Texas Teacher Mandates Handwriting to Counter Generative AI in Composition Classes

Chanea Bond, an educator at Southwest High School within the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD), has implemented a predominantly analog pedagogical approach specifically designed to mitigate the integration of generative artificial intelligence in her writing courses. This deliberate shift, occurring as the pervasive presence of AI in education intensified around early 2026, centers on reinforcing foundational writing mechanics that AI tools can bypass. Bond requires students to commence every session with physical journaling and insists that nearly all submitted coursework must be handwritten, a direct countermeasure to the ease of AI-generated content.

This instructional methodology aligns with FWISD district policy updates, which formally categorize the utilization of AI to complete assignments as a form of academic dishonesty. Bond's structured process emphasizes the verifiable evidence of cognitive engagement throughout the writing development cycle, assigning graded weight to the handwritten draft, the preparatory outline, the thesis statement, and the bibliography. Consequently, the process itself contributes substantially to the cumulative evaluation, underscoring the value of iterative skill-building over mere final product submission. Technology integration, specifically typing final essays on computers, is now the exception, reserved only for students possessing documented disability accommodations.

The educational landscape in 2026 presents a contrast to Bond's analog focus, as the broader sector grapples with AI adoption. A national survey conducted in July 2025 indicated that 61% of educators were already incorporating AI tools, even as federal initiatives in 2025 promoted AI literacy across the board. This trend contrasts with large-scale technological deployments elsewhere; for instance, Miami-Dade County Public Schools integrated Google's Gemini chatbot for use by more than 100,000 high school students by the close of 2025. Furthermore, New Jersey concluded a significant $1.5 million investment in AI education grants on January 31, 2026, signaling a different institutional priority.

This divergence highlights a national debate on foundational skill acquisition versus technological efficiency. While some districts embrace AI, with 76% of educators using AI tools for tasks like grading or content creation as of 2025, others, like Bond, prioritize the tactile and cognitive benefits of manual work. Research from the Center for Democracy and Technology, based on surveys from mid-2025, noted that 85% of teachers and 86% of students used AI in the 2024-25 school year, raising concerns that AI use hurts students' ability to develop meaningful relationships with teachers, with half of students agreeing they felt less connected.

Conversely, the unauthorized use of AI, such as ChatGPT, is explicitly defined as plagiarism under various district honor codes, including those in districts like Northwest ISD, which had previously blocked generative AI sites to weigh benefits and risks. Bond's commitment to handwriting serves as a localized experiment in progressive education, aiming to ensure students master the cognitive architecture of composition before relying on automated assistance. This approach counters the broader trend where 88% of students were using generative AI for assessments in 2025, a substantial increase from 53% the year prior. By mandating handwritten drafts and outlines, Bond ensures that the complex process of structuring thought—from the initial outline to the final bibliography—is evidenced and graded, reinforcing the core competency of original composition over mere output generation.