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English teacher urges district to 'teach about AI, not with AI'; staff promise evolving policy
Summary
At a Parkrose SD 3 meeting, an English teacher and other staff urged clear guidance limiting classroom use of large language models, stronger student‑data protections and opt‑outs; the district said it will develop human‑centered AI guidance and invite feedback.
An English teacher who identified himself as Josh told the Parkrose board that district teachers want permission to "teach about AI and not with AI," and asked the board to require clear student‑data protections, opt‑out mechanisms and equity‑focused professional development.
"Ask number one is that teachers at Parkrose... are allowed to teach about AI and not with AI," Josh said. He described departmental requests for (1) teacher discretion to instruct about AI without mandating use of AI tools, (2) safeguards for student data and opt‑out options, and (3) professional development emphasizing equity in AI literacy.
Other teachers and a parent supported Josh's request and raised additional concerns. A chemistry and biology teacher told the board that artificial intelligence is "not a neutral choice," linking AI infrastructure to environmental and equity consequences and arguing that the technology can undermine students' ability to conduct scientific inquiry. Several teachers asked whether district devices and networks already block or restrict large language models; staff replied that LLM access is turned off on school devices but that broader Google and platform AI features can appear dynamically. Staff said they have technical toggles and will continue to refine filters.
District staff said a cross‑district team (including teachers) has been meeting to draft guidelines and an evolving policy. The superintendent‑level speaker described the district's goal as a human‑centered approach that defines what learning looks like and provides "guardrails" — balancing restrictions with supports for educators. Staff said they would present policy recommendations later in the school year and welcome feedback from teachers and families.
The board did not take any immediate regulatory action; staff encouraged the public to provide input and said they will return with policy language and recommended guidelines for board review.
