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District forms AI task force, emphasizes SOPA compliance and cautious student rollout
Summary
District instructional innovation and technology staff told the board they are beginning an AI rollout for teachers with a task force, a focus on Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPA) compliance and staged consideration of student access; board members and a public commenter urged a formal board policy.
Samantha Schumann, the district’s director of instructional innovation, and members of the district technology and coaching teams presented their initial approach to artificial intelligence at the Berwyn South SD 100 board meeting, describing teacher sandbox sessions, a planned task force and measures to protect student data.
Schumann said the district has begun introducing staff to generative and predictive AI, explained background on the technologies and described pilot activities with teachers. "We have conversations about what is the theory, what is kind of emerging, and what does that look like for our teachers, and then what does that look like for our students," she said.
Crystal McDowell, an instructional coach, underscored privacy and bias concerns and explained the district’s app‑review process under state rules. She said the technology team uses an app‑request form and checks Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPA) agreements before approving classroom tools: "we wanted to make sure that whatever app that we decide... the third party is not selling our student data. That is a number 1 priority for us." McDowell also warned about representational bias in AI outputs and said early testing required several iterations to get acceptable image results for diverse students.
Presenters described a staged approach: staff sandbox time with tools (ChatGPT, Google Gemini for staff, Canva, QuestionWell and other instructional tools), development of a district AI task force, and guidance that student access will be introduced cautiously and with safeguards. The presenters said certain AI features are not enabled for students yet and that the district will align any student rollout to digital citizenship and the district’s portrait of a graduate.
Board members asked about where student instruction on AI would begin and how district policy would set "rails" for staff; one board member suggested coordinating with nearby high schools. In public comment, Adriana Caballero asked the board to develop a formal AI policy, noting there is currently no state guidance on AI in schools. "I think it's going to be very important for the board to kind of, start thinking about a policy that will help our teachers teach and will help keep our students safe," Caballero said.
The presentation was informational; the board did not take immediate policy action but the meeting record shows plans for a task force and coordination with the incoming director of technology.
