When districts create policies for appropriate use of artificial intelligence, they should not explain it only to teachers and students. They need to make sure parents are in the loop, too, two principals said during a recent K-12 Essentials Forum about big AI questions for schools.
Uxbridge High School in Massachusetts held a parent night last fall that sought to spell out school policy on the appropriate use of AI and give parents and caregivers a primer on the technology itself, said Principal Michael Rubin.
School leaders underscored that the generative AI that powers tools like Open AI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot is only one type of AI.
Rubin told parents, “Hey guys, if you used Waze [a GPS mapping app], and it gave you a better way to get to school, you’ve used AI.”
The parent night helped lay the groundwork for the rollout of AI-powered tools the district now uses, such as chatbots to support students in Spanish class and a counseling platform that relies, in part, on AI.
Examining the downsides and ‘wonderful potential’ of AI
Michael Martin, a principal at Buckeye Central High School in Ohio, said he’s reached out to parents about AI far more than they’ve contacted him—he’s only gotten questions on the technology from two parents.
But he hopes to have an event similar to the parent night Rubin described next school year. He plans to discuss AI, including the negatives and its “wonderful potential,” then delve into the school’s polices on the technology.
Rubin suggests schools and districts have a clear idea of what they see as appropriate AI use before bringing parents in to talk about the technology.
“I would strongly recommend not putting the cart before the horse, of making sure that you have your own house in order before you bring it outside to the parents,” Rubin said.
But school leaders should anticipate that parent questions are coming, he added.
Even if schools are only getting questions from a couple of parents, “two people can become 50 very, very quickly,” Rubin pointed out.
