The US Department of Education’s Guidance on AI: An Overview
3 top takeaways:
- AI should support tutors, not replace them: The 2025 letter from the US Department of Education backs “hybrid models where human tutors are complemented by AI-based learning platforms” and says AI should be educator-led.
- What matters is learning, not screen time: The 2026 guidance moves the conversation further with the question of whether technology “improves learning and students’ academic outcomes.” This is rather than the focus on reduced screen time.
- Parents need to understand the tools educators use: Both letters emphasize that families should know how tools work and get clear updates on their child’s progress.
Around the world, countries are quickly adapting to the rise of AI use for education and what this means for K-12 students in school. Following on from years of debate about screen time and the appropriate way to use, and teach about, technology in schools, the conversation is ever-evolving.
Over the past year, the US Department of Education has released two letters to schools and states about AI and edtech. Together, they set out a clear view: AI should support educators, not replace them, and it has to prove it helps students learn. Here we break down the key points.
What has the US Department of Education said about AI in Education?
In August 2026, the US Department of Education sent a letter to states and school districts on how to use education technology responsibly. The crux of the letter is that it moves the debate away from how much screen time students get and towards whether technology truly helps them to learn.
This follows on from a previous letter released in July 2025, which outlined guidance on the use of federal funds to improve educational outcomes through AI.
2025: The case for AI, with tutors in charge
First up, a recap of last year’s guidance. In July 2025, US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon confirmed that schools and other organizations can spend their federal education grants on AI. The goal, she wrote, is to “enhance teaching and learning, expand access, and support educators, without replacing the critical role they play”.
AI-enhanced tutoring got its own section. It includes “Hybrid models where human tutors are complemented by AI-based learning platforms”. Emphasizing the need for human-centered and AI-enabled learning.
The letter also set out five principles for responsible AI:
- Educator-led: “AI should support teachers, providers, tutors, advisors, and education leaders.”
- Ethical: Students should learn “with, rather than exclusively from, AI.”
- Accessible: Tools should work for people with disabilities.
- Transparent and explainable: “Stakeholders, especially parents, should understand how systems function.”
- Data-protective: Tools must follow federal privacy law, including FERPA, the US law that protects student records.
2026: Proof that technology improves student outcomes
In August 2026, Assistant Secretary Kirsten Baesler sent a second letter expanding on edtech and screen time. It took those five principles for AI further, saying they apply “not only for artificial intelligence, but for educational technology more broadly”.
It also raised the bar for edtech providers: “Responsible design is the floor”. What counts is whether a tool improves learning. As the letter puts it: “The question should not be whether teachers and students use technology. The question should be whether the technology we ask teachers and students to use improves learning and students’ academic outcomes”.
Tutoring comes up again; the letter names it as something technology makes possible for students in rural areas. It also notes that states such as Louisiana, Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan and Texas are trialing education contracts tied to results, and that early examples have “focused primarily on tutoring services”.
What this means for your tutoring business
Taken together, the two letters give you a simple checklist for any AI tool for tutoring:
- Does it support the tutor, or try to replace them?
- Will parents understand what it does?
- Is it clear how it handles student data?
- Can you see whether it’s helping students learn?
Where Bobbin fits in
Bobbin was built around the “hybrid model” the 2025 letter describes. The tutor teaches, and Bobbin builds lesson plans from the curriculum, records and summarizes each session, and turns those summaries into reports ready to send to parents.
The 2026 letter says good tools give families “clearer and more timely information about their child’s progress, strengthening the partnership between home and school”, which is precisely why Bobbin provides such detailed reporting: to strengthen the communication between tutors and parents.
Our philosophy in building Bobbin has been ‘human-centered and AI-enabled’, giving tutors the tools they need to run great lessons, not replacing them. This philosophy wholly aligns with the US Department of Education’s current advice on AI in education.
To learn more about how Bobbin uses AI to support great lessons, get in touch with our team today.
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