Teachers in Virginia’s two largest school districts may soon be able to use artificial intelligence to generate lesson plans and teaching materials or do other basic tasks.
Open AI, the makers of ChatGPT, announced this week will roll out a secured version of the product designed specifically for educators and school leaders. Just over a dozen school districts — including those in Fairfax and Prince William counties in Northern Virginia — were selected to get free access until June 2027.
“By integrating AI responsibly into our classrooms, ensuring compliance with security and data privacy requirements, we are committed to empowering educators with digital tools that reduce barriers and improve outcomes for every student,” Matt Guilfoyle, chief information officer for the Prince William district, said in a statement.
The partnership comes as schools look for more ways to adapt to the explosion of AI tools in recent years. The technology sparked wide debates and concerns that it would increase cheating and disruptions to learning, leading to executive orders and government guidance on how the tools should be used in schools. As of October, 33 states — including Virginia — and Puerto Rico have official guidance or policies on the use of the technology in K-12 schools, according to AI for Education, which provides training on AI literacy.
While much attention has focused on how students use the technology, school leaders have also increasingly been turning to AI. In the 2024-2025 school year, six in 10 teachers reported using an AI tool for their work, using it for everything from making worksheets to modifying materials to meet student needs, according to Gallup polling. In July, OpenAI announced a partnership with the American Federation of Teachers to launch an academy in New York to train up to 400,000 educators on how to use AI.
School leaders have also employed the AI in other ways. Loudoun County Public Schools uses it to scan and monitor security camera footage to identify potential safety threats. Schools also use the technology to monitor student activity on school-issued devices and accounts. A chain of private schools is using the technology to completely remove teachers from the classroom.
Still, there remain many faults and concerns about integrating AI into schools, like the effects on development and student privacy. In Maryland, an AI-driven security system recently flaggedan empty bag of chips as a possible firearm.
Victor Lee, an associate professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, said in an interview that AI companies have started to lean more into education in recent months, seeing it as a key sector for use. While some educators are starting to embrace the technology, Lee said there are many who are reluctant to bring it into their classrooms.
“There’s many, many questions amongst educators about AI and some hesitation on how effective or useful some of the things have been,” Lee said. “I think the potential to engage and for the AI companies to learn from this particular problem space could have promising potential.”
The goal for Michelle Reid, superintendent of the Fairfax district, which serves over 180,000 students, is that the partnership with OpenAI will be an opportunity for educators to have a safe space, try new things, and figure out what works and what doesn’t.
“We want to be part of shaping the future of how AI is used by our students,” Reid said. “And we’re starting with how we use tools with our staff, our adults.”
ChatGPT for Teachers will, for the most part, look and feel like the same product the wider public uses now, OpenAI spokesperson Jamie Radice said in an email. But it will include features like teacher-specific prompts and templates and enhanced privacy.
“Every student today is going to grow up in a world that is shaped by powerful AI and teachers will play a key role in helping students and families learn to use it well,” OpenAI Vice President of Education Leah Belsky said in a statement.
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