What We’re Learning in the Field

Challenges We’re Seeing Up Close

In a recent survey collected from one project, we surveyed 174 parents and 57 teachers about AI in education. What came back wasn’t surprising, but it was clarifying. If any of this sounds like your school system, you’re not alone.

🗂 Policy & Direction
“We know AI is here, but we have no policy, no plan, and no time.”

When we surveyed families and staff, a consistent picture emerged: teachers were navigating AI without shared expectations, while parents were tuned in but had no clear way to participate. Across the board, families, staff, and leadership were ready to take this seriously and had nowhere to start.

79% of parents in our pilot community agreed schools should teach AI safety, and most said they’d show up to learn more
We help by:
  • Creating practical AI use policies
  • Setting clear expectations for students and staff
  • Building governance structures that last
👩‍🏫 Staff Readiness
“Most of our teachers don’t feel ready for this, and we can’t move forward without them.”

More than half of teachers we surveyed felt unprepared, and only a small fraction described themselves as confident. Most weren’t resistant to AI; they were waiting for something concrete to orient around. Without time, tools, or a clear entry point, many hadn’t yet figured out what they didn’t know.

17% of teachers feel prepared, while 53% feel unprepared (agree or strongly agree).
We help by:
  • Designing professional learning that meets teachers where they are
  • Building shared understanding across staff
  • Creating space for different perspectives to come together
🧠 Student Learning
“Everyone’s worried about over-reliance, but we don’t know how to talk about it.”

Without the right pieces in place (AI literacy training, a clear use policy, appropriate tools, teacher support) schools tend to default to worry with no real mechanism to act on it. The concern about over-reliance in this community was genuine and widespread. Addressing it means doing two things in parallel: protecting students from real risks while also preparing them for a world where AI is already part of daily life.

89% of teachers in our pilot survey worried AI would lead to student over-reliance, and the same concern came through clearly in parent responses too
We help by:
  • Building AI literacy programs for students and staff
  • Developing use policies that protect and prepare
  • Creating roadmaps that address risk and readiness together
🌍 Equity & Community Voice
“We want community input, but we don’t know how to make it meaningful.”

In our pilot community, nearly half of parent survey responses came in Spanish, representing families with specific, considered views on values, the role of teachers, and what they didn’t want AI to replace. A significant share also indicated they wanted to stay involved beyond the survey. That level of investment from families doesn’t sustain itself without a real structure to hold it.

~30% of parents in our pilot survey said “yes” or “maybe” to ongoing involvement, a group of engaged families ready to be part of the work
We help by:
  • Establishing and supporting AI Steering Committees
  • Designing multilingual stakeholder engagement
  • Ensuring family and student voices shape decisions from the start
🧩 Multilingual Learners, Diverse Learners & Staff Capacity
“We can’t fill the positions, and the people we do have are burning out trying to meet every student’s needs.”

Many districts we hear from are managing several pressures at once: growing Multilingual and Diverse Learner populations with intensive needs, teachers stretched thin by administrative demands, and vacancies that take a long time to recover from. The right AI tools can help on both sides, reducing documentation load for teachers while delivering personalized, adaptive support for students who aren’t currently getting enough of either.

1 in 5 students in U.S. public schools qualifies as a Multilingual Learner or Diverse Learner, a population whose needs are outpacing schools’ ability to recruit and retain the specialized staff to serve them
We help by:
  • Identifying and vetting AI tools for teachers and students
  • Reducing documentation burden and supporting differentiated instruction
  • Deploying student-facing tools for adaptive, personalized support
⚡ Operational AI & Adoption
“We’re spending on AI tools across departments, but nothing is connected and no one knows if it’s actually working.”

Schools and districts are acquiring AI tools department by department (HR, student analytics, parent communications, chatbots), often without a coordinating strategy behind them. That approach tends to generate its own complications over time: equity gaps no one planned for, security risks discovered late, ROI that’s hard to measure, and systems that only one or two people know how to operate.

$5M+ invested in AI tools by 850+ U.S. districts in 2025 alone, most without governance frameworks, equity review, or a plan for scale
We help by:
  • Auditing your existing tool landscape
  • Designing governance frameworks for responsible AI adoption
  • Supporting pilot implementation with clear metrics for equity, security, and ROI