RSU 5 hearing on AI use: staff survey, MIT Day of AI resources proposed and committee suggested

RSU 5 educators and administrators spent a substantial portion of the Dec. 10 board meeting discussing the district's approach to artificial intelligence in classrooms.

Sam Rigby, presenting for the technology department, summarized a staff survey of roughly 100 respondents about current AI use and attitudes: some teachers use AI daily for administrative or lesson-planning tasks while many reported concerns about academic honesty and ethics. "I was, I did use AI just to pick out, like, themes," Rigby said when describing tools used to analyze open-ended survey responses.

Bridal and other presenters recommended drawing on MIT Day of AI and related standards (Common Sense Education, CSTA, ISTE) to build a phased roadmap: form a task force or standing committee, provide foundational teacher professional development using free or paid resources, pilot a Day of AI curriculum as an 8‑month or year‑out trial, and then integrate subject‑specific AI literacy. Equity concerns — ensuring all students have access to appropriate tools and that teachers have PD — were central to the recommendations.

Board members debated whether to begin with PD or to convene a committee first. Several members proposed starting PD quickly while establishing a smaller, ongoing committee to vet providers and align materials with district standards and the larger strategic planning process. The superintendent noted bandwidth constraints and suggested leveraging existing PD schedules where possible.

Next steps: staff will return with a recommended process, potential PD schedule and cost scenarios to be considered during the budget process.