At the Jan. 8 Fairfax County School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reed and instructional and technology leaders presented FCPS’s approach to integrating generative AI in schools, emphasizing a measured rollout that begins with adult training and vendor safety reviews.

Reed told the board staff research shows significant student use of AI outside school and framed the district’s work as urgent: "Research indicates that 72 percent of teens in our country are using AI," she said, adding staff must be prepared to guide safe and equitable classroom use. Staff outlined principles that prioritize human connection, legal standards, equity and privacy and said vendors with access to student data must satisfy FCPS data privacy agreements and FERPA-compliance checks before adoption.

The presentation described partnerships and pilot activity: Google and PlayLab for innovation and a version of "ChatGPT for Teachers" (ChargeGPT) under evaluation for educational use. Staff also announced plans for a FCPS Think/Impact advisory body of external experts to advise the superintendent on AI strategy.

Public commenters and several board members voiced concerns about the pace and the clarity of parent engagement. Neha Goyal, speaking during public comment, urged caution: "Using ChatGPT in educational context raises ethical concerns such as the potential for bias and a lack of transparency and accountability in the algorithms," she said, and asked the board to ensure privacy guardrails and family collaboration before classroom deployment.

Board members sought concrete policies: several requested a complete inventory of current AI tools used in classrooms, a clear communications plan that distinguishes ‘awareness’ from two‑way engagement, explicit opt‑out mechanisms for families, and a detailed draft AI policy for the governance committee. The board’s governance committee is scheduled to take up AI policy development at its Jan. 20 meeting.

Why it matters: AI tools can affect instruction, assessment and student privacy. The board’s discussion underscored a tension — some parents and members want the district to delay student-facing deployments until comprehensive guardrails and parent engagement structures are in place; other members stressed the need to prepare teachers and students for rapidly changing technology.

What’s next: The district will continue staff training for adults, refine its vendor evaluation and privacy checks, assemble the advisory body, and provide a draft policy to the governance committee on Jan. 20. Staff said no scaled student-facing deployment will occur before recommended policy and privacy steps are completed.

Quotes and attributions in this article are taken directly from the Jan. 8 meeting transcript.