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Board hears symposium report urging AI policies, teacher training and community outreach
Summary
Board member Miss Fox reported on a summer learning symposium that emphasized using generative AI as an instructional tool, balancing plagiarism/privacy risks, creating AI policies, and engaging parents and the community in transparent practices.
Board member Miss Fox summarized takeaways from a multi‑day Summer Learning Symposium, highlighting generative AI’s role in classrooms, the need for updated policies and teacher training, and community outreach to build understanding and trust.
"AI is here — it's not coming, it's already being used," Miss Fox said, arguing that districts should treat generative AI as a creative tool comparable to calculators and teach students how to use it responsibly. She described workshop demonstrations and recommended professional development and parental communication so schools do not fall behind: "having that transparency with the community and workshops with the community showing how AI can work and how they can help their children utilize the AI."
Speakers at the symposium discussed practical classroom uses and flagged privacy and safety risks. Miss Fox cited an example of deep‑fake image misuse that had severe consequences for students and urged careful policy design and technical vetting of tools to avoid privacy violations. She referenced relevant legal frameworks and federal guidance, noting implications for student privacy (FERPA) and online protections (COPPA) and mentioned the National Science Foundation's AI Education Act as a resource discussed at the conference.
Miss Fox also described nontechnical engagement ideas presented by other districts — for example, podcasting and community storytelling to boost engagement — and recommended the district review model AI policies (she cited Sun Prairie’s policy as an example) and work with the district’s technology and legal teams to adapt policies locally.
Next steps: staff flagged the district’s existing AI policy (policy 75‑40.8) and said teacher professional learning on AI will be included in pre‑service days; board members requested sample policies and communication drafts for review.
