Teachers Get $11 Million in AI Training as Districts Struggle to Keep Up
The Computer Science Teachers Association is launching a $11 million professional development initiative this summer to train thousands of K-12 educators to teach artificial intelligence and foundational computer science skills. The program, called AI PD Weeks, runs from June through August in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, and South Carolina, with four additional states planned for year two.
The initiative addresses a real gap. While 58% of teachers reported receiving at least one professional development session on AI as of March, that figure was only 29% a year earlier, according to an EdWeek Research Center survey. Teachers want practical instruction, but many districts lack in-house expertise on fast-moving technology.
What Teachers Actually Need
Teachers attending the sessions want to learn from peers who have tested AI tools in their classrooms. They want feedback on their own experiments. They want to know when AI makes sense to use and when it doesn't.
Kim Kefalas, the lead elementary technology teacher at Linden school district in New Jersey, said the barrier for many colleagues isn't resistance-it's uncertainty. "It's not so much that they don't want to [use AI], they just don't know how," she said.
Some teachers are also pushing back on uncritical enthusiasm. Beth Smith, a STEM teacher in Indiana, wants the professional development to address downsides: environmental impact, bias in AI systems, and concerns about students' technology overuse. "I would love for CSTA to balance the PD and not just be rah-rah-rah about it," Smith said.
Program Structure and Support
Each week-long session will cover machine learning basics, how AI systems recognize patterns and make decisions, evaluating AI outputs for accuracy and bias, and examining ethical and societal impacts. Teachers can choose from in-person and virtual workshops tailored to their role.
The program extends beyond the summer week. Teachers will receive ongoing professional development during the school year through their state CSTA chapter. The National Science Foundation grant includes stipends to compensate teachers for 12 to 16 hours of school-year training.
Bryan Twarek, head of research and innovation for CSTA, said teachers overwhelmingly believe AI belongs in foundational computer science instruction. "Many are already teaching it, and yet they also feel not yet equipped to do so effectively," he said.
The Research Question
CSTA will also study how teachers integrate AI concepts, tools, and ethical considerations into their instruction when given intensive and ongoing support. Twarek said there's limited research on how teachers actually implement AI teaching in sustained ways.
The initiative is funded through President Donald Trump's executive order on artificial intelligence education for American youth, which directs resources toward training teachers to integrate AI into instruction.
For educators seeking additional resources on this topic, AI for Education and the AI Learning Path for Teachers offer structured approaches to building AI competency.
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