


Schools seeking funding from the federal government to teach artificial intelligence must show they’re using it responsibly, according to new guidance from the Education Department.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon proposed this week to make “the appropriate integration of AI into education” a federal funding priority for the first time.
That’s on top of funding priorities for school choice, evidence-based literacy and returning education to the states that her agency announced in May.
“Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize education and support improved outcomes for learners,” Ms. McMahon said. “It drives personalized learning, sharpens critical thinking, and prepares students with problem-solving skills that are vital for tomorrow’s challenges.”
Ms. McMahon told K-12 schools and colleges in a “Dear Colleague” letter on Tuesday that grants will be available to fund AI-based teacher training, instructional material, tutoring programs, college planning and career preparation.
She said applicants must guarantee parental cooperation, the privacy of student data, accommodations for disabled students and the leadership of teachers to get these funds.
The letter is part of a sweeping Trump administration push for the U.S. to dominate a burgeoning global AI race.
Generative AI chatbots give humanlike responses to questions, letting users instantly create text, images and music based on an expanding database of information. They have spread rapidly into classrooms and workplaces since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022.
On Wednesday, the White House released an AI Action Plan calling for policy changes to help the nation develop “radically new forms of education, media and communication.”
That and the Education Department’s announcement came in response to an April 23 executive order from President Trump that directed the Education and Labor departments to prioritize the development of a technologically literate workforce.
Insiders say Ms. McMahon’s announcement gives a green light to public schools and colleges seeking federal dollars to buy AI upgrades from education tech companies.
“Clear direction like this sparks action,” said Marlee Strawn, co-founder of Scholar Education, a company that develops AI tools for K-12 classrooms. “This clears up a lot of hesitation for school districts and vendors.”
It remains unclear how the money will be disbursed. The Education Department is accepting public feedback on the proposed funding priority until Aug. 20, after which it will issue final guidelines.
“The emphasis on responsibility and ethical use is crucial, but without enforceable standards or implementation support, there’s a risk of chaos, low outcome and even harm,” said Gadi Kovler, CEO of Radius, an AI lesson planning and resource program used in Texas and Maryland pilot programs this summer.
Others questioned how the Education Department plans to fund AI learning as the Trump administration works to dismantle the agency. They pointed to a lack of clarity on several points in this week’s announcement.
“Encouraging responsible experimentation is better than banning or waiting,” said behavioral psychologist Bob Hutchins, CEO of the AI literacy company Human Voice Media. “What’s missing is a parallel investment in teacher training, curriculum development and public awareness.”
The Education Department didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.
The Labor Department recently announced that it will manage the Education Department’s workforce training programs.
At the same time, the Trump administration has implemented mass layoffs and continues to withhold more than $5 billion in funding from states and school districts.
Some critics say the Education Department’s AI guidance could harm low-income racial minorities who lack internet access.
“The lack of clear guardrails around equity, bias mitigation and inclusive design is concerning,” said Elika Dadsetan-Foley, a social worker and executive director of Visions Inc., a Massachusetts mental health nonprofit. “Without attention to digital divides, teacher capacity and inclusive content development, these guidelines risk widening existing educational disparities.”
Meanwhile, lawmakers in several states have moved to regulate or require AI literacy in K-12 schools. They range from California, which has implemented AI learning requirements at all grade levels, to Missouri, where education officials recently released “responsible use” AI guidelines for the upcoming school year.
Martin Mehl, a communications researcher at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, said such policies are “essentially permission slips for what proactive educators have already been quietly doing.”
According to opinion surveys, AI use has quickly outpaced public policy.
In a March study of 3,682 high school students, the learning app Brainly found that 67% planned to use AI to prepare for their final exams, up from 59% the year before.
In Ohio, all K-12 public schools must adopt formal AI-use policies by the middle of next year.
“The impact will come when we use AI to amplify relationships, not replace them,” said L’Taundra Everhart, a veteran teacher and administrator in Ohio public schools.
Analysts say early AI adopters could apply for Education Department funding at their schools as early as October.
But Nir Kshetri, a business management professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, predicted it will take time for the Trump administration to clarify the process and for schools to respond.
“Any real impact will depend on how aggressively states, districts and institutions choose to act on the guidance, particularly in areas like curriculum integration, educator training and assessment redesign,” Mr. Kshetri said. “Without clear timelines, funding or accountability structures, visible effects are likely to be uneven and slow to materialize.”
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.