Working with 400,000 teachers to shape the future of AI in schools

For educators, AI can be a powerful ally, helping free up more time for the truly human work of teaching. Recent Gallup study⁠(opens in a new window) showed that 6 in 10 educators are already using an AI tool and report saving an average of six hours per week. But it also raises new challenges: how to ensure AI enhances rather than bypasses teaching, and how to help students foster critical thinking when answers are instantly accessible.

Now is the time to ensure Al empowers educators, students, and schools. For this to happen, teachers must lead the conversation around how to best harness its potential.

It is for this purpose that we join the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) as the founding partner for the launch of the National Academy for AI Instruction, a five-year initiative to equip 400,000 K-12 educators, about one in every 10 teachers in the US, to use AI and lead the way in shaping how AI is used and taught in classrooms across the country.

As the first partner to pledge support, OpenAI is contributing $10 million over five years—$8 million in direct funding, and $2 million in in-kind resources including engineering support, computing access, and technical guidance to help teachers build and use AI tools in real classrooms. OpenAI is joined by the United Federation of Teachers, Microsoft, and Anthropic in supporting the initiative. Our shared goal is simple: to support teachers in shaping, using, and guiding the development of AI in K-12 education.

These investments will help establish a flagship facility in New York City and support the launch of additional hubs around the US by 2030. The Academy will serve as a national hub for free training and curriculum, combining real classroom expertise with cutting-edge technology. The Academy will also fund and deliver professional development opportunities that prioritize equity, accessibility, and measurable impact in K-12 education. 

Over the next five years, the Academy will: