Tutoring has long been one of the most effective ways to boost a child’s academic performance — yet only a small fraction of students in the U.S. actually benefit from it. According to a 2023 survey of major school districts, less than 10% of children receive any form of tutoring, largely because of its high cost. Traditional tutoring can easily run into hundreds or even thousands of dollars each month, putting it out of reach for many families.
Enter Super Teacher, a growing education startup founded by Tim Novikoff, a former Google product manager and experienced educator. His company’s mission is simple but ambitious — to make personalized tutoring accessible and affordable for every family. The Super Teacher app uses artificial intelligence to provide one-on-one learning support for elementary school students at just $15 per month, or $10 with an annual plan.
Since launching four years ago, the platform has already made impressive progress. Over 20,000 families now use Super Teacher, and several public schools in New York, New Jersey, and Hawaii have adopted the program. The company is also a Startup Battlefield Top 20 finalist at an upcoming tech event in San Francisco.
Novikoff’s passion for this project comes from firsthand experience. Having taught in both Harlem and the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in New York City, he witnessed the educational gap between students who had tutors and those who didn’t. “Tutoring is the most effective intervention we can give to kids, and it’s unfair that so few can access it,” he said. “Our goal is to level that playing field.”
The Super Teacher app features animated AI tutors that interact with students using natural voice conversations. These virtual tutors guide children through fun, engaging lessons designed to match classroom curricula. Unlike many AI-powered tools that rely on large language models, Super Teacher uses a deterministic system — meaning its responses are consistent, accurate, and factually correct.
While Novikoff believes AI can transform education, he emphasizes that it’s not meant to replace teachers. Instead, he sees AI tutors as a supportive classroom tool, much like calculators or digital whiteboards.
Currently focused on elementary-level students, Super Teacher plans to expand to other grade levels and form partnerships with more school districts across the country.
Before creating Super Teacher, Novikoff also founded Fly Labs, a mobile video-editing startup acquired by Google in 2015.
