INSTRUCTIONAL INITIATIVE. Michael Mulgrew, President of UFT; Randi Weingarten, President of AFT; and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, signing an agreement to launch the National Academy for AI Instruction on June 10, 2025.
With artificial intelligence moving rapidly into schools, the education sector faces a pivotal question: who shapes its integration—educators, or the companies developing the tools? A recent Gallup survey found that 60% of teachers are already using AI, reporting time savings of about six hours per week. But alongside that enthusiasm are deeper concerns about how AI might alter core teaching practices, and whether it encourages critical thinking or shortcuts it.
In response, the American Federation of Teachers has launched the National Academy for AI Instruction, a five-year initiative aimed at training 400,000 K–12 educators—roughly one in ten teachers nationwide—in how to use, understand, and help guide AI’s role in classrooms. It is one of the largest educator-led AI initiatives in the world, signaling a major effort to put teachers at the center of technological change.
OpenAI is the founding partner, committing $10 million in support—$8 million in funding and $2 million in technical resources, including engineering support, tool access, and guidance.
Microsoft, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers have also joined the effort.
The Academy will:
- Launch a flagship campus in New York City, with regional hubs to follow by 2030
- Offer professional development, training, and curriculum focused on AI fluency
- Prioritize access in high-needs districts
- Provide selected educators with API credits and early access to AI products
Framing AI adoption as educator-driven is compelling—but only if teachers retain real agency in shaping how it unfolds.
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