan is a PhD candidate in public policy and administration, longtime community participant, advocate, and civic storyteller.
Episodes
71 episodes
An Idaho Lawmaker Walks Into a Book Club: A Conversation on Learning with Britt Raybould
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 ki...
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The Naming of The Purple Zone: What It Really Means
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. Ale...
Idaho’s AI in Education Journey: Guardrails, Implementation, and the “Now What?”
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 implem...
My Date with Dignity
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 ...
Community Schools, Shared Power: Mountain Home's “One Town, One Team”
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 su...
Rethinking Tech in the Classroom with Joey Palmer
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...
1 in 5 Rural Idaho Students Rely on IDLA: And It Just Lost Half Its Funding
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 ...
Anti-Teacher Union Bill Breakdown (HB 516) & The System Impact
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 whe...
The Stories that Shaped Us and Built our Communities
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 t...
Idaho Lawmaking 101: The Budget, Medicaid, and a Rare Senate Rejection
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 Legi...
All about Charter Schools and the Missing Innovation Pipeline with Duncan Robb
Idaho has had charter schools for nearly three decades. They were created to innovate, and the question today is: are they doing that? In this episode, I’m joined by Duncan Robb, education policy expert and the writer behind the Substack
Idaho’s Doctor Shortage, WWAMI, & the $1 Billion Rural Health Grant with Rep. Dustin Manwaring
Idaho ranks 50th in physicians per capita and 44th in primary care access. So what’s the real plan to fix it?In this episode, I sit down with Representative Dustin Manwaring to break down Idaho’s Undergraduate Medical Educa...
Federalism, Elections, and the Constitution: Who Actually Has the Power?
Who actually has the power over elections in the United States — the federal government, the states, or the president?Alexis takes you go back to the Constitution itself. Because here’s the truth: many adults have never been taught (or h...
The Real Cost of Underfunded Special Education
When special education isn’t fully funded, the cost doesn’t disappear...it gets absorbed by families, classrooms, and educators.In this solo episode of The Purple Zone, I unpack what underfunded special education actually looks ...
Efficiency Meets Reality: Hard Math, Hard Choices 2026 Legislative Session
The math ain’t mathing...and that’s not about blame, it’s about reality.Yes this podcast has the words BUDGET, LEGISLATURE, DOGE, and GOVERNANCE...but I promise it's NOT boring--but rather something that is intended to help ALL ...
The Room Where it Happens: Getting Access to Where Idaho Policy Decisions are Made
Welcome to the first Purple Zone episode of 2026.As the new year begins and the legislative session ramps up (start date is January 12) ... I’m sharing three important opportunities and announcements for Idahoans who care...
A Five-Year Grant Promise Cut Short: What’s Happening to Idaho’s Community Schools
Last Friday, Idaho school and community leaders were notified that a major federal education grant already awarded and already supporting students is being cut short.The Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) State Scaling Grant, a...
When Policy Meets a Viral Moment: Inside Idaho’s HB 41 (Flags & Schools Bill)
How does a bill actually move through a legislature — not in textbooks, but in real life? In this episode of The Purple Zone, Alexis takes a deep dive into House Bill 41, Idaho’s 2025 “flags and schools” law, a bill that une...
The Assassination That Rewired American Government
What do a disappointed office-seeker, a presidential assassination, a reform act from the 1880s, and an academic essay from Woodrow Wilson have to do with your life today? More than you think.In this episode, Alexis traces the s...
Human → AI → Human: Navigating AI with Integrity, Clarity & Curiosity
Alexis sits down with Will Goodman, Chief Technology Officer for the Boise School District and a central voice in Idaho’s statewide conversations on AI in K–12 education. Will and Alexis serve together on an AI in K-12 Education Workgroup in Id...
Who Runs This Town? Local Government & the Art of Folding in the Cheese
Most people can name the President—but not their local city council members. In this episode of The Purple Zone, Alexis sits down with Matt Todd, host of The Ranch Podcast, to unpack what local government actually does and why...
Beyond the Buzzwords of AI + Education: Transparency, Privacy Rights, and What Comes Next...
Do you know that AI is already integrated into nearly everything we do online? From the devices in our kids’ classrooms to the apps on our phones—artificial intelligence is part of daily life. In this episode, Alexis sits down with <...
School Boards 101: The Role, The Questions, The Elections
Can you answer the following questions? What is the number one responsibility of every school board? What are the Five Big Governance Questions EVERY school board member should be able to answer?<...
Conflict Isn’t the Enemy: But Do You Know What Is?
Conflict doesn’t have to divide us; it can be the wrestle that leads to deeper understanding and stronger communities. In this episode of The Purple Zone, Alexis reflects on her experiences moderating at voucher town halls acros...
AI in Education: Golden Ticket or Pandora’s Box?
Is AI the golden ticket for education—or a fast track to unintended consequences? In this episode of The Purple Zone, Alexis Morgan sits down with Dr. Jeff Carlson, Head of National Education Partnership for Clever, who spends his days...