A thought-provoking NY Post article by Katie Warren explores the rapid rise of AI-driven schools like Alpha, where students spend just a couple of hours a day on academics with AI tutors and the rest on life skills.
The promise is compelling: highly personalized learning, faster academic progress, and more engaged students. And some families are already seeing those benefits.
But there are real questions, too—about social development, screen time, and whether AI can truly replicate (or replace) the role of a skilled teacher.
As I said in the article, these are early days. Parents feel both excitement and unease—and no one, educators included, has clear answers yet.
That uncertainty is where we are right now. And it’s exactly why families need to proceed thoughtfully as this new model evolves. My question,
“The Holy Grail would be if Dalton, Collegiate, Brearley, Horace Mann etc. offered a distinctive plan” for AI, Glickman said, referencing New York City’s most storied private academies. “Since they haven’t yet, do you take a leap with Alpha? It’s a new brand.”
My answer: In my experience, most NYC, Westchester and Greenwich parents aren’t ready yet.