Earlier this year, the Idaho Department of Education, led by Superintendent Debbie Critchfield, handed over reading to artificial intelligence (instead of human teachers).

The 2025-26 Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI), a high-stakes assessment mandated by Idaho Code 33-1806 for all public school students in kindergarten through third grade, is now in the hands of a San Francisco company called “ Amira Learning. ”

This places San Francisco artificial intelligence at the heart of assessing and guiding young readers in Idaho, not their teachers.

Rise of the machines

The Idaho Reading Indicator is administered twice yearly and has been a cornerstone of Idaho’s efforts to ensure kids can read by third grade.

Since 2016, Istation’s Indicators of Progress (ISIP) has been the backbo

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