New Jersey teachers adopt AI with $1.5M in state funding

New Jersey teachers are increasingly embracing artificial intelligence as a classroom tool, with some educators creating AI-powered teaching assistants and interactive learning experiences for their students. This shift comes as the state has invested $1.5 million in grants to fund AI education programs, signaling a broader acceptance of the technology despite ongoing concerns about academic integrity and student safety.

What you should know: Teachers across New Jersey are using AI platforms to create customized learning experiences and streamline classroom management.

• Erin Cutillo, a technology teacher at Memorial Elementary School in Howell, uses SchoolAI to create chatbots that act as teaching assistants, helping students with assignments in real-time.
• By reviewing student questions to the chatbot, Cutillo can identify who needs extra help and allocate her time more effectively. “The one thing that we need is more time,” she said. “And this gives you more time.”
• Spanish teacher Noemí Rodriguez-Grimshaw at Pascack Hills High School creates chatbots that allow students to practice conversations in Spanish or interview historical figures like Frida Kahlo and Cesar Chavez.

The big picture: AI adoption in classrooms remains uneven across the state’s roughly 118,000 public school teachers, driven more by individual interest than demographics or district wealth.

• “It’s not even a factor of the usual things, like demographics,” said Betsy Ginsburg, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools. “It’s more related to interest.”
• Both affluent districts and less wealthy areas like Newark are implementing AI tools, with early adopters sharing successful applications with colleagues.

State investment: New Jersey awarded $1.5 million in grants in January to fund artificial intelligence education and new AI-related career programs in public schools.

• Individual school districts are also investing their own budget portions into AI products and training.
• The funding comes as an explosion of startups and established companies offer AI products specifically designed for educators.

Creative applications: Teachers are finding innovative ways to use AI beyond basic tutoring assistance.

• Cutillo created chatbots for Down syndrome and autism awareness months, allowing elementary students to ask sensitive questions they might not feel comfortable asking a teacher directly.
• “They just got a lot more personal with it, and they asked a lot more meaningful questions than if it were just them asking me,” Cutillo explained.
• Rodriguez-Grimshaw is exploring platforms like Speakology AI that enable live AI video conversations for language practice, though participation remains optional for students and families.

Balancing concerns: Educators acknowledge significant concerns about AI implementation while recognizing its potential benefits.

• “I think there’s fear, but I think there’s also a recognition as you learn more about it, that if used properly, this can be a powerful tool,” said Mark Russo, curriculum director for Pascack Valley Regional High School District.
• Rodriguez-Grimshaw emphasized the importance of maintaining human oversight: “I don’t want everything to always go through artificial intelligence, because I want their minds to be doing the work.”
• Teachers cite concerns ranging from environmental impacts and student safety to accuracy issues and potential overdependence on technology.

Industry support: Major tech companies are investing heavily in educational AI initiatives.

• The American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s second-largest teachers’ union, recently announced a $23 million initiative with Microsoft and OpenAI to provide free AI access and training to all union members, starting with K-12 educators.
• “If I had $5 for every ad I’ve seen for AI training from vendors, I would be a rich woman,” Ginsburg noted with a laugh.