Earlier in 2025, Morath had supported Alpha School's bid to establish a charter school utilizing its AI technology. However, the State Board of Education voted against the proposal, citing concerns about the AI's role in teaching, student screen time, and the company's presented test score improvements.
Following the board's rejection, Morath and the TEA engaged in extensive communication with Alpha School affiliates. This included site visits, assistance with program explanations for school districts, and facilitating connections between Alpha and district leaders. Emails obtained through public information requests reveal that state education officials and Alpha representatives approached at least 10 school districts.
As a result of these efforts, at least three districts—Houston, Fort Davis, and Aldine—have launched pilot programs for the AI tool. These districts plan to use the software for supplemental learning, rather than as the primary teaching method. The full scope of the TEA's involvement and the total number of districts using the program remain unclear, as the agency has been slow to provide further communications.
Concerns have been raised by education experts and State Board of Education members regarding the TEA's promotion of the AI platform, especially given Alpha School's mixed results in other settings. A previous charter school in Arizona and an existing Texas school using the AI program showed significantly lower performance on state-mandated exams than projected by Alpha leaders. The TEA itself had previously given a Texas charter school using the AI tool an F rating based on low test scores.