US Teachers Say They Use AI Daily in Class, Gallup Poll Finds Only 18% Received Formal Training

ABC News reported on June 9, 2026 that multiple US K-12 teachers say they use AI to develop lesson plans, organize data and give feedback on assignments. Melissa Collins, the 2023 Tennessee Teacher of the Year, called AI a tool to spark creativity, and Texas elementary science teacher Lori Garrett said she uses AI for nearly everything in the classroom. A new Gallup poll found only 18% of teachers have received formal AI training. The White House held the Presidential AI Challenge National Champion Awards Ceremony the same day.

These facts indicate that US K-12 AI adoption is driven mainly by individual teachers rather than institutional training and rules, and the 18% formal training figure means classroom practice quality and consistency are hard to guarantee. For education product builders, school-facing tools are already being introduced without supporting guidance, so whether products can offer practical teacher support will shape adoption depth; for schools and teachers, the training gap and the union's proposed limits on screens and student-facing AI will constrain how tools can be used. The report is based on teacher interviews and one poll and provides no independent quantitative evidence on learning outcomes. Teacher-facing AI tools are being introduced in schools, but only 18% of teachers have formal training, so products must carry more guidance and training support. The union's call to ban screens in early grades and end student-facing AI in elementary schools diverges from the White House's encouragement, affecting school purchasing and usage boundaries.