Wealthy families try AI-guided private schools for their children
AI-centered schools such as Alpha School and Forge Prep are charging high tuition while questions remain about results, The Verge reported.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Some affluent U.S. families are enrolling children in private schools built around AI tutors, a shift that puts young students into classrooms using education technology that has not yet shown public performance data. The Verge reported that companies including Alpha School and Forge Prep charge families tens of thousands of dollars for programs centered on AI instruction and project-based workshops.
The model is drawing interest from Silicon Valley families, according to The Verge. The schools are presenting AI as part of an alternative to conventional education, while broader public trust in AI remains weak; The Verge cited Pew and Gallup data showing many Americans do not trust the technology.
High tuition for a new model
Alpha School and Forge Prep use AI tutors alongside “interactive project-based workshops,” The Verge reported. The article described the students as early users of systems whose educational value has not been publicly established through shared outcome data.
One example came from Shaun Johnson, a San Francisco venture capitalist, who told The Wall Street Journal he planned to enroll his son in Alpha Kindergarten. The program costs $75,000 a year, according to the Journal account cited by The Verge.
Johnson told The Wall Street Journal that he believes the existing education system is likely broken and that entrepreneurs will try to repair it. He said he wanted students to be able to think quickly and handle the world, rather than focus on reciting facts in a single subject area.
Questions about curriculum and evidence
The Verge raised concerns about whether AI systems, which the site said have been criticized as overly agreeable, can help children develop those skills. The article also noted that AI tools have drawn scrutiny for errors and unreliable outputs in other settings.
Curriculum choices are another point of attention. The Verge, citing The Wall Street Journal, reported that Alpha School co-founder MacKenzie Price has said she plans to keep “hot-button social issues” out of the classroom.
The Verge reported that the issue extends beyond early childhood because Alpha School serves students through high school in some locations. The reporting did not provide public academic outcome measures showing that AI-guided private schools are improving student performance.
Forge Prep also does not share performance metrics, according to The Verge. That leaves parents, educators and outside observers without public evidence to judge whether the approach produces better results than traditional schooling.
The growth of AI-centered schooling reflects a broader push to apply artificial intelligence to education, especially among families able to pay private-school prices. For now, The Verge reported, the approach remains expensive, lightly evidenced and closely tied to parents’ willingness to try an unproven model with their children.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.