I've Been in K-12 for Over 15 Years. Here Are Three Things We Need to Do to Integrate AI Now.

• By Serena Sacks-Mandel
• 01/30/25

It seems we can barely go a week without another report on what AI will mean for K-12 schools. As should be the case.  

Although we're just a little past the two-year mark since ChatGPT's release, AI has become one of the most important forces shaping students' future. While debate continues over whether AI will inhibit learning or accelerate it, one thing almost all of us in education can agree on now is the longer we wait to make decisions, the more we risk the next generation's ability to succeed.   

I can attest to this from having pursued a career in education for equity and access for all students. As a former CIO for Fulton County Schools, a large, socioeconomically diverse school district in Atlanta, GA, I learned firsthand that we're not equipping students with the life skills to cope with the challenges they'll face after graduation. Young people need to learn a range of academic, social and technical skills, including AI, to be prepared for the technology-altering future now taking shape.

This is why I believe 2025 is the year in which we must embrace AI swiftly in K-12 schools. When AI is deployed responsibly and equitably, the potential advantages of empowering more personalized learning, optimizing student engagement, uncovering gaps in education, automating routine tasks, and freeing up more time for effective teacher-student interactions have the power to transform education. Here are three ways we can do this.

1) Keep in mind that AI will not replace educators' jobs.

This is one of the biggest concerns we're confronting with AI. But instead of concentrating on our fears of this fast-evolving technology, we should focus on the benefits. AI is opening vast possibilities for teaching students more effectively, enabling students to learn at deeper levels, and empowering efficiency in routine tasks.

A core principle with this is that teachers and administrators will not lose their jobs because of this technology. AI is a tool to help upskill and promote professional development. Educators are, and always will be, at the core of the teaching experience for student success. AI is not intended to replace teachers. Its purpose is to help them do what they love to do better in giving students a high-quality education.

But here's the thing: Educators will have to understand AI, and they will need to master AI to keep pace with this education wave. Simply put, AI won't replace a teacher, but another teacher who knows how to use AI may. 

2) Start small and go slow to make sure we get AI right.

Although AI is advancing quickly and new questions about it are popping up just as rapidly, we as educators must move as deliberately as we need to in adopting it. We must ensure we deploy AI safely as a knowledge source in relation to students' ages and maturity levels, effectively as an instrument that advances learning, and ethically as a technology that does not compromise the integrity of individual study or enable cheating.

For these reasons, it's important to go slow with AI. Achieving small AI pilot successes internally before pushing AI full-force can help teachers assess impact and improve performance gradually. As an example, one emerging use for AI in K-12 schools is as a chatbot to handle frequently asked questions about class assignments, deadlines, and grades. Imagine: A confused student studying at home pores over their math notes in early evening. The student e-mails the teacher with questions, and the teacher quickly responds with several answers and examples. The student then sends the teacher a thank-you message, and they both log off. Well, the student logs off. The "teacher" — an AI chatbot — waits for the next student interaction.

Another reason for going slow in integrating AI is data governance. This involves ensuring that the highest quality of data sources are used for AI and that, in turn, the most accurate information possible can be delivered via AI. To this end, as part of their AI integration, K-12 schools must design an information and curriculum platform to keep data safe and age-appropriate.

3) Focus on student engagement as a crucial element.

Student engagement is the number one factor that drives learning, and AI is opening a new chapter in our ability to connect with students. AI offers a wide range of applications that make more human-based and more engaging learning experiences possible. These include robotics, image and music-generation tools, and automated planning and scheduling, among others. When used in purposeful ways, these AI tools offer the potential to profoundly personalize learning engagement for students.

As one example, AI can be used to shorten basic research. The greatest educational value in research is not in the gathering of the facts, but in transforming facts into concepts and ideas. Teaching students how to use AI to quickly gather information can allow more opportunities to engage in complex information-processing tasks, such as problem-solving and analysis.

Another example of how AI can make learning more engaging is by enabling students to jumpstart an essay or shape up a rough first draft. They can feed their early drafts into an AI tool to get personalized recommendations on ways to adjust the clarity, tone, or organization. This can help quicken getting started with a paper and make the process more interactive.

Finally, AI can employ augmented reality and virtual reality applications to make complex concepts more engaging. For instance, AR and VR technologies can be integrated to depict an animal dissection or illustrate a 3D building model. These technologies can make learning more interesting and help students cultivate a deeper understanding.

Looking Forward

AI is ushering in a new era in K-12, with vast possibilities for innovation and efficiency for students and teachers. We as educators must teach students this technology and all the opportunities, risks, and controversies it presents, instead of ignore it. The advantages that AI offers for engaging students, personalizing learning, and freeing up time for teacher-student interactions can transform education. This is something we should all be optimistic about.