Division unveils generative AI guide; staff will pilot teacher training next year

District technology and curriculum staff told the school board they completed a generative artificial intelligence guide intended to help teachers, students and families use AI tools ethically and effectively.

Staff member Thomas Cratchley (presenting as part of the project team) said five administrators participated in a Virginia Association of School Superintendents cohort and worked with Advanced Learning Partnerships to develop resources for 66 participating districts. He described the guide as a centralized resource hub linking teachers to lesson plans, decision rubrics and professional development materials. “We wanted this guide to serve as a resource hub for our entire school, including our staff, our students, and the community,” he said.

Presenters said the guide will be rolled out in slow phases next year and will include teacher training, examples of classroom uses, and guidance on academic integrity and bias. The division acknowledged concerns about misuse (fabricated citations, bias, hallucinations) and said teachers would receive tools and checklists to detect issues, while administrators continue to evaluate plagiarism and content‑detection tools. The presentation noted that some teachers are already blocking AI tools for academic integrity reasons while others wish to incorporate AI as a teaching tool.

Presenters said the guide received external recognition at a Virginia superintendents’ conference and that the division used AI tools during development; they characterized the final product as a staff‑driven document shaped by human direction with AI used as an authoring aid. The materials are currently for internal use; staff said they will consider public‑facing communications as the program is finalized.

Board members thanked the team and encouraged continued teacher training, parent engagement and phased implementation.