I taught high school English for nearly twenty years. I know firsthand how difficult teaching can be.
I know the demands placed upon educators, the expectations of parents, the pressures of standardized testing, the challenges of classroom management, and the seemingly endless responsibilities that extend well beyond the school day.
I also know that most educators entered the profession because they genuinely want to make a difference in the lives of young people.
That’s why I’m urging educational leaders, particularly those overseeing our public elementary, middle, and high schools, to begin implementing thoughtful, purposeful artificial intelligence education as soon as possible.
Not eventually. Now.
Artificial intelligence is already part of our daily lives. It’s changing how we communicate, research, create, solve problems, and make decisions. By the time today’s elementary students enter the workforce, AI will almost certainly be even more deeply integrated into nearly every profession.
We have a responsibility to prepare them for that reality.
I understand the concerns. Students can use AI to cheat. They can generate essays without writing them, solve problems without understanding them, and complete assignments without learning anything.
Those are legitimate problems.
But ignoring AI because students might misuse it is not a solution. Nor should we avoid teaching AI out of concern that traditional academic disciplines will somehow become less important.
If anything, I would argue those disciplines are becoming more important.
Students need strong reading, writing, mathematical, scientific, and analytical skills precisely because AI makes it easier to bypass the thinking those subjects develop.
We should be teaching students how to use AI ethically, responsibly, securely, purposefully, and intelligently.
We should teach them how to construct effective prompts, critically evaluate AI-generated information, recognize inaccuracies and bias, protect their personal information, and understand when using AI is appropriate and when it isn’t.
Most importantly, we should teach them how to remain human in a world increasingly capable of automating our thinking.
That means encouraging curiosity, creativity, skepticism, empathy, independent judgment, and personal accountability.
AI should strengthen those qualities, not replace them.
I’m not suggesting that teachers abandon their existing curricula or become AI experts overnight. Nor am I suggesting that schools indiscriminately introduce AI into every classroom regardless of student age or developmental readiness.
What I’m advocating is intentional leadership.
Develop age-appropriate expectations. Provide meaningful professional development. Establish clear ethical guidelines. Give educators the time, resources, and support necessary to thoughtfully integrate AI into instruction.
And involve teachers in those decisions. They’re the ones who understand their students and classrooms best.
Ultimately, education has never been about simply preparing students to pass the next test or complete the next assignment. It’s about preparing young people to lead meaningful lives, contribute to society, and reach their full potential.
Artificial intelligence is becoming part of that future whether we embrace it or not.
Our students deserve educators and leaders who recognize that reality and respond with purpose.
We cannot adequately prepare students for tomorrow by pretending today’s technology doesn’t exist.
P.S. In the spirit of transparency, I use artificial intelligence to help develop, organize, challenge, and refine my writing. The ideas, opinions, beliefs, and perspectives expressed here are entirely my own.
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