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The state board said no
The state board voted down Alpha School's AI charter bid. Emails show Texas Education Agency staff helped its platform reach district pilots in Houston, Aldine and Fort Davis.
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Emails obtained by The Texas Tribune and ProPublica show state education officials and Alpha affiliates approached at least 10 school districts about Alpha School's AI program. At least three launched pilots. They are Houston, Fort Davis in West Texas and Aldine near Houston. The product is the AI technology now often called TimeBack.
The State Board of Education has the final say on charter decisions. The Tribune reports it voted the Alpha leaders' charter bid down 10 to 3. Members cited the company's use of AI to teach, students' screen time and the test gains Alpha leaders presented.
What the emails show
Education Commissioner Mike Morath answered an email from Alpha School associates in September 2025, replying that he would love to schedule a follow-up discussion. He offered to introduce an Alpha leader to the superintendent he appointed to run the state takeover of Houston ISD. Emails show he visited Alpha's campuses again with six other agency leaders, timed for the same day as Houston superintendent Mike Miles.
An associate commissioner wrote to Alpha's backer about piloting a few supplemental instances in the state. A staff member who oversees the agency's blended learning programs sent Alpha associates a to-do list that included drafting a one-page explainer of the pilot for districts. By the middle of June he applauded their progress securing pilots with Fort Davis and Aldine.
Three districts, three uses
All three districts say they will use the software for supplemental learning rather than Alpha's full model. In that model the AI teaches basic subjects in two hours a day while human guides focus on motivation and emotional support.
Fort Davis enrolls around 800 students and will use it in its K-8 classrooms for students who need help in reading and math. Its deputy superintendent calls it an extra layer of intervention. Aldine will deploy it to roughly 300 students across four middle schools that need support in math.
Houston ISD says it plans to use the technology with students who have strong test scores, to test whether it speeds academic growth. Its press office said the district isn't paying Alpha for the pilot. The district asked the attorney general to withhold the contract from the newsrooms.
At least five districts confirmed they were approached and didn't pursue an agreement. They are Ector County, Fort Bend, Irving, Pecos and Pflugerville. Only Ector County gave a reason. It said its school day isn't structured to support the pilot.
What the agency says
The agency says there is no formal partnership with Alpha. It says its officials connected interested district leaders and left the decision to the districts. The full extent of its involvement and the number of districts using the program remain unclear, and the agency is still fighting release of more of its emails.
The one school with scores
An Alpha leader told state officials in May 2025 that its platform had arrived at an Austin charter. The leader said 50% to 60% of students were then passing state exams. The agency's own published results don't back that up. At Texas Preparatory School just 21% of students passed, and the agency gave the charter its third consecutive F.
The share reaching approaches grade level, the lowest passing category, rose slightly from 19% to 21%. The share at grade level fell from 10% to zero after the partnership.
What isn't settled
Board vice chair Pam Little said she doesn't want any AI in schools, especially in the lower grades. Board member Gustavo Reveles said the agency's help raises a red flag that there may be ways around the board's concern. The Governor's press secretary said any tool a district deploys must keep teachers at the center, limit screen time and prove results.
The reporting names no district document for any of the three pilots, and none was found for this edition. The State Board of Education voted on a recommendation to veto Valenta Academy, a proposed charter school in Bastrop. Community Impact reported that Valenta's programming was proposed to follow a two hour learning model. The Tribune and ProPublica reports this edition cites don't name Valenta, so it doesn't join the two.
Sources for this story
- State Board of Education minutes, June 27th, 2025
- Community Impact, July 7th, 2025
- The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, October 1st, 2026
- ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, September 2nd, 2026
Claim-by-claim verification · 44 claims
On June 27th, 2025, the Texas State Board of Education voted on a recommendation to veto the proposed Valenta Academy charter school in Bastrop.
that they veto the proposed Generation 30 Subchapter D Open- Enrollment Charter School Valenta Academy (Bastrop) as recommended by the Commissioner.
The State Board of Education's minutes record the Valenta Academy veto recommendation as adopted on a roll call vote of 10-3-1.
which was adopted 10-3-1
Two days earlier, on June 25th, 2025, the board's Committee of the Full Board voted 10 to 3 for a motion to recommend vetoing the Valenta Academy charter.
The motion was adopted 10-3.
Community Impact reported in July 2025 that Valenta Academy's programming was proposed to follow a two-hour learning model.
Programming at Valenta Academy was proposed to be based on the two-hour learning model
A Valenta Academy spokesperson told Community Impact in December 2024 that the school would use adaptive artificial intelligence for self-driven, accelerated learning.
utilizes adaptive artificial intelligence (AI) to enable a self-driven, accelerated learning experience for students
The Texas Tribune and ProPublica reported on October 1st, 2026 that Education Commissioner Mike Morath had supported Alpha leaders' bid to open a Texas charter school. The bid used the same AI technology.
he had supported Alpha leaders’ bid to open a charter school in Texas that would use the same technology
The Tribune reports the State Board of Education, which has the final say on charter decisions, voted the Alpha leaders' charter bid down 10 to 3.
Then the Texas State Board of Education, which has the final say on such charter decisions, voted it down 10 to 3.
According to the Tribune, board members cited concerns about AI teaching, student screen time and the test score gains Alpha leaders presented.
Board members cited concerns about the company’s use of AI to teach and students’ screen time, as well as lingering questions about the drastic student test improvements Alpha leaders presented.
Morath answered an email from Alpha School associates in September 2025 who wanted to discuss using their AI program in Texas classrooms.
In September 2025, Morath responded to an email from associates of a private school chain called Alpha School
Morath's reply asked to schedule a follow-up discussion.
I’d love to schedule a follow-up discussion
The Tribune reports Morath offered to personally introduce an Alpha leader to the superintendent he appointed to run the state takeover of Houston ISD.
Morath offered to personally introduce an Alpha leader to the superintendent he appointed to lead the yearslong state takeover of Houston Independent School District
Emails obtained through public information requests show TEA staff helped with a one-page explainer for school districts and connected Alpha-linked companies with district leaders.
helped with a one-page explainer about the program to share with school districts and connected them with district leaders
Studient is one of the companies connected to Alpha, and it uses Alpha's AI technology, which is now often called TimeBack.
Studient, a company that uses Alpha’s AI technology, now often called TimeBack
Andrew Hodge, TEA's associate commissioner of system innovation, emailed Joe Liemandt on November 5th asking to discuss piloting a few supplemental Tier 3 instances of Alpha's model in Texas.
possibilities for piloting a few supplemental (you called this Tier 3 in your outline) instances in the state
Michael Strange is a member of Hodge's team who oversees TEA's blended learning programs. He sent Alpha associates a to-do list that included drafting a one-page explainer of the pilot program for districts.
which included him drafting a one-page explainer of the pilot program to share with districts
Emails show state education officials and Alpha affiliates approached at least 10 school districts about the AI program.
state education officials and Alpha affiliates approached at least 10 school districts about the AI program
At least 3 of those districts launched pilot programs using the AI tool. They are Houston, Fort Davis in West Texas, and Aldine near Houston.
at least three of those districts — Houston; Fort Davis, in West Texas; and Aldine, near Houston — launched pilot programs incorporating the AI tool
All three districts said they will use the software for supplemental learning rather than adopt Alpha's full model.
All three districts with pilot programs said they will use the AI software for supplemental learning rather than fully implementing the Alpha School model
At least 5 districts, Ector County, Fort Bend, Irving, Pecos and Pflugerville, confirmed they were approached about partnering with Alpha and did not pursue an agreement.
at least five school districts — Ector County, Fort Bend, Irving, Pecos and Pflugerville — that confirmed they were approached about partnering with Alpha but did not pursue an agreement
Ector County was the only one of the five to give a reason, saying its school day isn't structured to support the pilot.
determined our school day is not currently structured to effectively implement or support the pilot
TEA said in a written statement that it has no formal partnership with Alpha.
there is no formal partnership between TEA and Alpha Schools
TEA's statement said its officials connected interested district leaders with the program and left the decision to use it to the districts.
connected district leaders who were interested in Alpha’s program but left the decision up to them on whether to use it
Fort Davis ISD enrolls around 800 students. Its deputy superintendent Michelle Hartmann says it will deploy the model in its K-8 classrooms for students needing extra help in reading and math.
which enrolls around 800 students, said it will deploy the model in its K-8 classrooms for students who need additional help in reading and math
Aldine ISD will use the platform with roughly 300 students at four middle school campuses who need support in math.
Aldine will deploy the online platform to roughly 300 students across four middle school campuses that require support in math.
Houston ISD's press office said the district will use the Alpha technology with high-scoring students to test whether the approach can speed up academic growth.
Houston ISD plans to use the Alpha technology for students with strong test scores “to evaluate whether this instructional approach can accelerate academic growth
Houston ISD's press office said the district is not paying Alpha for the pilot.
The office said Houston ISD wasn’t paying Alpha for the pilot but did not provide more details.
Houston ISD asked the Texas attorney general to let it withhold the pilot contract from reporters under the public records act.
The district asked the Texas attorney general to withhold the contract from the newsrooms under the state’s public records act.
The Tribune reports that TEA's own test data showed just 21% of students passed at Texas Preparatory School in Austin, an existing school that used the AI program. TEA then rated the charter F for a third year running.
Last year, state test scores compiled by his agency showed just 21% of students passed. The TEA then gave the charter its third consecutive F rating
State Board of Education vice chair Pam Little, a Republican who voted against the charter, told the Tribune she wants no AI in schools, especially in the lower grades.
I don’t want anything AI in our schools, especially at the lower grades
Board member Gustavo Reveles, a Democrat who voted against the charter, said TEA's help bringing the tool into public schools raises a red flag about getting around the board's concern.
It certainly raises a red flag that perhaps there’s ways to circumvent that concern
Andrew Mahaleris, Governor Greg Abbott's press secretary, said in a statement that any classroom tool must keep teachers central, limit screen time and show results.
Any tool a district deploys must keep teachers at the center of the classroom, limit unnecessary screen time, and prove results for students.
The Tribune says the full extent of TEA's involvement and the number of districts using the program are still unknown, and TEA is still fighting release of more communications.
remains unclear. The TEA has not responded to questions about its efforts for months, initially failed to provide some of Morath’s emails in response to public information requests and continues fighting the release of additional communications
Emails show Morath visited Alpha's campuses again with six other TEA leaders, and his staff timed the visit for the same day as Houston Superintendent Mike Miles.
Emails show the commissioner visited Alpha’s campuses again with six other TEA leaders. His staff coordinated to go on the same day as Houston Superintendent Mike Miles.
In Alpha's full model, AI teaches all students their basic subjects in two hours a day, and human teachers called guides focus on motivation and emotional support.
using it to teach all students basic subjects in two hours a day while the human teachers, which Alpha calls guides, focus on motivation and emotional support
Michelle Hartmann, deputy superintendent at Fort Davis ISD, said the district sees the pilot as an added layer of intervention.
We’re excited because we see it as an opportunity to provide an extra layer of intervention
TEA staffer Michael Strange praised the progress Alpha and Studient officials were making on securing pilots with Fort Davis and Aldine by the middle of June.
By mid-June, Strange applauded their progress securing pilots with Fort Davis and Aldine.
ProPublica and the Tribune reported in September 2026 that Texas is one of at least nine states to reject Alpha School's pitch for a publicly funded charter school.
Texas is one of at least nine states that have rejected Alpha School’s pitch to open a publicly funded charter school.
Alpha partnered with Texas Preparatory School, an Austin charter that already faced possible state-imposed closure over low test scores and failed financial audits.
In one instance, Alpha partnered with an Austin charter called Texas Preparatory School that was already facing a potential state-imposed closure because of low student test scores and failed financial audits.
An Alpha leader told Texas education officials in May 2025 that after its two-hour learning platform arrived at the charter, 50% to 60% of students were passing state exams.
An Alpha leader told Texas education officials in May 2025 that after they implemented their two-hour learning platform at the charter, outcomes changed from most students failing state exams to 50% to 60% of students passing them.
ProPublica reports that test results published by TEA don't support the Alpha leader's passing rate claim.
Test results published by the Texas Education Agency don’t back up that claim.
At Texas Preparatory School the share of students reaching approaches grade level, the lowest passing category, rose slightly from 19% to 21%.
The portion of students who achieved “approaches grade level,” the lowest category that counts as passing the test, slightly rose, from 19% to 21%.
The share of Texas Preparatory School students testing at grade level fell from 10% to zero after the Alpha partnership.
The share of students that the test showed were at their grade level dropped from 10% to zero after the Alpha partnership.
Texas Preparatory School got a third straight F rating, based largely on its test scores during the Alpha partnership.
Texas Preparatory School received its third consecutive F rating, largely based on the test scores it received during the partnership with Alpha.
ProPublica's report of September 2nd, 2026 says board member Tiffany Clark voted against Alpha's charter application last summer, the summer of 2025. She said Alpha took a backdoor approach when it entered the state voucher program as a private school.
They took a backdoor approach,” said Democrat Tiffany Clark, one of several Texas State Board of Education members who voted against Alpha’s charter school application last summer