I'm guessing that he keeps fairly good track of kids educations just so that he knows what sort of history his next persona will have.

Can't you just see him watching kids' cartoons and being mocked by Duncan? Then he explains that he needs to know this for when he changes identities. Mac is struck by the sense of it, so he starts watching it. Then Dawson comes in, sees them both watching cartoons, and nearly falls over he's laughing so hard.