2026 Tennessee Educator Survey Snapshot: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Schools- Needs and Concerns

The 2026 Tennessee Educator Survey Snapshots offer quick, accessible insights from educators on some of the most important issues in our schools—including artificial intelligence, cell phone policies, student discipline, match curriculum and supports, career and technical education, early career teachers, teacher evaluation and retention, and more. These one-pagers highlight what teachers are seeing and experiencing right now, providing valuable perspective to inform conversations about policy and practice across the state.

• Key Insight #1: Of teachers who did not use AI tools in the 2025-26 school year, over half reported they simply were not interested in doing so. About a quarter of teachers who didn’t use AI tools lacked training or support.
• Key Insight #2: Of teachers who did not use AI tools, elementary school teachers were more likely to say a lack of training and support prevented their use, while middle and high school teachers cited concerns about plagiarism and cheating.
• Key Insight #3: CTE teachers have unique needs around incorporating AI into their teaching, with most agreeing that AI is changing the skills they need to teach and the skills students need to have.