House education panel reviews 3-year pilot to use AI for conversational English in Puerto Rico public schools

The House of Representatives Commission on Education held a public hearing April 21, 2025, on House Bill 427, filed by Representative Tatiana Pérez Ramírez, which would create a three‑year pilot to integrate artificial intelligence into conversational English instruction across Puerto Rico’s public schools. Department of Education officials and the director of Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Services (PRITS) told the commission the project could provide individualized practice and data for policy but raised questions about cost, connectivity, data privacy and teacher training.

Why it matters: The measure proposes a structured pilot and an evaluation committee to test AI tools for conversational English in public schools. If implemented at scale, the initiative could change classroom practice, require recurring funding from the commonwealth, and implicate federal program rules and student‑data protections.

Department of Education testimony said the bill aligns with the department’s strategic goals and the agency’s internal manual on educational AI, and recommended designing the pilot to preserve the teacher’s central role. “La formación docente garantiza que la IA no sustituya la labor del maestro, ... sino que actúe como un complemento pedagógico,” said Saraí Ruiz Maisonet, appearing for Secretary Eliezer Ramos Paredes. Ruiz Maisonet described the bill as a three‑year pilot prioritizing rural and hard‑to‑reach schools, with an evaluation committee to…