We recently learned about a network of AI-fueled private schools that teach students topics at breakneck speed while avoiding troublesome social or political ideas. The Alpha School, which prides itself on eschewing lessons on diversity, equity, and inclusion, has caught the eye of deep-pocketed folks like MAGA billionaire Bill Ackman. Now, new details about the academy have been shared by members of the school’s faculty.
Alpha is quite different from most schools you’ve ever heard of: young K-12 students are taught subjects over the course of two hours using “AI-enabled software.” After that, the school says that the rest of the day is parsed out through a variety of physically and socially engaging activities, including workshops and business education exercises.
Indeed, Alpha is so different from other schools that it doesn’t even have teachers. That’s according to Joe Liemandt, the principal of the school, who, during a recent podcast appearance, said that their institution doesn’t use the word “teachers” and prefers the term “guides.” These guides, or whatever they are, seem to be well remunerated, as Liemandt also revealed that pay for Alpha’s human staff starts at $100k. So, yes, they don’t exactly sound like any teachers I know.
Another thing that distinguishes Alpha from a more traditional institution of learning is that kids can earn money in class. “Your kid can earn money by doing academics, so they can fund their passion projects,” Liemandt said during the podcast, noting that the funds can be used to “fund their passions, like flying somewhere to participate in a play or putting it into an investment fund,” Business Insider writes.
You know how, when you’re six years old, all you really want to do is open an investment fund and drop some VC cash into your favorite unicorn? Well, now there’s a place that truly gives the kids what they want. Yes, it sure sounds like the next generation of cash-hungry little capitalists is being germinated with extreme enthusiasm. No wonder Ackman’s a fan.
Gizmodo reached out to Alpha School and asked about its approach to teaching the humanities (i.e., subjects—like history and literature—that a software program might not be great at dealing with), but didn’t receive an immediate reply. As for Ackman, his hedge fund, Pershing Square Capital Management, previously declined to comment on the billionaire’s interest in the school, with a representative telling us: “We don’t have and [sic] additional color to provide at this time.”
In addition to pimping for the futuristic new academy, Ackman has spent much of the last year pimping for Donald Trump. During the 2024 presidential campaign, he glowingly promoted his fellow billionaire as a political candidate. This enthusiasm waned a little bit, however, when, earlier this year, it became apparent that Trump’s tariff policies might tank much of the stock market. Amidst the darkest moments of Trump’s initial foray into a new economic system, Ackman warned that the policies were “in the process of destroying confidence in our country as a trading partner, as a place to do business, and as a market to invest capital.” Thankfully, when the market righted itself, Ackman saw the folly of his doubt and was welcomed back into the fold.
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