“Learning AI is like learning to ride a bike. How do you teach somebody to balance?” asked Alex Kotran at the 2026 NewSchools Summit.
His answer: “You kind of have to feel it.” And we felt it.
This gem came from a vibecoding pre-workshop led by aiEDU. While many of the attendees were familiar with using AI for typical workplace tasks like synthesis and writing support, the call to action at this year’s Summit gave us a necessary push to shift from being informed users of a tool to being involved builders of new solutions.
In this vibecoding session, attendees were actively building a wide range of tools, such as proposal crafters, website development to attract funders, and tools to discover the age of your pets. This was not a step-by-step workshop; this was a room full of people who rolled up their sleeves and dove into the messy yet empowering process of learning something new through trial and error.
Kotran demonstrated live how informal and vague the prompts can be, advising us to “imagine you have a developer sitting next to you and you’re barking out orders.” He also shared some of his own learnings where AI is frustratingly weak, like understanding what makes things easy for humans, such as providing a clickable link to the newly built website.
In a mic-drop moment, Kotran recommended paying for subscriptions to access the most powerful models available: “Cancel your Netflix. This is an investment in your learning journey”.
AI is the key to unlocking agency for all, through the power of building and the gift of time.
Throughout the Summit sessions, from the plenaries to each of the breakout sessions, one word came up over and over – agency. Simply put, agency is the sense of control one has over one’s own actions, thoughts, and behavior. From students to parents/caregivers to teachers, oftentimes the education system feels stuck in the status quo, leaving the individuals within it feeling powerless to effect substantive change.
We are entering a new era where AI serves as a key to unlocking agency for everyone, both through the power of building what’s in your imagination and the gift of one of the most precious and limited resources – time.
In the breakout session “Creating the Next Generation of Schools”, the panelists shared their different approaches and philosophies on school models, while all converging on learner agency and curiosity being at the heart of what matters most. Two of the models, Flourish Schools and Power Public Schools, highlighted an approach to compress the core academic instruction into 2-3 hours through the support of AI, thereby freeing up the rest of the day for richer, human-centered learning experiences.
When asked about what the adult role becomes in this type of model, the panelists shared the belief that the role of teachers shifts from purveyors of knowledge-based instruction to “gardeners” who can prioritize relationships to ensure all kids feel seen and loved, cultivate curiosity. This new flexibility of time also enables the educators to broker more hands-on experiences, such as community partnerships and internships.
As China Cardriche beautifully stated, “Learning is a process to get [our young people] to [find their] purpose and calling – from being to doing to learning to teaching to service.”
Together, we will build a future that is worthy of our young people.
With the creativity to dream, the capability to build, and the agency to act, the final piece is to do it together. To build what’s next for our education system will require everyone, including educators, students, and parents/caregivers, to come together, truly listen to each other, and collectively dream of and build a future that is truly worthy of all our young people.
Throughout the Summit, some of the most powerful words came directly from the youth. Azeemah Sadiq challenged the room to treat students as partners rather than subjects, delivering a clear and powerful message: “Build with us, not for us.” Jasmine Bernard and Arya Debes echoed this sentiment, reminding us that young people don’t need to be coached into being leaders; what they need is the resources, the trust, and the space for free thought. They closed with, “Don’t underestimate us.”
The same is true for families: we must build with families, not for them. During the breakout session “Beyond Voice: When Parents Shape the System”, the data shared by Learning Heroes was illuminating. While 88% of parents believe their kids are at grade level based on report cards, only 30% of 8th graders actually are. Trenace Dorsey-Hollins made the important distinction that “Informed is not involved.” When schools send home confusing data that do not provide a true picture of how students are doing, there is a failure in communication. I have experienced this firsthand with one of my sons, who received straight A’s in Algebra 1 all year, yet still didn’t actually know the quadratic formula. This is exactly why parents are demanding a shift from merely being informed to being actively involved in coming up with solutions for their children. It starts with authentic communication and trust through a willingness to share the good with the bad, and then goes to the next level by partnering with parents to co-build solutions for their children.
As Frances Messano elegantly expressed, we need to “move beyond soloists to being parts of a choir together.”
