Inside the $40,000 a year school where AI shapes every lesson, without teachers

Austin, Texas — Fourth and fifth graders at Alpha School in Austin, Texas, aren’t just learning — they’re pioneering education’s new frontier. Every click and every keystroke is guided by artificial intelligence.

Students spend only two hours in the morning on science, math and reading, working at their own speed using personalized, AI-driven software.

Adults in the classroom are called guides, not teachers, and earn six-figure salaries. Their job is to encourage and motivate.

When asked if an algorithm replaces the expertise of a teacher, guide Luke Phillips said, “I don’t think it’s replacing, I think it’s just working in tandem.”

Afternoons at the school are different. Students tackle projects, learn financial literacy and public speaking — life skills that founder MacKenzie Price says are invaluable. 

“There is such a huge advantage when students can be met at the level and pace of learning that is right for them,” Phillips said.

Price was not an educator before starting the school in 2014. There are now 16 campuses with support from big backers. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited last month.

When asked about concerns over turning learning over to a laptop, Price said, “So our guides are not teaching academic content, but they are connecting. In fact, every week, every one of our students get 30 minutes of one-on-one concentrated time with their guides, and during the workshops in the afternoons, they are connecting and interacting in a group experience.”

That progress isn’t cheap. Tuition at Austin’s Alpha School starts at $40,000 a year.

“We recognize that there is a huge mountain of challenges that come in a large public [school] system, so what I hope that Alpha can be is an example, an inspiration and help families understand that this model of education is something that can work,” Price said.

While the school says its students test in the top 1% on standardized assessments, AI models have been met with skepticism by educators who say they’re unproven. Though there’s no dispute it is engaging students like Smith Adreon, who calls the program “amazing.”