OpenAI expands access to ChatGPT for teachers across U.S. school districts

OpenAI has announced the expansion of its ChatGPT for Teachers initiative to 55 additional school districts across 20 states, bringing the total number of participating districts to over 100 K–12 organizations across 30 states. This expansion provides free access and training to more than 300,000 educators and staff, including 1 in 5 of America’s 20 largest public school districts and some of the country’s most diverse school systems. The initiative aims to give educators a secure environment to explore AI, understand its utility, and guide its integration into education. A key component of this expansion is the introduction of a 16-state National Data Privacy Agreement through the Student Data Privacy Consortium framework. This agreement provides a common framework for districts to evaluate ChatGPT for Teachers against their student data privacy requirements, making responsible AI adoption simpler and more consistent across school systems. The agreement covers states such as Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, with California covered by a separate agreement. ChatGPT for Teachers remains a free tool for verified U.S. K–12 educators through June 2028. The tool is designed with education-grade privacy, security, and administrative controls, ensuring that data shared in a workspace is not used to train models by default. School and district leaders can manage workspaces with role-based controls to support FERPA requirements. OpenAI is also expanding its training and support initiatives, including the OpenAI Academy and the National Academy for AI Instruction with the American Federation of Teachers, a five-year initiative aimed at equipping 400,000 K–12 educators with practical AI skills. This summer, more than 1,600 teachers, administrators, and district leaders are participating in hands-on AI Skills Jams hosted by OpenAI Academy and in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation. These sessions are showing how teacher-led adoption can look in practice, with educators using ChatGPT to adapt lessons, prepare substitute materials, and analyze information. Leah Belsky, Vice President of Education at OpenAI, emphasized the importance of educators leading AI adoption, stating, “Education has always helped young people prepare for the world they’re going to inherit. In the age of AI, students need educators and schools that help them build judgment, confidence, and agency with these tools.” The new district partnerships include Abilene Independent School District (TX), Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125 (IL), Baltimore City Public Schools (MD), Boise School District (ID), Clarkstown Central School District (NY), El Dorado County Office of Education (CA), Epic Charter Schools (OK), Flagler Schools (FL), Fort Worth Independent School District (TX), Frisco Independent School District (TX), Humble Independent School District (TX), Kern High School District (CA), Killeen Independent School District (TX), Laramie County School District 1 (WY), Lewisville Independent School District (TX), Los Angeles County Office of Education (CA), Needham Public Schools (MA), New Trier Township High School District 203 (IL), Northside Independent School District (TX), Oakland Schools (MI), Orange County Department of Education (CA), Orange County Public Schools (FL), Pocantico Hills Central School District (NY), Rye Country Day School (NY), Santa Cruz County Office of Education (CA), Sarasota County Schools (FL), St. Vrain Valley Schools (CO), Township High School District 211 (IL), Ventura Unified School District (CA), Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VA), and Westminster Public Schools (CO).