Teachers want federal "guidance and guardrails" on AI, experts told the House subcommittee on early, elementary, and secondary education at a hearing Tuesday. Lawmakers are still trying to get a handle on the federal role in AI integration, following President Donald Trump's executive order last spring to infuse the technology throughout K-12.
"We're taking AI seriously," said Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich. "Whether we understand it or not, we need to know about it and know best practices."
More than 60 percent of K-12 teachers told the EdWeek Research Center that they used AI-based tools in their classrooms in 2025, nearly double the share that used the technology just two years before. Half of teachers said they have received at least some training in the tools, though the substance varied widely.
"AI is a tool, not the primary driver of learning," said Aneesh Sohoni, the chief executive officer of Teach For America. The group has provided training and created a network for 4,800 of its teachers to share how they use AI tools to improve students' critical thinking.
"The future of learning will require a blending of technology and human expertise, with teachers leading and guiding, and technology supporting," Sohoni said. "The choices we make will ultimately help determine whether this technology helps or harms educators and students."
West Virginia was among the first states to release AI guidance for schools, in 2023, and it already has had to update the guidance twice, according to state Superintendent Michele Blatt. The state has launched an initiative to train its teachers to use Microsoft's Copilot, an AI-based tool, for lesson plans and other content.
But Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., expressed concern that teachers "don't have the bandwidth" to sort through different kinds of professional development, and could rely too much on training from private industry.
Tech giants are jockeying to shape teacher training — and ensure educators become familiar with their own tools. Google on Monday announced a plan with ISTE-ASCD, which represents education technology and curriculum officials, to provide AI literacy training for 6 million teachers.
Likewise, three of the largest AI developers, Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI, last summer pledged $23 million to the American Federation of Teachers union to develop a "National Academy for AI Instruction" intended to develop AI literacy training and credentials for 400,000 teachers.
"It may be a great mantra for a tech company to 'move fast and break things' when the thing that gets broken is an app. If you're a teacher, the thing that gets broken is a student," said David Slykhuis, the dean of education and human services at Valdosta State University, at the hearing. "Instead of moving fast, teachers need to move intentionally with technology; instead of breaking things, they need to nurture those students."
Allyson Knox, the senior director of education and workforce policy at Microsoft, said it's important for teachers to get and give ongoing feedback in how they are using technology tools. For example, both Knox and Sohoni said special education teachers have been developing practices to use AI both in adapting lessons for students with disabilities and in communicating with parents.
"It's hard to imagine another education technology that holds so much potential to make teachers' jobs easier," said Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., chairman of the education subcommittee. "But this potential also comes with challenges" such as protecting students' privacy and ensuring they develop critical thinking about technology.
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