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Parents and educators urge Malden School Committee to pause Course Mojo AI pilot and require opt‑in
Summary
Multiple parents, an AI task‑force member and a local educator asked the school committee to halt plans to expand Course Mojo, complaining the pilot lacks measurable outcomes, teacher access to student work and caregiver consent; speakers urged opt‑in and more rigorous evaluation.
Several parents and local education stakeholders urged the Malden School Committee on Jan. 12 to pause the district’s Course Mojo pilot and require affirmative caregiver opt‑in before further expansion.
Dr. Liz Tanagbanwa, a resident of 31 Grace Street, told the committee Course Mojo "should not be used as tier 1 instruction" and said the program was "hindering teacher‑student relationships and stunting the development of student voice." She argued the pilot lacks clear success metrics, a control group and a threshold for continuation, and asked the district to stop expansion until results are shared with caregivers.
Caitlin Peel Sloan, who identified herself as a member of the district’s AI task force working group, said families report student responses "disappear into the black box" of Course Mojo and that teachers cannot see what students write. "That's just an incredibly concerning feature that I don't want our kids exposed to," she said.
Amanda Linehan, a Ward 3 resident, city councilor and BB parent, said her 12‑year‑old daughter was automatically enrolled without advance notice and before the FTC age for data consent later this summer. Linehan acknowledged professional use of generative AI but said schools must evaluate safety, necessity, privacy and potential racial bias before expanding classroom use.
Other speakers — including Charlene Title and Josie Morway — backed a pause, with Morway adding that an open letter signed by about 150 constituents calls for a complete prohibition of generative AI tools in schools or, at minimum, an opt‑in model and stronger pilot safeguards.
District leaders did not take action on the requests at the meeting. Committee members and the superintendent later discussed digital literacy and how AI fits into broader strategic priorities during the superintendent’s presentation. The district’s AI working group was referenced as a venue for developing policies and guidance.
Next steps: speakers asked the committee to publicly commit to halting expansion and to present a clear evaluation plan, including metrics, family notifications and an opt‑in process, before any wider deployment of Course Mojo.
