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State board debates classroom AI: balancing foundational skills, equity and teacher supports
Summary
The board used a facilitated consultancy protocol to examine Maryland’s K–12 AI guidance. Members urged iterative guidance, strong teacher supports and equity safeguards to prevent AI from becoming a shortcut that undermines foundational skills.
Maryland’s Strategy & Operations Committee devoted its second agenda item to a facilitated, board‑led discussion of the state’s K–12 artificial intelligence guidance, focusing on one anchor question: how to help LEAs use AI to deepen learning and expand access without letting it become a shortcut that undermines students’ problem‑solving.
Richard Concincaid of MSDE opened the session, saying the guidance treats AI as a set of classroom tools anchored by one test: "Does AI help students learn and drive?" He presented the anchor question: "How do we help LEAs use AI in ways that deepen learning and expand access for all students without letting it become a shortcut that gets in the way of thinking and problem solving that they'll need for a workforce that's increasingly shaped by technology?"
Chair Mr. Greer framed the discussion and cautioned that starting AI instruction too early could risk weakening foundational skills: "If we start with AI in young grades we have a big risk of not teaching foundational skills… it's akin to using a calculator before learning core arithmetic," he said. Several board members agreed that the goal should be a balanced, scaffolded approach that preserves essential, enduring skills while teaching students to use AI responsibly.
Miss Medina urged a language shift away from framing AI as primarily a risk and suggested centering ethical, responsible use and collaboration with students: "How can we embrace ethical and responsible use of AI?" she asked, arguing that students themselves often have everyday experience with the tools and should be part of designing classroom practice.
Board members and MSDE staff repeatedly raised three operational priorities: 1) teacher supports and coaching so classroom practice remains aligned to high‑quality instructional materials (HQIM); 2) professional learning on prompt literacy and methods to evaluate AI output; and 3) equity of access so well‑resourced LEAs do not adopt standalone tools with weaker privacy and instructional quality while underresourced LEAs remain limited to poorer options. Sean Rushing, MSDE’s assistant superintendent for IT, warned that AI outputs require evaluation and verification: students and teachers need skills to discern accurate from fabricated information.
MSDE staff said the guidance is intentionally implementation‑oriented and iterative. Staff noted the department will need to upskill internal staff, provide district coaching supports, and ensure AI tools are aligned to HQIM so teachers do not fragment instructional coherence by relying on ad‑hoc AI‑generated lessons. Officials described national peer learning and partnerships that have already yielded free resources the department can adapt.
No formal policy or regulation was adopted during this meeting. Board members asked MSDE to bring the guidance back on a recurring cadence for review and to prioritize teacher coaching, equity safeguards, and practical classroom exemplars. The committee adjourned after a motion and second and will continue to monitor AI guidance implementation.
