Friday News Roundup

It’s Friday! Time for the News Roundup:

Bill Gates’ Stark Warning on AI in Education: It Could Result in “People Learning Less” (EducationWeek)

EducationWeek reported this week that,

“Billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is warning that artificial intelligence will bring on ‘one of the most turbulent times in human history,’ and if left unchecked, potentially undermine education and student well-being.”

“’Ironically, the same tool that will allow people to learn more than even could also lead to many people learning less,’ Gates wrote in a nearly 6,000 word post on his GatesNotes website last week.”

“He cited a 2025 study suggesting that heavier AI use is associated with less critical thinking, with a stronger effect shown for younger people.”

New York, Los Angeles Restrict Student AI Use. Will Other Districts Follow? (EducationWeek)

In related news to Bill Gates’s warning,

“The two largest school districts in the country are restricting students’ use of generative artificial intelligence.”

“New York City Public Schools is banning artificial intelligence-powered learning tools for elementary and middle school students, nixing individual devices for younger children, and recommending strict age-based screen-time limits, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced September 2^nd.”

“Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Los Angeles Unified announced a moratorium on AI use on district-owned devices for all students this school year as it considers how to incorporate the technology in the future. The announcement came at a September 2 meeting of the district’s generative AI ad hoc committee.”

Online Courses Inflated HISD Ratings. Without Them, Some Schools Would Have F’s (Houston Chronicle)

Houston, we have a problem. And it hasn’t been a good week for Houston Superintendent Mike Miles.

The Houston Chronicle reported this week that,

“Two years into Houston ISD’s state takeover, state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles touted a major achievement: state ratings showed there were no more F-rated schools in the district.”

“Some of that jump, however, had little to do with Miles’ sweeping reforms or gains in student test scores. One key factor was HISD’s use of a new, rapidly expanding option in Texas’ accountability system: college-prep courses.”

“These are not typical courses that can earn students college credit, such as Advanced Placement or dual credit. These are courses, often taken online, that help students catch up on English and math so they don’t have to take remedial classes in college. In the state’s accountability system, schools that enroll students in college-prep courses can earn credit for producing college-ready graduates, which in turn boosts their A-F ratings.”

But here’s the deal, as ABPTL reported recently, these college-prep courses are so unreliable that the State of Texas has decided to stop offering them to school districts. So, even though Houston ISD did not receive any F schools this past year, they (and other school districts) will need to prepare to earn passing grades for their schools without these make-believe college-prep online courses.

HISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ Charter Network Faces Layoffs, $14 Million Deficit After Tripling Footprint (Houston Chronicle)

As if having you and your school district accused of improprieties related to your state’s accountability system (understanding you were appointed to the Houston superintendency by the Texas Education Agency’s commissioner), Mike Miles’ charter school network, Third Future Schools, is facing a $14 million deficit, forcing it to cut many of the 700 new employees it hired this year.

“The grim budget projection follows years of multimillion dollar deficits and a dire warning by its auditor – issues that might have forced other charter schools out of business. Instead, the nonprofit has seen its footprint more than triple this year, and state officials continue to allow school districts that hire Third Future to avoid being taken over.”

I smell a rat.

AI Tutors Not Yet a Replacement for Humans, Research Says (The 74)

The 74 reported this week that,

“For now, high-dosage tutoring models proven to be effective are human-led and depend on ‘a relationship that keeps students showing up and engaged,’ according to a recent brief from the National Student Support Accelerator, a Stanford University center that conducts tutoring research.”

“’We don’t have solid research showing the AI tutoring can work in the U.S. at scale,’ said Susanna Loeb, the center’s executive director. Researchers’ ‘biggest finding is that the take-up is very low.’”

The important point to this article is in The 74’s title – AI Tutors “Not Yet” a Replacement for Humans.

Not yet.

It’s Labor Day Monday, so ABPTL will be off. Til Tuesday. SVB