AI-powered private school coming to Greenwich
Alpha School only has two hours of academic learning a day, with the rest of the time spent on life-skills workshops
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Alpha School, a national private school network, with academics powered by artificial intelligence, is currently working to transform 20 East Elm St. in downtown Greenwich into its next location.
"I'm not sure how i feel about AI, I'm a little scared of it," admitted Kristen Quick, a parent of a current student at Greenwich High School.
MacKenzie Price, the co-founder of Alpha School says, she's heard things like that before.
"People imagine this dystopian, non-social environment, but it couldn't be further from the truth," she tells News 12.
Instead, Price says students only spend two hours of their school day on academics, with the rest of the time used for "life-skills workshops," like financial literacy, public speaking and business.
"I think it's a really good idea, especially because AI is becoming more involved in all the schools, and life skills are becoming more important," said Alexandra Anton, a current Greenwich High student, when told of the concept.
"Not that life skills aren't important as well, but I feel like there's a lot of material to cover, and I don't feel like two hours of material will be enough," countered Quick.
But Price and Alpha promise the kindergarten through eighth grade students who enroll at the Greenwich location will get the same curriculum as any other classroom.
The difference, is that the AI individually tailors the pace and content of each lesson plan, to level the student is at.
"Instead of having one teacher who's teaching 20 children all who are at varying levels, you might see two 7-years-olds who are right next to each other, but one is working on algebra, while the other is other is working on addition and subtraction," Price explained.
Alpha believes that formula is what allows them to get everything done in just two hours.
"Kids are locked in where the material is not so hard that they have just turned off, and not so easy that they're just zooming through it and not engaged," said Price.
With the extra time, the teachers, or as Alpha calls them, "guides" are then freed up to concentrate on those life skills.
"We have taken the role of the teacher and transformed it to be able to focus on what is most impactful for students," said Price.
So far it seems to be working: Alpha claims its students have standardized test scores in top 1-2% nationally.
"When we're able to meet each child at the level and pace that is right for them, the sky's really the limit in terms of what our kids are capable of doing," said Price.
Alpha says the Greenwich location is fully on track to open this fall with up to 100 students.
Spots are still available.
