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Colleagues and friends,
To understand the work of transforming teaching and learning, you’ve got to actually learn directly from the people doing on-the-ground work, in schools and with kids. This commitment feels particularly critical in the age of generative AI, where visionary claims often feel disconnected from the realities of classrooms and learner experience.
That’s why I was so excited to moderate a conversation about instructional leadership and AI strategy with two school systems leaders at the end of January, the first webinar in an upcoming series on what we’re seeing and exploring in our Exponential Learning Initiative. I dug in with John Rice of Hamilton County Schools and Rudy Elizondo of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools on what they’re learning about AI strategy across the continuum of selection, implementation, and evaluation, and where they hope to go next.
I encourage you to check out the recording, but I’d highlight a few important takeaways:
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Strategy starts from a shared vision for teaching and learning and considers how AI can enable that vision by removing barriers or offering new capabilities. Prioritizing pilots and tests comes as a result of analyzing those opportunities and then selecting tools to fit the bill. In Hamilton County, leaders pulled together a joint teaching and learning and tech committee to identify specific challenges in service of two aims: improving outcomes for students farthest from opportunity and taking things off of teachers’ plates that got in the way of direct time with students. Working from there, they prioritized six opportunity points to focus on.
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It’s important to articulate what we *don’t* want tools to do, like unintentionally removing the “cognitive lift” of learning. Rudy shared that at Alliance, this meant thinking not only about students but teachers as well. If we outsource too much to AI, we remove opportunities for educators to get to deeply know their students, preventing them from building the contextual understanding they need to design the best experiences and supports for every learner.
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Stakeholder buy-in matters. Both leaders talked about how critical it was to engage educators before and through pilot processes through design teams and feedback. This also requires feedback loops from kids too. As Rudy noted, “Kids are a lot more tech-savvy than a lot of us at this point in our lives. And so making sure that we're also empowering them to teach us how to better use these tools is just as important.”
I’m excited to have more conversations like these, both through upcoming webinars and sessions we’ll be hosting at SXSW EDU and ASU+GSV Summit and AI Show. Hope to see you there, and let us know what questions you’d like to explore with us!
In partnership and curiosity,
Beth Rabbitt, Chief Executive Officer (she/her)
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SXSW EDU 2025 Enough Talk! Let's Play with AI
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We are thrilled to host a workshop at SXSW EDU this March. We’re diving deep into how AI is reshaping education and classrooms. If you're passionate about the future of education and technology, this is the session you won’t want to miss!
Hands-On Learning Experience: Join us for an engaging, interactive workshop where you’ll explore firsthand how educators are using AI in the classroom. From AI-powered writing tools to teaching students how to create their own chatbots, this session will provide you with practical insights into the future of education.
Our expert facilitators — Albert Kim, Managing Director of Innovation at Leading Educators, Jin-Soo Huh, Partner at The Learning Accelerator, and Zachary Kennelly, high school teacher and AI pilot lead at DSST Public Schools — will lead you through real-life examples and hands-on activities. Whether you're an educator, tech enthusiast, or just curious about AI in education, this workshop is for you!
Event Details: March 4th, 11:30 a.m. CT | Session Info
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ASU+GSV Summit The Brass Tacks of Big Ideas: Deploying AI for Learning
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AI tools are positioned to reshape education, but what does it really look like to activate AI in service of learning? Hosted by The Learning Accelerator, this session will dissect real-world applications of AI in classrooms, featuring pilot initiatives underway in schools and the leaders bringing these projects to life.
Join this workshop featuring:
- Dacia Toll (Coursemojo)
- Matthew Wunder (Da Vinci Schools)
- Chip Linehan (Building 21)
- Chong-Hao Fu (Leading Educators)
- Moderated by Beth Rabbitt (The Learning Accelerator)
Through collaborative exercises and practical examples, participants will gain new ideas, tools, and insights to enable AI-augmented learning experiences in their own context — whether an educator, policymaker, or edtech innovator.
Event Details: April 7th, 11:10 a.m. PT | Session Info
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The AI Show @ ASU+GSV Is It Working? Building Evidence to Inform AI Initiatives
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For the past two years, teachers, schools, and districts have been piloting and experimenting with AI technologies — but the critical question remains: Is it working? How can educators and leaders assess the true impact of AI on student learning?
Join a dynamic panel featuring:
- Sandra Moumoutjis (Building 21)
- Dacia Toll (Coursemojo)
- Rae Lymer (The Learning Accelerator)
- Beth Holland (The Learning Accelerator)
Participants will leave with actionable strategies and resources to immediately apply in their own settings. Learn how to build an evidence base that supports the design of current and future AI initiatives, equipping educators and leaders with the data they need to make informed decisions.
Event Details: April 7th, 1:30 p.m. PT | Session Info
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Dr. Beth Holland and Michael Ham traveled to Atlanta for DLAC 2025 this week. | |
Across all of our Research, Measurement, & Policy team's conversations at DLAC this week, a central theme emerged: the need to address the immediate challenges facing educators and students while maintaining a long-term vision for the future.
School, district, and state leaders require dedicated spaces to navigate urgent issues while also exploring future possibilities. This balance was a unifying factor across all five of our presentations and a roundtable discussion. The message resonated with participants, reinforcing the importance of holding both short-term solutions and long-term aspirations in tandem. Specifically within the context of virtual and hybrid learning, tackling these challenges requires a “Yes, AND” approach — embracing both current realities and future innovations simultaneously. To learn more about these various conversations, we have linked session slides below:
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Tech Meets Text: Accelerating the Science of Reading Adoption with EdTech | |
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The Science of Reading has transformed literacy instruction, yet its full potential is still untapped in many classrooms across the United States. How can technology help accelerate and deepen its impact in elementary and middle schools? Join us on March 21st for an insightful webinar featuring experts from Magpie Literacy, Rock by Rock, and Coursemojo as we explore how digital tools and interactive resources can enhance the adoption of evidence-based literacy instruction. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how edtech can transform the way we teach reading!
RSVP to join live and receive a recording of the webinar.
March 21, 2025 | 12:00-1:00 PM ET
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School Rethink 2.0: Shaping the Future with Personalization, Mastery Learning, and AI
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The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical flaws in the way American education meets students' needs, and the ongoing decline in NAEP scores highlights the urgency for change. In this live webinar, Michael B. Horn and John Bailey will discuss how personalized learning, mastery-based education, and AI can revolutionize the classroom.
Our CEO, Beth Rabbitt, joins experts from Khan Academy and MasteryTrack in exploring the practical applications of innovative teaching models.
RSVP to watch live.
March 5, 2025 | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET
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ICYMI: Developing a Strategic, Outcomes-Based Approach to AI Tool Selection and Deployment
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Our recent webinar explored how educators and school leaders can approach the ever-growing world of AI tools in education. We dove deep into real-world approaches for decision-making, setting up successful pilots, and more. | |
AI at DSST: College View High School | |
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At DSST: College View High School in Denver, students in Zach Kennelly and Gianna Geraffo’s civics class are working with AI by creating custom chatbots. Projects range from curating movie recommendations to developing tools that support mental health and financial literacy. Their goal? Empowering students to champion AI, not just be passive consumers. Geraffo recalled that last semester students experienced a major shift from the beginning to the end of their term, “from, ‘I am someone AI happens to,’ to ‘I am someone who drives AI.’”
Read more from EdSurge here.
This hands-on learning is part of a broader initiative — the School Teams AI Collaborative — which connects over 80 educators from 19 schools nationwide to explore AI’s potential in education. By collaborating and sharing insights, the Collaborative is unlocking innovative ways to enhance teaching and learning with AI.
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