Newsom can transform schools by following Israel’s lead on AI tutors

by U T Editorial Board

Two recent decisions by Gov. Gavin Newsom bode well for public education in California.

On Oct. 9, he signed legislation that finally clears the way for wide use of science-based reading instruction. Many state districts have stubbornly stuck with the discredited “whole language” method decades after educators elsewhere likened its use to “a story of stupidity.” Given that poor reading skills correlate with worse life outcomes, that insult doesn’t go far enough.

On Oct. 14, he vetoed a bill that would have banned the use of public funds to pay for automation at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which had been supported by labor unions to preserve jobs and opposed by environmentalists because automation improves air quality.

Why link these decisions? Because taken together, they set the stage for Newsom to reject teachers union objections and embrace a hugely promising way to quickly, inexpensively improve schools: providing every student with a personalized AI tutor to help them understand and master their courses, building on the help they continue to get from human teachers.

In May, Israel became the first nation to launch large-scale, personalized instruction using customizable AI “conversational avatars,” working with Harvard and MIT. After two months, researchers reported that thousands of students showed significant gains after just 25 minutes of AI-assisted study.

Alas, a 2023 commentary on a California Teachers Association website showed the union is ready to throw the kitchen sink at advocates of such tools. You see, AI “cannot teach” compassion, work ethic, stewardship of the environment or appreciation of art, theater, dance or the experiential side of culture, and can’t be trusted on issues of equity, identity and culture.

Here’s who can’t be trusted on education: the CTA. Guess who fought the hardest to retain “whole language” instruction long after its failure became plain in the 1990s? Bingo. The CTA. Bring on the AI tutors to help our kids learn.