18-03-2025
Arizona approves AI charter school, but education concerns persist
The Brief
Arizona's Board of Charter Schools has approved an AI charter school for the state.
School officials say learning for core academics is "just 2 to 2.5 hours a day."
AI in education is not without controversy, however.
PHOENIX - For some, the future is here, as Arizona officials have approved a new charter school that utilizes artificial intelligence.
What To Know
At a December 2024 meeting for the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools, members approved Unbound Academy, an online charter school that teaches with AI.
"Our teachers still do a lot of the teaching role, but they don't do the actual teaching of academic concepts because we know that that's something that AI can do really well," said Ivy Xu with the school.
Xu said they have tested the teaching method on hundreds of students in Texas, and the school day is short because AI is so effective at tailoring teaching to each student.
"Because everything is personalized to the student, learning for core academics is just 2 to 2.5 hours a day," said Xu.
After the two-hour school day, kids will be immersed in life skills program that is all about what the kid wants to learn.
"Gave the kids an opportunity to learn things that typically, people don't get a chance to try and learn until they're working, once they've graduated," said Kristin Mann.
Class sizes, according to Xu, will be equivalent to public schools. For now, the school is only for 4th to 8th grade. Enrollment is capped at a couple of hundred kids for the next school year.
AI teaching has been a rather controversial matter.
The other side
Officials with the country's largest teachers union have said that AI can enhance education. However, they are concerned with where the tech stands currently, adding that humans "must always be the center of the teaching and learning experience, and play a significant role."
We asked Xu if there will be teachers involved in this type of learning.
What Xu Said
"There will be teachers, and we're hiring for Arizona certified teachers, as well as equivalently certified teachers around," said Xu.
Members of the Board for Charter Schools also asked officials with the new charter school about student data privacy.
"How do you keep that safe?" a board member asked. "What's your safety component for each student?"
"We obviously make sure we meet all Federal mandates, in terms of FERPA and privacy," a school official replied.
What's next
Officials with the school have lso launched a separate AI school that will be dual-language.
