Representing school districts of all sizes in every state at the annual event in April, many attendees were keen to learn more about the technology and what their peers were doing about it, or with it. Some said their districts had already implemented rules and policies, some were still in exploratory or wait-and-see phases, and most were hoping to learn more and possibly glean ideas from their peers.
Asked what role school boards should have in making decisions about emerging technologies like AI, school board member Robert Garcia of Western Maricopa Education Center, Ariz., said those decisions are best left to local leaders who are familiar with the needs of local industries.
“I think that [those decisions] should stay with the school boards. Obviously the state has … the overriding responsibility for making sure that all districts are adhering to the same thing — in Arizona, we have our Department of Education that runs requirements for [personal information] — but in terms of utilizing the technology, it should be up to the schools themselves,” he said. “Because those schools really respond to the needs of their communities, and some of their communities have industries that are already in tech, so to educate the students to that level will give them that pathway of career development which is required for them to get jobs after high school.”
Representing San Bernadino City Unified School District, Calif., board member Mary Ellen Abilez Grande emphasized the need for districts to specifically delegate the responsibility for staying up-to-date on such a moving target.
“It’s important to stay informed and really designate the people in your district that that’s their job, make sure that they are extremely well-informed and able to report back to us in a timely manner,” she saidDr. Tisha Glasper, a school board member from Venice Community Unit School District 3, Ill., said the general consensus among her peers seemed to be that curiosity and experimentation are better than the alternatives.
“The biggest thing that I’ve heard districts talk about is the fact that they took the risk and they tried it,” she said. “I think that’s what happens in school districts — we’re just afraid to try new things, but once your neighbor tries it and they’re successful, then you want to try it to see if you can be successful.”
