Rick Hess: Michael, educators have heard a lot about what AI means for schools over the past few years. But all the hype and worry can make it tough to tell what’s really going on. Districts brag about strategic plans and cheerleaders warn that schools can’t afford to be left behind, even as educators wrestle with rampant cheating and unreliable chatbots.
So, where the heck are we? For starters, just how much has AI really seeped into K–12 education at this point?
Michael Horn: Great question! It’s hard to know for sure. But if you define AI as more than chatbots and even large language models, which you should, then K–12 schools are just about saturated with AI. Just a few examples. Some estimates suggest Google Classroom is used by nearly 70 percent of U.S. schools—and Google Classroom integrates a variety of Gemini-powered, AI tools. Roughly 700,000 U.S. teachers use MagicSchool, an AI platform that automates tasks such as lesson planning, creating materials, writing and grading assessments. And if you ask teachers and students directly, the polls tell you that over 50 percent of both groups say they use AI for school. And the older the grade level, the more teachers and students say they use AI.
Hess: Those are some startling numbers. Given all that, right now, what’s the right posture for schools when it comes to AI?
Horn: It probably won’t surprise you that I’ll say, “It depends.” Mindlessly layering “AI” for its own sake into a school or classroom doesn’t make sense. And it could very well be detrimental. I worry a lot about the lack of coherence in schools without technology, and it seems to me that the problem is just getting worse and worse. On the other hand, there are places where I think it can help. Would I tell a school not to use something like Amira Learning, an AI-powered app for building literacy that has good efficacy studies behind it? Not at all. It could make a lot of sense if it’s part of a coherent instructional model. Should schools use something like Timely, an AI optimization tool, to better develop their master schedules and make better use of their time and resources? You bet. Should administrators use thoughtful AI-powered tools to help them better communicate with parents? I think that could be smart. Should teachers be leveraging tools that help with the administrative components of their job and save themselves time? I think so.
Hess: OK, if you’re coaching educators on when and how to use AI in that way, is there an example that comes to mind?
Horn: Sure, for instance, should schools use tools like M7E AI—an ed-tech platform (where I’m an adviser) that evaluates and revises math curricula to remove language barriers for multilingual learners—to ensure access to rigorous content? That seems smart to me.
Hess: In the past, you’ve raised some concerns about districts developing an “AI strategy,” but your view on this has evolved. Want to say a word about that?
Horn: When ChatGPT 3 first entered the scene, school districts rushed to develop an “AI strategy.” I disagreed then because I saw AI as a tool, not a strategy. However, after many conversations with K–12 schools, I now see that they do need a strategic orientation for how AI supports teaching and learning. That’s been an evolution for me.
Hess: What’s driven that evolution?
Horn: There are a few considerations, but I’ll just highlight one point. Without a clear stance on AI, confusion reigns. Schools need clear guidelines on AI use for student work: what’s allowed, what’s not, and how and why to use AI across curricula. Teachers must be part of that process, as each discipline prompts different questions around AI use. Without clear guidance, schools will continue to struggle. Although, in general, I do wish schools started with first principles around what kind of education we are even trying to offer in the first place, thought about their education model itself, and then asked how AI-powered tools could help or hinder that.
