An AI reading program used in every Pinellas County K-3 classroom, including schools serving Palm Harbor and Dunedin families, frequently mismarks students' words, the county's teachers union president says. The tool can determine whether a third-grader advances to fourth grade.

Tracey McConnell, president of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association and a veteran of more than 20 years in the classroom at Pinellas Central Elementary, told Spectrum Bay News 9 that the program, called Amira Learning, often scores children inaccurately.

"There were a lot of times that you would have kids reading words that were right but the computer was marking them wrong or vice versa, the kid would be reading words that were wrong that the computer was marking right so I didn't feel it was very accurate," McConnell said.

How Amira's scoring can affect grade promotion

Amira is one of Florida's approved alternative assessments for "good cause promotions." That means a third-grader who fails the state's FAST reading test can still advance to fourth grade by passing an Amira assessment. If the program's scoring is unreliable, some students could be held back or promoted based on flawed data.

Pinellas County Schools uses Amira districtwide for students in kindergarten through third grade, and the 2026-27 school year opened Aug. 11. Students use the program 30 to 40 minutes each week. A Florida Senate analysis of SB 7036 from earlier this year noted that Pinellas uses Amira alongside several other AI tools for instruction. Skycrest Elementary in Clearwater, near the Palm Harbor and Dunedin area, lists Amira among its special programs on its school website.

McConnell said the district should pull back from the technology, arguing there is no reason for children as young as kindergartners to use AI-driven tools in the classroom.

District says it's working with Amira on concerns

Pinellas County Schools said in a statement that Amira has been responsive to concerns and has worked with the district to enhance its programming. The district has not announced any plans to discontinue the tool.

Neighboring Tampa Bay districts have scaled back

Both Hillsborough and Pasco county school districts cut back on classroom screen time for the 2026-27 school year. Both had used Amira Learning, though Pasco officials said the program was only deployed at one school and was dropped before the broader screen-time reduction took effect.

What Pinellas parents should know

The program operates districtwide for K-3 students. Parents whose children are in third grade should be aware that Amira assessment scores can factor into promotion decisions if their child does not pass the FAST reading test.

The Pinellas County School Board holds regular meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Parents with concerns about Amira can raise the issue during public comment at any regular board meeting or contact their child's school directly.