In classrooms she visits, teachers use AI to re‑level texts on the fly so that a first grader reading below grade level and a seventh grader reading at a higher level can work with the same core content, each with appropriate supports. Teachers can convert a science reading into a podcast in seconds, or generate personalized practice sets directly from existing curriculum rather than building each one from scratch. The real impact shows up in what replaces those hours saved.
“The productivity gains matter,” Nistler says, “but only if they’re turned into student impact.” She has seen reclaimed hours intentionally redirected to small‑group instruction, richer feedback and relationship‑building.
Students are finding their own uses for AI, while also setting their own boundaries. In focus groups conducted by Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia, CIO Emily Dillard heard students describe using AI to decode unclear assignment instructions and translate language into something they can understand, which is especially helpful for multilingual learners.
“Our students told us that they choose when they use AI and when they don't,” Dillard said. “I had a couple kids say if it was a course that they really cared about or something that they wanted to do with their life in the future, they did not use AI as much. They really wanted to understand it and do the work themselves. If it was something that they felt wasn't that important for their future, they were more likely to use AI.”
DISCOVER: Find out how your peers are implementing AI.
2. District Leaders Use AI for Planning
K–12 district leaders are beginning to use AI to redesign their own workflows. For principals and central office leaders, the opportunities are less about lesson plans and more about planning and reflection. In Alexandria, Dillard has experimented with building a custom Google Gemini Gem to guide her directors through structured workload inventories and reflection prompts.
Dillard, who has been in her role for six months, is aiming to gain a better understanding of her team’s workload and preferences in order to adjust the workflow if necessary.
“We know that all of our staff are being asked to do more and more every year,” she said. “Having an AI tool that can walk them through reflecting on their work is a way to show we see that and want to support them.”
Training leadership staff on how to use AI is just as important as teacher training, Dillard said. To help get principals comfortable using AI, Dillard created a summer professional development series called AI in July, with sessions to help principals rework schedules, back‑to‑school communications and first‑week plans.
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