The Purple Zone

Alexis Morgan
  • 5.0 (9)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

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.

  1. MAY 12

    Rethinking Tech in the Classroom with Joey Palmer

    Send us Fan Mail 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. Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/ JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page 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

    45 min

  2. APR 28

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

    Send us Fan Mail 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.  Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/ JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page 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

    50 min

  3. APR 14

    Anti-Teacher Union Bill Breakdown (HB 516) & The System Impact

    Send us Fan Mail 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. Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/ JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page 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

    39 min

  4. MAR 18

    The Stories that Shaped Us and Built our Communities

    Send us Fan Mail 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. Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/ JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page 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

    23 min

  5. MAR 16

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

    Send us Fan Mail 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. Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/ JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page 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

    20 min

  6. MAR 3

    All about Charter Schools and the Missing Innovation Pipeline with Duncan Robb

    Send us Fan Mail 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 K–12 Education in Idaho (k12educationidaho.substack.com). We break down the basics, what charter schools are (and aren’t), how they’re governed, and the role of the Idaho Public Charter School Commission...then zoom out to the bigger policy design question: if charters were meant to be “labs of innovation,” who is responsible for making sure what works actually transfers to traditional public schools? We also talk through current education policy debates, including state testing, accountability, and what meaningful flexibility really looks like in practice. By the end of the conversation, it was clear we had only scratched the surface, so stay tuned for more conversations with Duncan as we continue digging into charter schools and education policy in Idaho. Bonus: Duncan and I don’t agree on everything, which makes for a fun conversation. Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/ JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page 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

    1 hr

  7. FEB 18

    Idaho’s Doctor Shortage, WWAMI, & the $1 Billion Rural Health Grant with Rep. Dustin Manwaring

    Send us Fan Mail 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 Education (UME) strategy, the proposed 36-month rollout, and how it intersects with the $1 billion Rural Health Transformation Grant. We talk through the core problem the working group set out to solve and what “Train Here, Stay Here, Grow Here” actually means in practice and how it connects with workforce pipelines, residency expansion, and long-term retention? We also dig into the definition of “rural.” Critical access hospitals? Small towns near metro hubs? Urban hospitals that support rural areas? How the taskforce defines rural will shape who benefits and how federal dollars are distributed. Plus: How the UME plan intersects with the $1B rural investmentWhat legislators are watching to ensure accountabilityWhether Idaho’s low resident-to-medical-student ratio limits retentionThe future of WWAMI and how new legislation could shift seat allocationsWhether Idaho eventually needs its own full medical schoolIf this plan works, what will Idaho’s physician landscape look like 10 years from now? This is a forward-looking conversation about workforce, access, and how policy decisions today shape healthcare for the next generation. Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/ JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page 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

    50 min

  8. FEB 3

    Federalism, Elections, and the Constitution: Who Actually Has the Power?

    Send us Fan Mail 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 have near forgotten) how the Constitution is structured, where power is assigned, or why federalism exists in the first place. (This is a super basic/quick overview). When we don’t understand that structure, modern debates about elections can feel confusing, emotional, and disconnected from reality. Alexis walks through the basics most people missed: how the Constitution is organizedwhat the Articles actually assign to Congress, the President, and the courtswhere federalism lives in the texthow the Bill of Rights — especially the 10th Amendment — draws a clear line between federal and state powerFrom there, she gets concrete about elections: who runs them, who sets guardrails, and why the president has no constitutional authority to administer or centralize elections. To help frame today’s tensions, she puts two books into conversation — The Divided States of America by Donald F. Kettl and American Covenant by Yuval Levin — exploring whether federalism is a system that’s breaking down… or one that’s doing exactly what it was designed to do. This episode isn’t about personalities or partisan talking points. It’s about structure, limits, and why understanding the Constitution changes how we see current events. Because policy isn’t abstract. It’s personal. And federalism is where our disagreements are meant to live. Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/ JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page 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

    26 min
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5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Alexis Morgan
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Purple Zone
  • Show Website
    The Purple Zone

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