The AI Tech Fatigue of 2025 Was Real: What Educators Are Doing to Regain Control in 2026

The numbers tell the story. For the 2023-24 school year, school districts accessed an average of 2,739 distinct edtech tools annually, an increase of 8% from the previous school year. This episode looks back at how educators navigated the flood of AI tools in classrooms in 2025—and looks ahead to what 2026 demands. We explore the rise of Agentic AI, from early chatbots to autonomous systems reshaping recruitment, communication, and curriculum at places like Arizona State University and companies such as Bloomz. We also confront hard questions about academic integrity raised by tools like Perplexity Comet and examine how efforts from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and ISTE aim to restore rigor, trust, and AI literacy. Related Sources: Easing the Burden on Schools: Five Quality Indicators for Edtech & AI Products | Average District Tech Tools | Scaling Proven Learning Practices| Navigating EdTech Quality: The 5 Indicators | Unpacking LA Unified School District’s AI Chatbot Debacle w/ Fonz Mendoza | Agentic AI: A Wake-Up Call to Educators | Agentic AI and the Student Experience with Lev Gonick | Canvas, Credentials, and the Agentic AI Classroom | Agentic AI is here. What does it mean for Online Education? | Alfonso Mendoza Jr., Ed.D: With over five years of experience in educational technology and leadership, Alfonso currently serves as District Assessment Coordinator at Sharyland ISD, where he focuses on integrating digital learning strategies and supporting curriculum alignment to enhance student outcomes. His work emphasizes the practical application of technology to meet real classroom needs. Anna Mills is a leader in integrating artificial intelligence into education, combining teaching experience with technical expertise and a commitment to open educational resources. Her work on AI literacy, academic integrity, and AI applications in higher education combines critical and tech-forward approaches. She currently teaches at College of Marin and has taught writing in community college settings for 18 years. Thomas Hummel is a teacher, coach, and Eduaide’s Chief Product Officer. This means he is responsible for keeping one foot in the classroom to ensure we remain grounded in everyday practice. Thomas hails from a lineage of educators that spans three generations, deeply instilling in him an appreciation for the profound impact teachers have on society. Dr. Med Kharbach is an educator and AI in education researcher with 15+ years of experience in educational technology and teaching. He designs and delivers evidence-based learning experiences that strengthen AI literacy, enhance teacher training, and support professional development in both K–12 and higher education. His work blends pedagogy, digital literacy, critical thinking, and responsible AI integration. Tim Mousel has taught in higher education since 1993 and today serves as a full-time faculty member in the Kinesiology department at LSC-Online, as well as the Department Chair for Chemistry, Kinesiology, and Physics. He also leads the System-Wide AI Task Force, where he helps guide institutional strategy around emerging technologies. Sandra Liu Huang is a computer scientist. She leads the product team at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Previously, she was the director of product management at Quora and an early and senior member of the product team at Facebook. Chakrapani “Chaks” Appalabattula is the founder and CEO of Bloomz, a popular communication app that connects teachers, parents, and schools through features like messaging, event scheduling, volunteer coordination, and student portfolio sharing, designed to improve parent engagement and streamline school-home communication. Tal Havivi is the Managing Director @ ISTE+ASCD. He works at the intersection of research, product development, and go-to-market strategy to make the edtech market more effective and better aligned with the realities of modern-day teaching and learning. Havivi leads a business unit that partners with leading edtech companies to reduce barriers to educator engagement and validate instructional quality. Lev Gonick: As the Enterprise Chief Information Officer at Arizona State University, he leads the design and agile management of all enterprise infrastructure, applications, products, services, and analytics at the nation’s largest and most innovative university. Ryan Lufkin: In his role as VP of Global Academic Strategy at Instructure, the makers of Canvas, his research plays a pivotal part in shaping the company’s worldwide vision and growth. Fostering partnerships, overseeing market research, identifying emerging trends, and driving innovation help propel Instructure’s commitment to advancing education on a global scale. Richard Culatta, is the CEO of ISTE+ ASCD. Culatta is an innovative educational leader with experience in government, k-12, higher education, and adult learning settings. Areas of expertise include education policy, teacher preparation, educational technology, and innovation.