AI in Schools: A Parent Helps Define Its Use in Education

AI Joins the Math Homework

A parent noticed that his teenage son had started using artificial intelligence to help solve his math homework, which left the father perplexed. When his son's school invited parents to join a working group on AI, the parent immediately seized the opportunity. Together, they designed a system that lets teachers determine the extent to which AI can be used for each assignment.

Last fall, the school district of this parent's children, located in a suburb north of San Francisco, put out a call for parents to join a working group on AI. The district is connected with leading tech companies like OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. The goal was to draft a vision statement on AI and develop a framework for its use in the classroom. The parent decided to get involved without hesitation.

The reason? His son had gotten into the habit of photographing his math homework and submitting it to an AI engine with a simple instruction: Solve. Although the boy is known for seeking shortcuts, this method worried the parent. As a rule-abiding person, he feared it might cause problems for his son.

A broader question then arose: did this parent really want his son to use AI in this way? He realized that many parents were facing the same issue. Their generation had to navigate rules on screen time, cell phones and social media without a clear roadmap. Facing a new, even more powerful emerging technology was daunting. The parent began to reflect on the potential impacts of AI on a developing mind.

In conversations with other parents, he discovered he was not alone. Many saw AI literacy as a crucial skill but were also concerned about its effects on creativity, attachment, critical thinking and children's ability to solve problems on their own.

Involvement in the AI Working Group

Last November, this parent joined the AI working group of the Reed Union School District (RUSD) alongside teachers, administrators and other parent volunteers. He was struck by the district's approach. It was not just about discussing the use of AI in the classroom, but about doing so thoughtfully. The idea was that this new technology, if used responsibly, could improve learning outcomes and prepare students for a future in which tech skills are increasingly valued.

Over three meetings, the group helped formulate a vision statement for AI integration, assess safety and ethical issues, and establish a policy on AI literacy and its use by students. The more this parent listened, the more his thinking evolved. AI offered promise, but also real risks to consider. Both are true.

This parent entered the working group with a parent's protective instinct, but came to understand that finding a middle ground with this technology was the challenge he had agreed to take on.

Establishing an Innovative System

Many students are unaware of the rules on the use of AI in their schoolwork, and the situation is more complex than it seems. This parent's child expressed hesitation between using AI to get good grades and avoiding it for fear of being judged by his peers or punished by his teachers. Some children take risks and experiment with these tools, while others prefer not to touch them. As a parent, he observed both sides and found that neither approach was beneficial.

The RUSD decided to guide students, teachers and parents out of this gray area. The district put in place a traffic light model to specify when and how AI can be used for academic tasks.

• For elementary school students (K-5), a red light means no use of AI, a yellow light allows AI as a tutor or support, and a green light indicates that AI is a partner.

• For middle school students, the model becomes a scale from 0 to 4 with color bands. Here, 0 means no AI involvement, while 4 indicates a task where AI generates the work, and the student must critique and verify it.

This traffic light system and the digital framework will be integrated into assignment headers, classroom posters and communications with families. This creates clear signals, helping students understand the rules and the reasons behind them. It will also help parents know what to reinforce at home.

Ongoing Learning

What this parent wants for his son is not a ban on AI. He wants him to use it as a learning partner: to be curious, creative, ask questions, read carefully and question its answers if they do not seem right.

This parent does not want his son to sit down, copy and paste, and then walk away. That is the difference between a student who uses AI to delegate his thinking and a student who learns to complement his own thinking.

The RUSD is trying to build the latter type of student. And so is this parent.