Building AI School Teams: How Leading Educators is Rethinking Teacher Support with CEO Chong-Hao Fu

Sep 8, 2025

Chong-Hao Fu, CEO of Leading Educators, brings 14 years of experience in instructional improvement to the table. He discusses the vital role of instructional coherence in school enhancement and how AI can reshape lesson planning. Fu emphasizes the need for teachers to be in control when adopting new technologies. He shares insights on cultivating future-ready skills through innovative civic and AI projects, stressing that scaling innovation requires both coherence and a commitment to continuous improvement in education.

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INSIGHT

Coherence Drives Rapid District Gains

Coherent instructional systems align curriculum, teacher learning, coaching and principal support around a single instructional focus.
This alignment lets districts push rapid, measurable improvements even during disruptions like COVID.

ADVICE

Embed AI In Curriculum-Aligned Planning

Use AI tools that are explicitly anchored to high-quality curriculum and coaching guidance.
Design short, interactive apps to help teachers internalize lessons in 10–20 minutes before class.

ADVICE

Give School Teams Ownership Of AI

Put school teams (principal plus teacher leaders) in charge of defining AI use for their site.
Use a simple value framework (do more, do better, do new) to prioritize AI interventions.

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Chong-Hao Fu is the CEO of Leading Educators, a national nonprofit specializing in comprehensive instructional improvement.

Over the past 14 years, he’s worked to scale exceptional teaching and leadership in some of the country’s fastest-improving districts while exploring how emergent technology like AI can bring new possibilities to instruction.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Why instructional coherence is the backbone of school improvement.
How Leading Educators is integrating AI into lesson planning and professional learning.
The importance of keeping teachers in the “pilot’s seat” when using new technology.
How schools can build authentic, future-ready skills through civic and AI projects.
Why scaling innovation requires both coherence and continuous improvement.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:02:13] Leading Educators’ mission and unique research on instructional improvement.
[00:04:31] How coherence helped partner districts like Charleston achieve gains during COVID.
[00:07:47] Partnering with PlayLab and CZI to build AI tools rooted in high-quality curriculum.
[00:11:54] Redesigning school staffing and forming AI School Teams Collaborative.
[00:15:07] How teachers’ mindsets on AI shift when they get hands-on experience.
[00:30:07] Future-ready skills: pilots in Denver and Boston connecting AI, civics, and leadership.
[00:37:47] Why authentic, student-driven projects can transform both learning and teaching.

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