Special Report
Artificial Intelligence Video

Is AI Good or Bad for Schools?

By Lauraine Langreo & Yi-Jo Shen — February 24, 2026 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Schools often get hung up on trying to balance strict compliance with the use of AI tools against the curiosity about how those tools actually work. In that situation, teachers are more concerned about monitoring or catching students using AI—say, to write an essay—rather than teaching them how to use those technologies appropriately to tackle class assignments.

But things are changing. A growing number of educators are experimenting with the technology in a variety of ways and learning important lessons. The challenge now is to share those lessons learned and begin to build best practices for how to use artificial intelligence smartly and responsibly in schools.

Coverage of education technology is supported in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, at www.chanzuckerberg.com. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Events

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Artificial Intelligence Scathing Analysis Concludes Google Search's AI Tools Are Bad for Kids
Google’s "AI overview" and "AI mode" were each rated "Unacceptable" by a media watchdog.
5 min read
ISTErobotics025
Google had a big presence in late June at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., which attracted thousands of educators. But a new report says the company's AI search tools have problems that educators should not ignore.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Artificial Intelligence How to Stay Ahead of the AI Curve: Lessons From Two Very Different Districts
District leaders share lessons learned, challenges faced, and practical insights from AI rollouts.
4 min read
AI driving back to school creativity with books bus balloons clock charts and fun classroom props 3d rendering.
Getty
Artificial Intelligence Lessons on AI for Elementary Students: 'Teach Them Good Habits Now'
Teachers want to help their youngest students become familiar with AI's potential—and its limits.
7 min read
ISTEDay2A9
Hundreds attend the ISTELive 26 + ASCD annual conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. on June 29, 2026. Some educators at the conference discussed how they introduce AI to elementary students, breaking down specific lessons to illustrate the technology's potential and limitations, and boost students' AI literacy.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Artificial Intelligence 3 Ways Teachers Can Help Students Think Critically About AI
Student use of AI should always end with human reflection and analysis. Here's how to do that.
3 min read
Illustration of four shrinking human brains with a circuit board texture and binary code in the background.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty