Just a short note Natalie. Having all of the kids write about the same topic also allows them and the teacher to compare and contrast the writings so as to learn from each other. They can then also delve deeper. If everyone is writing about something different, then this is impossible.
I used to run a project-based curriculum in Knowledge Technology. Each trimester, students would follow three domain-specific courses. After 8 weeks, they had to carry out, in teams, a knowledge tech project using what they had learned. \we chose not to allow them to choose a topic on their own but gave them all the same topic (e.g., design a database for contagious diseases for use by GPs or design a dating programme). We then had them present them to each other in a session at the end of the two weeks (BTW, they were so enthusiastic that they waited outside the door in the mornings and had to be kicked out at night). The reason was simple: This allowed the teacher, but foremost the students to compare and contrast the products with respect to function, interface, routines applied, etc. Also, the instructor could then use what had been done for teaching in the final two weeks of the course (group A did this and that happened while group B did that. Why was group B's programme faster). This would have been impossible if everyone did something different and avoided the cliché: Yeah, that works for your project but not mine.
Alpha School seems to be another iteration of a long line of people who want school to be anything but school. They clearly have a disdain for academics, yet brag about their students being accepted into prestigious universities. What becomes of an Alpha School graduate who then has to attend traditional lectures on topics that aren’t of their choosing, where traditional grades go against the mastery concept? Is Alpha University coming next? What will “time back” look like then?
I’m as skeptical as you are about how they’re teaching writing and humanities. I also dislike their clear disdain for educators.
They had 6 graduating students in 2026, and the two kids who got into Ivy League schools were both related to the founders: Joe Liemandt's daughter and Mackenzie Price's daughter. Both are going to Stanford, where Joe and Mackenzie also went. No shade to either daughter, but again, they fail to share pretty telling details that complete a more accurate story of wealth, nepotism, privilege, and access.
What they always fail to admit is that Joe Liemandt's daughter writes Austin Scholar, and it is another avenue for them to market Alpha in a somewhat disingenuous way. For those who don’t know, Joe is the co-founder and primary source of funding for Alpha and worth looking into. His history is colorful to say the least. I believe Kate (Austin Scholar) graduated 2 years ago, as she was a sophomore at Stanford this year, so she may have tested AlphaWrite, since she clearly has access to it even though she wasn't a current student when it went live.
I don't share this to knock them down, but I do think the lack of transparency is telling and not uncommon for how Alpha operates.
Thank you for linking to Dan Meyer's article about Alpha School in the real world. He writes: Alpha School students must have parents engaged enough to adopt a non-traditional schooling model, complete the application process, participate in an interview, facilitate their kid’s attendance to the Shadow Days, etc. Price, in particular, is quite clear that the Alpha School model requires engaged parents. “What makes the whole world go around is parents,” Price told cognitive scientist Dan Schwartz. “I think an engaged parent is kind of the number one best thing.”
In the charter school example, many of these pre-conditions didn't apply, and Meyer concludes:
"What can public schools, administrators, and teachers learn from Alpha School? Unbound Academy offers us only a quasi-answer but it is the best one available. Their poor outcomes shouldn’t be the last word on 2 Hour Learning but they should be the loudest. Their outcomes indicate that it is far harder to make successful students than it is to select them in advance."
Could it be that the selection of "successful students" with engaged parents compensates for students writing about personal interests, something not applicable to most of public school students. If Alpha School teaches children who are traveling, visiting museums, and discussing content-rich topics with their families, engaging in personal interests at school may not set them back the way it might other students.
As you point out, it is remarkable that we are back to balanced literacy territory (though you didn't use that phrase) with content-lite reading and writing, which just goes to show how and why BL did not serve the best interests of most students, including how it taught foundational reading skills.
Maybe students with engaged parents don't NEED to write about curriculum content as much as others do, but even they could benefit greatly from doing it.
Who knows, if Alpha could figure out a way to attach AlphaWrites to its curriculum content without violating the basic precepts of its model, their results might be even more impressive -- although I'm not sure standardized tests with no essay component could capture the difference.
I have to little information to have a strong opinion about the effectiveness of AI in Alpha schools. I am more curious about the effectiveness of AI in Khan Academy / Khanmigo schools. I Read Sal Khan's book this summer and have watched a few podcasts and want to know more about the potential of the work he is doing in education using AI.
I haven't followed the Khanmigo story closely, but Sal Khan has said he's been disappointed that students aren't actually using it much. See this story:
The problem seems to be motivation, which is an area that Alpha has focused on -- they seem to be very good at motivation, which the guides provide in the form of various incentives, etc. In fact, some people think their results are explained more by motivation than by AI or ed tech. See here:
Thanks for your reply including the excellent links. Now I am most curious about if and how much to use AI in teaching writing. I work with spec ed students in grades 4-6. My best students can decode at grade level and stuggle with comprehension. All of my students need work on writing at the sentence level. Run ons are very common. Some of my students have literacy levels closer to second grade level.
I am going to try incorporating some AI into my instruction this year and would appreciate any thoughts on when and how to use it. Last year all we did was use the editing tool in Google docs. Btw I am a big fan of your work in literacy.
Just a short note Natalie. Having all of the kids write about the same topic also allows them and the teacher to compare and contrast the writings so as to learn from each other. They can then also delve deeper. If everyone is writing about something different, then this is impossible.
Paul
Good point!
I used to run a project-based curriculum in Knowledge Technology. Each trimester, students would follow three domain-specific courses. After 8 weeks, they had to carry out, in teams, a knowledge tech project using what they had learned. \we chose not to allow them to choose a topic on their own but gave them all the same topic (e.g., design a database for contagious diseases for use by GPs or design a dating programme). We then had them present them to each other in a session at the end of the two weeks (BTW, they were so enthusiastic that they waited outside the door in the mornings and had to be kicked out at night). The reason was simple: This allowed the teacher, but foremost the students to compare and contrast the products with respect to function, interface, routines applied, etc. Also, the instructor could then use what had been done for teaching in the final two weeks of the course (group A did this and that happened while group B did that. Why was group B's programme faster). This would have been impossible if everyone did something different and avoided the cliché: Yeah, that works for your project but not mine.
Alpha School seems to be another iteration of a long line of people who want school to be anything but school. They clearly have a disdain for academics, yet brag about their students being accepted into prestigious universities. What becomes of an Alpha School graduate who then has to attend traditional lectures on topics that aren’t of their choosing, where traditional grades go against the mastery concept? Is Alpha University coming next? What will “time back” look like then?
I’m as skeptical as you are about how they’re teaching writing and humanities. I also dislike their clear disdain for educators.
They had 6 graduating students in 2026, and the two kids who got into Ivy League schools were both related to the founders: Joe Liemandt's daughter and Mackenzie Price's daughter. Both are going to Stanford, where Joe and Mackenzie also went. No shade to either daughter, but again, they fail to share pretty telling details that complete a more accurate story of wealth, nepotism, privilege, and access.
What they always fail to admit is that Joe Liemandt's daughter writes Austin Scholar, and it is another avenue for them to market Alpha in a somewhat disingenuous way. For those who don’t know, Joe is the co-founder and primary source of funding for Alpha and worth looking into. His history is colorful to say the least. I believe Kate (Austin Scholar) graduated 2 years ago, as she was a sophomore at Stanford this year, so she may have tested AlphaWrite, since she clearly has access to it even though she wasn't a current student when it went live.
I don't share this to knock them down, but I do think the lack of transparency is telling and not uncommon for how Alpha operates.
Yes, I , as well, figured that Austin Scholar is just PR for Alpha School!
Thank you for linking to Dan Meyer's article about Alpha School in the real world. He writes: Alpha School students must have parents engaged enough to adopt a non-traditional schooling model, complete the application process, participate in an interview, facilitate their kid’s attendance to the Shadow Days, etc. Price, in particular, is quite clear that the Alpha School model requires engaged parents. “What makes the whole world go around is parents,” Price told cognitive scientist Dan Schwartz. “I think an engaged parent is kind of the number one best thing.”
In the charter school example, many of these pre-conditions didn't apply, and Meyer concludes:
"What can public schools, administrators, and teachers learn from Alpha School? Unbound Academy offers us only a quasi-answer but it is the best one available. Their poor outcomes shouldn’t be the last word on 2 Hour Learning but they should be the loudest. Their outcomes indicate that it is far harder to make successful students than it is to select them in advance."
Could it be that the selection of "successful students" with engaged parents compensates for students writing about personal interests, something not applicable to most of public school students. If Alpha School teaches children who are traveling, visiting museums, and discussing content-rich topics with their families, engaging in personal interests at school may not set them back the way it might other students.
As you point out, it is remarkable that we are back to balanced literacy territory (though you didn't use that phrase) with content-lite reading and writing, which just goes to show how and why BL did not serve the best interests of most students, including how it taught foundational reading skills.
Maybe students with engaged parents don't NEED to write about curriculum content as much as others do, but even they could benefit greatly from doing it.
Who knows, if Alpha could figure out a way to attach AlphaWrites to its curriculum content without violating the basic precepts of its model, their results might be even more impressive -- although I'm not sure standardized tests with no essay component could capture the difference.
I have to little information to have a strong opinion about the effectiveness of AI in Alpha schools. I am more curious about the effectiveness of AI in Khan Academy / Khanmigo schools. I Read Sal Khan's book this summer and have watched a few podcasts and want to know more about the potential of the work he is doing in education using AI.
I haven't followed the Khanmigo story closely, but Sal Khan has said he's been disappointed that students aren't actually using it much. See this story:
https://www.chalkbeat.org/2026/04/09/sal-khan-reflects-on-ai-in-schools-and-khanmigo/
The problem seems to be motivation, which is an area that Alpha has focused on -- they seem to be very good at motivation, which the guides provide in the form of various incentives, etc. In fact, some people think their results are explained more by motivation than by AI or ed tech. See here:
https://fivetwelvethirteen.substack.com/p/alpha-schools-secret-sauce
Thanks for your reply including the excellent links. Now I am most curious about if and how much to use AI in teaching writing. I work with spec ed students in grades 4-6. My best students can decode at grade level and stuggle with comprehension. All of my students need work on writing at the sentence level. Run ons are very common. Some of my students have literacy levels closer to second grade level.
I am going to try incorporating some AI into my instruction this year and would appreciate any thoughts on when and how to use it. Last year all we did was use the editing tool in Google docs. Btw I am a big fan of your work in literacy.