Running VEX and LEGO in the same classroom?
Our position, and other voices worth reading before you decide.
Our position
Pick one platform and commit for at least three years before considering a migration. Running VEX and LEGO side-by-side in the same classroom doubles the parts-management burden, splits the teacher expertise, and doubles the software-license and curriculum-subscription footprint.
The exception: a district with separate middle schools on different platforms, or an elementary on LEGO and middle on VEX with an intentional progression. Those are strategic choices, not accidental ones.
Other voices
Reputable sources worth reading before you decide. Labels reflect our honest read of each source's general stance, not direct quotes.
Both vendors publish complete K-12 curricula assuming their own platform. Running both means maintaining two full curriculum tracks.
District STEM coordinators blog posts
Nuanced / mixedSome large districts run both platforms at different schools or different grade bands. This works when it is a deliberate structure; it breaks when individual teachers try to blend them in one classroom.
A few veteran teachers run both platforms well. They are also the teachers who have been doing this for 15+ years and have no day job other than robotics. It is not a transferable model.