Skip to content
MarketScale
‹ Back to Industries

Education Technology

Merge Daily Personalized Tutoring with Advanced Tech in Schools for Peak Academic Growth

This episode of 'The Future of Education' explores how high-dosage, personalized tutoring—integrated into the school day and enhanced by AI—can address pandemic-era learning loss and achievement gaps. Host Michael Horn speaks with Saga Education co-founders Alan Safran and A.J. Gutierrez about scaling tutoring as a systemic educational strategy. Research from Brookings, Harvard, and McKinsey underscores the effectiveness of individualized instruction over traditional one-size-fits-all classroom models.

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Education Technology teams put it to work with Executive Thought Leadership.

Promoted content from The Future of Education with Michael Horn on MarketScale.

By Michael B. Horn · A.j. GutierrezAlan SafranArtificial Intelligence (ai)Michael Horn
Share

Key takeaways

01

High-dosage tutoring embedded in the school day narrows achievement gaps faster than traditional classroom instruction alone.

02

Saga Education grew from a single charter school model into a national framework for scalable, relationship-driven tutoring.

03

AI and emerging technologies offer significant potential to expand the reach and efficiency of personalized tutoring programs.

In recent years, the educational landscape has been significantly disrupted, first by the pandemic and now by the integration of new technologies and teaching methodologies. As we navigate this evolution, one age-old method, tutoring, has emerged at the forefront, albeit with a modern twist. This resurgence is driven by the stark realization that traditional classroom settings, with their one-size-fits-all approach, often fail to address the diverse needs of students. Research from Brookings, Harvard, and McKinsey highlights the effectiveness of personalized tutoring in not only catching students up to grade level but also in forging meaningful, supportive relationships that foster academic and personal growth.

Personalized tutoring is effective in not only catching students up to grade level but also in forging meaningful, supportive relationships that foster academic and personal growth.

But how can we implement tutoring in an impactful and scalable way, ensuring every child receives the personalized attention they need to thrive academically?

In this episode of ” The Future of Education,” host Michael Horn, invites Alan Safran and A.J. Gutierrez, the co-founders of Saga Education, to explore the transformative power of tutoring. Safran, serving as CEO, and Gutierrez, the Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer, share their journey from the inception of Saga Education through its evolution in response to the changing educational needs and the potential of new technologies.

The conversation covers several key points:

  • The Origin and Evolution of Saga Education: From its roots in addressing the academic disparities at Match Charter School to becoming a national model for effective tutoring.
  • Scaling Tutoring for Widespread Impact: Strategies for integrating tutoring into the regular school day and making it a staple of educational systems nationwide.
  • The Role of Technology and AI in Tutoring: Exploring the potential to enhance the efficiency and reach of tutoring through innovative technologies.

Alan Safran brings a wealth of experience from his time as executive director of the Match Charter School in Boston, while A.J. Gutierrez’s journey from a ninth-grade student to a co-founder of Saga Education provides a unique perspective on the transformative impact of tutoring. Their combined insights offer a compelling case for reimagining the role of tutoring in education.

The Future of Education with Michael Horn

Part of this channel

The Future of Education with Michael Horn

Michael Horn interviews the people redesigning how students learn

Visit the channel →

About the author

Michael B. Horn
Michael B. HornSpeaker, Writer & Advisor on the Future of Education, Clayton Christensen Institute

Michael Horn speaks and writes about the future of education and works with a portfolio of education organizations to improve the life of each and every student. He is the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, and host of the Future of Education podcast on MarketScale.

New to MarketScale?

MarketScale is the platform Education Technology companies use to turn their own experts into content like this. Want the short overview?

Free workspace

You just read one expert. Imagine publishing your whole team.

This article was produced through MarketScale. Create a free workspace and turn your own team's expertise into articles, video, and social posts. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale Studio workspace
One video edit a month, on us
AI writing, editing, and publishing tools
In-platform coaching to learn the system

More Education Technology Insights

How Raptor's StudentSafe tackles behavioral threat assessment and student well-being

How Raptor's StudentSafe tackles behavioral threat assessment and student well-being

Raptor Technologies has transitioned from visitor management to enhancing student well-being with its StudentSafe platform. This move addresses school district needs for improved behavioral threat assessment. StudentSafe is designed to bolster educational security and student safety.

  • 01Raptor Technologies is expanding into student well-being.
  • 02The StudentSafe platform focuses on behavioral threat assessment.
  • 03StudentSafe responds to demands from school district customers.

Jun 26, 2026

NYC schools require every AI tool to pass a bias and equity review before deployment

NYC schools require every AI tool to pass a bias and equity review before deployment

New York City schools have mandated that every AI tool undergo a bias and equity review before being deployed within their systems. This move comes amid broader concerns and debates about the role of AI in education, particularly concerning its impact on cognitive development. The education sector is actively assessing the potential benefits and risks associated with AI technologies in classrooms.

  • 01NYC schools require AI tools to pass a bias and equity review.
  • 02Concerns about AI in education include impacts on cognitive development.
  • 03Policymakers are reconsidering the place of AI in classrooms.

Jun 17, 2026

NYC schools require every AI tool to pass a bias and equity review before deployment

NYC schools require every AI tool to pass a bias and equity review before deployment

Twenty-nine New York City council members are demanding a two-year halt to AI use in the nation's largest school system, citing student data privacy gaps. Simultaneously, California and other states are tightening AI bias-audit requirements for employers, while educators debate a deeper question: whether AI adopted without guardrails erodes the original human thinking it is meant to support.

  • 01Twenty-nine NYC council members sent a letter on June 9, 2026, calling for a two-year AI moratorium in city schools, citing inadequate student data privacy protections in the Department of Education's drafted guidance.
  • 02California's Civil Rights Council AI regulations, effective Oct. 1, 2025, require employers using automated decision systems to retain related data for four years and face heightened litigation risk if they skip bias audits.
  • 03Educators and practitioners are wrestling with a fundamental design question: whether AI functions as a 'calculator'—executing tasks users already understand—or a 'crane' that extends human capacity into genuinely new territory.

Jun 17, 2026

Explore More Education Technology Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Education Technology.

Browse Education Technology Hub

About the Experts

Michael B. Horn headshot
Michael B. Horn

Co-Founder & Senior Advisor, Clayton Christensen Institute; Author and Education Thought Leader

Clayton Christensen Institute

Michael B. Horn is a co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation and a widely recognized thought leader in education reform and innovation. He is the author of several books on disruptive innovation in education, including 'Disrupting Class' and 'Choosing College.' Horn hosts 'The Future of Education' podcast, where he interviews educators, entrepreneurs, and policymakers shaping the future of learning.

AS
Alan Safran

CEO and Co-Founder

Saga Education

Alan Safran is the CEO and co-founder of Saga Education, a national nonprofit focused on scaling high-dosage tutoring in public schools. He previously served as executive director of Match Charter School in Boston, where early tutoring models were developed and refined.

AG
A.J. Gutierrez

Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer, Co-Founder

Saga Education

A.J. Gutierrez is a co-founder and Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer at Saga Education. His path from student to educator to policy advocate informs his work expanding access to high-dosage tutoring for underserved student populations across the country.