The AIM Coalition advocates a two-year moratorium on AI in NYC public schools because…
- AI is at odds with how we learn,
- AI companies are destroying our planet,
- AI is racist, and
- AI puts our kids’ privacy at risk.
For more information, check out our one-page FAQ and a list of resources here.
Tell the DOE: NO AI in NYC Public Schools
The DOE released their “AI guidance” for NYC schools and it is… not good. TLDR, NYC schools are embracing AI in schools for kids of all ages with few limitations or guardrails, and seems designed to shift responsibility for any harms that result to educators and schools, rather than the system as a whole, the mayor or the tech companies profiting off of our students. The guidance also fails to address any of our concerns around climate, surveillance, student mental health, bias and racism, learning or cognitive development, and the included privacy provisions are insufficient. We also feel strongly that the DOE’s approach is incompatible with the Mayor’s campaign commitment to Green and Healthy Schools.
You can read the AIM Coalition’s press statement and comments from our coalition partners on the DOE guidance here.
Here’s what comes next:
The DOE has launched a 45-day process to “solicit feedback” from stakeholders. Based on the quality of the survey they released with their guidance, it seems that this process is window dressing for a foregone conclusion. But it’s also an opportunity for concerned parents, students, educators and allies to organize, raise awareness about our campaign and demand better for NYC students.
The DOE is asking for feedback via their “survey.” Superintendents, SLTs, and CECs are going to gather data as well.
Here’s what you can tell them: “This guidance provides no good reason for why AI belongs in public schools–and makes no claims to be able to protect students from the clear harms to learning, cognitive development, and mental health. Student privacy is a floor, and an important one, but it is not a ceiling–even with privacy protections, AI is a dangerous addition to the classroom. My child learns best in an environment with a human teacher, culturally responsive curriculum, and small class sizes: NOT when their learning is outsourced to a machine. The environmental and climate catastrophe from AI data centers, the human cost of training models, and the deeply biased racial outcomes mean that this is a bad choice for our schools. We need a moratorium — not to open the floodgates to AI technology.”
Sign our coalition’s petition here.
You have the right to know how AI is being used. Here is a flyer you can use to share information about why you are against AI. Here is a flyer you can share about the dangers of i-Ready, and here is a list of questions you can ask about the tech in your school.
Check out this fantastic list of questions from Mothers Against Media Addiction.
AI also takes away our ability to teach the way that children learn best. Read teacher Lauren Monaco’s resolution to protect deep play and experiential learning during the school day that recently passed at the UFT. Consider introducing resolutions of your own to protect the rights of children to engage in inquiry, play, and exploration.
Here are templates for opt-out letters you can send to schools and teachers opting your child out of the use of student-facing AI tools.
In September 2025, Kyle DeAngelis, a NYC public school teacher and one of the authors of this piece, delivered this open letter to Randi Weingarten at an event at UFT headquarters, along with a copy of Karen Hao’s new book, Empire of AI. Read the letter, and find ways you can speak truth to power!
Here is a draft of the moratorium resolution that has passed in several districts across the city. Encourage your CEC to adopt something similar!
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