Doctor Williams presented the district’s planned professional development on artificial intelligence and explained the district’s approach to AI in classrooms during the North Hills Board of Education committee meeting on Oct. 2. Williams said the PD theme for 2025–26 is artificial intelligence; the program will define AI, demonstrate educational uses (for example, leveling text and personalizing instruction), and emphasize AI literacy for teachers and students. She said local examples of AI already in use include Khan Academy, iReady, Turnitin, Google Translate and Grammarly.

Williams emphasized three safeguards the district will teach and enforce: privacy and security (do not put student-sensitive data in AI prompts), awareness of bias in AI outputs, and transparency about when and why AI tools are used. She told the board that best practices recommended nationally include professional development, prioritizing student data privacy, human oversight, equity and alignment of tools with instructional goals. Williams noted that the district will avoid using AI in ways that replace teachers and said human oversight will be required for AI outputs.

Board policy: the board reviewed a new draft policy, Policy 815.1, "Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education," presented for first reading. Policy language highlighted by a board member states the district will prioritize educational value when using AI tools and take measures to mitigate associated risks. The superintendent recommended adding the policy items to the legislative agenda for formal consideration at the district’s next meeting. The committee did not take a final vote on the policy at this meeting; it was added to the legislative agenda for the next meeting.

Why it matters: administrators said AI is already present in commercial and educational tools and that preparing teachers and students to use AI safely and effectively is part of the district’s mission. The district flagged privacy, bias, and transparency as central concerns tied to student data and equitable access.

Next steps: PD implementation through the 2025–26 school year and formal consideration of Policy 815.1 at the legislative meeting.