See inside classroom of Paterson NJ teacher making difference
Kristen Andretta, seventh grade English teacher, works with her students at Paterson Public School No. 2 on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025.
Paterson Public Schools is one of just five districts chosen to participate in the Pioneering AI in School Systems (PASS) program, a $1 million partnership between Google and the University of Pennsylvania that provides training on a question that schools are wrestling with nationally: how to craft lesson plans and policies that teach students to use artificial intelligence without becoming dependent on the technology.
“The world is changing fast. The program will look at how we expect students to be using AI in the next two years,” said Betty Chandy of UPenn’s Graduate School of Education’s Catalyst center, which studies innovation in education. “Better teaching and learning falls on teachers’ shoulders, but they have to be prepared to learn how to adapt.”
The program seeks to address AI’s potential and challenges, especially with educators who- have received no prior training in how to do so. “We need more than just tools — we need a scalable strategy for human capacity,” added Tequila Lamar, Google’s education engagement lead, in a statement in October announcing the funding.
Paterson, New Jersey’s fourth-largest district, has about 1,824 certified teachers, according to 2024-25 data released by the state. The initial training is expected to begin in June and will run through October, though dates are still being finalized.
The district expects to create a team to coordinate the responsible integration of AI into teaching and operations, said Aida Rosario, a spokesperson for the school district. There will be “training for district leaders and educators to ensure AI tools are used effectively and ethically in the classroom” and work to help evaluate activities that “define best practices for AI in K-12 education,” she said.
Other districts participating in PASS are in Delaware and Pennsylvania. The program, which was piloted in the Philadelphia school district, will bring in experts to coach building leaders and classroom teachers on adapting to newer systems and methods as the use of GPT chatbots proliferates among students,
The training program will have three tiers. Two tiers will offer coaching to school and district leaders on how to support their teaching staff. The third track, for teachers, will last five weeks. Teachers will have access to online discussions where they can bring questions and insights to share on Zoom with trainers and colleagues.
The PASS program will work with schools as they “adapt to AI and help them come up with more engaging classwork” that develops student engagement “instead of creating homework that leaves the door open for plagiarization,” Chandy told NorthJersey.com
Relying too heavily on AI to complete homework assignments, experts say, removes the experience of a “productive struggle” and can result in incomplete learning and cognitive decline among students.
“Our goal is to ensure that as AI evolves, our educators are equipped to use these tools to enhance student learning while maintaining the highest standards of data privacy and instructional integrity,” Rosario said.