Group advocates for new AI guidelines for schools
A parental rights group is urging local schools to adopt new guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence.
Julie Andrews, chairwoman of the local Moms for Liberty group, asked the Board of Education last week to support the national organization’s proclamation on AI student safety and parental rights.
“We believe AI can be a powerful educational tool, but with that opportunity comes serious responsibility,” Anderson said. “We have already seen what happens when technology outpaces guardrails. Smartphones and social media were introduced without fully understanding their long-term impact on our children. Today we see rising anxiety, depression and addiction. With AI, the stakes are even higher.”
Moms for Liberty’s proclamation addresses issues including parental consent for AI use and data protection for student users, along with transparency regarding what data is collected from students and how it is used. It also proposes that AI not be used for psychological assessments, counseling or other mental health services.
“This is about the balance of innovation and responsibility, progress with protection,” Anderson said. “By adopting this proclamation, you are sending a clear message technology will serve families in this district, not the other way around.”
The board took no action on Anderson’s request, which was made during the public comment portion of the March 2 meeting.
Pitt County Schools issued guidance on the use of AI in 2024. Earlier that year, North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction became the fourth state education department in the country to issue guidance to its schools on the use of this technology.
The PCS guidelines state that AI tools are not a replacement for educators themselves but are designed to complement the learning environment. According to the district’s guidance, AI may be used to assist in content creation, grading and feedback, to inspire ideas, create personalized learning experiences or facilitate collaborative learning. The guidelines indicate that AI is not designed to replace teacher assessment or interactions with students.
The state guidebook says that AI literacy should be infused into all grade levels and curriculum areas but suggests that direct student interaction with chatbots should not take place at the elementary school level. Some AI technologies contain terms of service that prohibit use by ages under 13 or require parental permission.
Kids Over Corporations
Latonya Nixon-Vines, a representative of the Pitt County Association of Educators, asked the board for its support of the N.C. Association of Educators’ Kids Over Corporations campaign.
“North Carolina currently ranks last in the nation in public school funding,” Nixon-Vines, an instructional coach at Farmville Middle School, said. “At the same time, educators are facing rising health care costs (and) higher co-pays while teacher pay stagnates after the 15 and 25th-year marks, precisely when veteran educators are mentoring new teachers, leading initiatives and serving as instructional anchors within our schools.”
She thanked school leaders for inviting teachers to a meeting between the school board and local legislative leaders last month and said it was reassuring to hear district leadership advocating for schools. But she said that many educators are not convinced that lawmakers will listen.
“Simply put, our legislators need to do more,” Nixon-Vines said. “Educators are tired, but more importantly, our students cannot afford for us to remain silent. The time has come for bold action to protect and strengthen public education before it is slowly dismantled. Our teachers and our students deserve better.”
According to its website, Kids Over Corporations is asking for vouchers for private schools to be eliminated, corporate tax breaks to be ended and funds to be redirected to public schools and health care. The campaign is advocating for the state to spend at least $20,000 per student by 2023, which would be the highest funding in the Southeast, along with a raise of at least 25% for all school employees.