Artificial Intelligence is transforming every industry, including education. AI can enhance classroom learning, streamline administrative operations, and improve efficiencies in all fields. School leaders must proactively develop policies and strategies that balance innovation with governance, ethics, and data protection. OpenAI recently announced that ChatGPT has an estimated 800 million users a week worldwide. Now is the time for K-12 districts to tackle the creation of generative AI policy for all stakeholders.

A robust AI policy and implementation of a multi-user program must have buy-in from the top of the organization. School Board members and superintendents are the policy architects of AI adoption. This rapid technological transformation extends beyond classrooms to every corner of district operations, from IT to finance, to transportation to facilities. All department heads must have a seat at the table.

Establish a District AI Task Force

An AI task force is necessary to learn about and react to fast moving technological developments. The task force’s purpose should be to guide responsible AI implementation in alignment with district goals. Many school districts are late to the AI implementation process because most department heads wear many hats and it takes time and dedicated effort to become conversant with the rapid development of AI and the flood of products coming into the marketplace weekly.

Also, many departments are facing budget cuts due to declining enrollment, thus making additional financial investments in AI products a challenge. When the COVID pandemic forced schools into the future with online learning, school personnel responded with passion and determination to provide what students needed. That same drive and an all hands on deck energy is needed to reap the many gains of generative AI for students, teachers and staff alike. The risks of ignoring this technological revolution and falling behind can leave students and employees on their own with whatever products come their way and vulnerable to risks unknown to them.

Because AI has districtwide implications, the task force should have members from every corner of the district in order to prepare the entire district for implementation. Include representatives from Curriculum, IT, Finance, Transportation, Facilities, Human Resources, Teachers, Parents, and Legal Counsel. The goals should be to create several deliverables including, but not limited to, 1) a district AI implementation roadmap; 2) a system to vet new AI products and 3) clear policies and procurement recommendations.

Professional Development: Building AI Literacy

Every industry that has implemented an AI policy and program has seen tremendous savings in time on performing routine administrative tasks. Teachers have been noting for years that a single planning period for a 7.5-hour work period is simply not enough to handle lesson planning, test creation and grading. This is where generative AI products like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity can save several hours per week on these everyday tasks for teachers. In seconds, a carefully worded prompt can produce lesson plans that can be reviewed and edited by teachers in minutes rather than hours.

Similarly, creating tests and grading tests can be accomplished in a fraction of time, freeing the teacher up to focus on the individualized needs of their students. There are many private companies with AI products targeting teachers including: MagicSchool, Eduaide.ai, and TeacherToolAI. Every month there are new products targeting education which will need to be tested by task force members.

With more and more teachers using AI on a daily basis, administrators need to develop AI fluency to oversee programs effectively. Being active on the AI taskforce will help them evaluate outcomes of different products and safeguard student data. Similarly, IT will play an important role in ensuring that AI products are safe to use on the district’s network. While IT departments and directors are stretched thin keeping up with the post-pandemic trend for one-to-one computers for students, the IT director needs to insure that all employees are using products that maintain FERPA and cybersecurity compliance.

Districts also face financial difficulties with limited budgets for purchasing products. Even with these real life constraints of time and funding, the investment in AI technology can produce significant returns in student success, employee morale, and organizational efficiency.

After Policy Adoption Comes the Real Work.

While many school districts have developed an AI policy, the real effort comes in the implementation of the policy. With critical budget shortages, departments are faced with cuts and adding a new expense for an AI product will have to prove itself worthy.

The task force must demand transparency from vendors to explain whether their AI tools will train on District data or use a closed and secure system. While testing, the task force must routinely evaluate tools for inherent bias. Effective AI policies define permissible and prohibited uses, but without training at all levels end users may be on their own creating risks for the District. Districts must warn users of the risks involved with open products that train themselves on all prompts entered. Closed systems which do not retain or use data for training are preferred when dealing with protected information from student education records.

Do’s and Don’ts

There are many lessons to be learned from a district’s previous attempts to incorporate new technology and/or software programs. Because AI impacts all stakeholders in the district and is progressing at such a rapid rate, districts can ill afford to repeat the errors of the past. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts to guide district implementation of AI products.

DO:
✓ Create an AI Task Force
✓ Start with pilot programs
✓ Provide professional development
✓ Require transparency from vendors
✓ Review data privacy compliance
✓ Use short-term contracts
✓ Empower educators with AI

DON’T:
✗ Treat AI as just an IT issue
✗ Rush to districtwide adoption
✗ Expect staff to learn on their own
✗ Accept black box systems
✗ Ignore FERPA implications
✗ Lock in multi-year deals
✗ Replace teachers with automation

Overcoming Obstacles

Common Concerns and Responses:

AI is not a passing trend and is currently being used by many stakeholders in the district with little oversight. This technology is a permanent infrastructure shift, on par with the arrival of the desktop computer and the internet. The most successful school districts will be those that lead with policy, empower staff through professional learning, and implement AI tools strategically across all departments. While budgets are limited, districts cannot afford to fall behind in the AI race to promote efficiencies.

The goal is not to replace educators, but to equip them for the future which is here right now.

This author used AI for assistance in drafting this article.