To Our Readers

Google Home. Grammarly. Siri. It’s all artificial intelligence technology and it is changing the way we live our lives. Simplilearn reports that 77 percent of devices today use AI technology in one form or another and 84 percent of C-level executives believe they need to adopt and leverage AI to drive growth objectives.

Our schools aren’t immune to the impact of artificial intelligence, but the challenge is how do we embrace it, leverage it, and protect our students from relying on AI instead of learning the curriculum. It’s another hill to climb, but one we can’t ignore.

When we selected the theme for this Leadership magazine issue, we wanted to give you practical information that you can use in your schools and classrooms. Theories on AI are great and easily attainable from ChatGPT. We wanted to give you something tangible.

This edition kicks off with a look at how Santa Ana Unified School District shifted its leadership approach and established an AI Compass to guide its implementation. Superintendent Jerry Almendarez, Lorraine Perez and Bianca Barquin bring us that story.

Christine McCormick follows that article with a look at how AI can be a new superpower for busy administrators. Ken Montgomery is next up with a look at the implications of AI and how educators must prepare students for the future.

Data privacy, bias, equity and cyber safety are issues impacting all of us. How do we address these issues when using AI for educational purposes? Sonal Patel investigates.

Alex Lozada is up next with his article on “deep fakes” and the risks education leaders need to know about to maintain a safe and supportive environment for students and staff. Our next article is a collaboration from ABC Unified School District in southern California, which is embracing a “Human Intelligence + Artificial Intelligence” approach. Carola Castro, Chad Laines and Mike Lawrence bring us that case study. Finally, Nancy Watkins shares the practices she has developed to ensure students are using AI as a tool and not a replacement for genuine learning.

We know information is knowledge when it comes to AI, and that is why we’re dedicating more time at our conferences to workshops on AI. We’ve also provided content for you on our Resource Hub with additional professional development along the way. As public education evolves with AI, we must too.

Thank you for your service to California’s public school students.