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AI tools for teachers
These are widely used AI tools that offer education plans or discounts, which usually come with better privacy terms than the consumer versions. This is a shortlist, not a test result. Check your district's approved-tools list before using any of them with students, and read our privacy checklist for teachers.
ChatGPT for Teachers
What it's for: lesson planning, adapting materials for different reading levels, drafting family communications and building examples for assignments.
Education plan: OpenAI offers it free to verified U.S. K-12 educators for a set period; check OpenAI's page for the current end date. Verification is handled by a third party, SheerID.
Privacy notes: OpenAI says content shared in ChatGPT for Teachers isn't used to train its models by default and that the workspace is built to help schools meet FERPA requirements. School leaders can bring staff into one workspace with admin controls.
Watch for: it's for educators, not students. Follow district rules before including any student information.
Canva Education
What it's for: slides, worksheets, posters, classroom videos and student design projects, with built-in AI features.
Education plan: Canva says Canva Education is 100% free for K-12 teachers, their students and qualified districts. Teachers sign up with a school email or proof of employment, and verification takes a few days.
Privacy notes: Canva says its education offerings are FERPA and COPPA compliant, that it has signed the National Data Privacy Agreement, and that it never uses student data to train AI models.
Watch for: students join through a teacher invitation; check your district's process for student accounts.
Otter.ai (with the .edu discount)
What it's for: transcribing and summarizing staff meetings, PD sessions and your own recorded lectures.
Education pricing: Otter lists 20% off Pro for students and teachers with a .edu email: $13.59/month, or $79.99/year. The free Basic plan includes 300 transcription minutes a month.
Privacy notes: recordings capture everyone in the room. Tell people when you're recording, and check district rules before recording meetings with students or families.
Watch for: the discount requires an email address ending in .edu, which many K-12 districts don't use.
Also worth knowing
- Claude lists an Education plan on its pricing page; contact Anthropic for details. claude.com/pricing
- Grammarly says it offers discounts for educational institutions. grammarly.com/plans
- Adobe Firefly has a separate "Students and teachers" tab on its plans page. Firefly plans
As of Nov 2026, from the vendor's own pricing page. Check the current price before you buy. Education terms and free periods can change; confirm on the vendor's page.
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Last checked November 3, 2026.