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The Purple Zone

The Purple Zone

By: Alexis Morgan
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Welcome to The Purple Zone (formerly Our Kids Our Schools).

Bridging the Gap between Public Policy, Practice & People.


The Purple Zone explores what it really means to align how we govern, how we educate, and how we show up for our communities.


Hosted by Alexis — a PhD student in public policy and administration, and longtime educator and advocate for kids, communities, and the systems that shape our lives. This podcast connects the dots between policy and practice, without the politics or platitudes.


It’s about naming what often goes unsaid — and making space for a more honest, human approach to systems that impact all of us.


How systems shape our communities, from policy on paper to action in practice. + Thinking Out Loud as a PhD Student

© 2026 The Purple Zone
Political Science Politics & Government Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Stories that Shaped Us and Built our Communities
    Mar 18 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.

    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

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    23 mins
  • 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.

    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

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    20 mins
  • All about Charter Schools and the Missing Innovation Pipeline with Duncan Robb
    Mar 3 2026

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    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

    Show more Show less
    1 hr
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