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Superintendent Dr. Hart urges board members to visit classrooms, outlines a "human-first" approach to AI
Summary
At a Utah State Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Hart described recent school visits, stressed that teachers—not technology—are central to learning, outlined three distinct categories of AI use (students, teachers, agency), and said the agency will present a balanced scorecard by the June meeting.
Superintendent Dr. Hart told the Utah State Board of Education that classroom visits remain her priority and called on board members to visit schools across the state to inform their oversight.
"If board members, you have any hesitation whatsoever about visiting schools, please call me, and we can do some school visits together," Dr. Hart said, describing visits to Sky Ridge High, an elementary in Vernal, Park City High and the Edith Bowen charter school on the Utah State campus.
She framed classroom observation as central to understanding instructional practice. "The most important thing that is in the classroom is the teacher, and it is not the technology, but technology is a tool to use to advance learning," Dr. Hart said, describing both student-directed learning in a third-grade science classroom and inquiry work in an AP government class.
Why it matters: The superintendent presented school visits and classroom practice as the primary evidence base the agency will use while implementing legislative changes and refining the agency's strategic measures.
Dr. Hart said the agency is actively planning next steps to implement recently passed legislation and that those implementation efforts "will unfold over the next few months." She also said the agency paused work on a balanced scorecard during the legislative session and expects to return that to the board by the June meeting.
On artificial intelligence, Dr. Hart said the board and agency should treat AI in three separate categories: AI students use, AI teachers use, and AI tools for agency operations. As a member of the governor's pro-human AI initiative, she urged a "human-first" posture.
"When we talk about AI, let's not put it all in one bucket because that doesn't help," Dr. Hart said, and described a classroom tool she observed called "Magic School" as an example of an AI product with guardrails for student use. She added that other AI tools are used to help teachers prepare and to automate routine agency tasks, and said a task force she is participating on will address those uses.
Dr. Hart also highlighted Beehive Academy's 20th anniversary as an example of choice and pathways within public education and said the agency will discuss USDB governance, communications, counts reporting and budgets in a presentation scheduled for the following day. She singled out facilities as an area the agency will "circle back to" in future sessions.
The board chair thanked Dr. Hart for the report and noted there were no questions from board members.
Next steps: Dr. Hart said the agency will present a balanced scorecard in June and continue implementation work on legislative requirements and USDB governance.
