Heather Schwartz

Heather Schwartz, co-director of the American Youth Panel at RAND and co-author of a report on student AI use, discusses research on how students use AI for homework. She covers why many students worry about impacts on critical thinking, how reliance can reduce cognitive practice and future skills, and strategies like protected AI-free time and scaffolding to preserve first-draft thinking.

Heather Schwartz, co-director of the American Youth Panel at RAND who studies education policy and youth experiences, discusses how students use AI for homework. She explores how AI can replace cognitive struggle and create short-term gains but potential long-term learning loss. The conversation covers workforce implications and strategies like AI-free classroom time to protect students' first-draft thinking.

Heather Schwartz, a senior policy researcher at the Rand Corporation specializing in K-12 education, challenges the alarmist narrative surrounding America's teacher shortage. She argues that while teacher morale is declining, the supposed nationwide crisis is exaggerated. Schwartz discusses the disparities in teacher needs across states and the complexities of hiring qualified educators. Surprisingly, she highlights declining student enrollment as a more pressing concern, driven by demographic changes rather than a lack of teachers.