Back to School with AI: The Clarity Crisis

Your school has an AI policy. Could you pass the 30-second test?

Can you explain your school’s AI policy in under 30 seconds?

If you can’t, you’ve already lost.

Can your child explain the policy to you?

If they can’t, how can we expect them to follow the letter and spirit of the rules?

AI is moving at breakneck speed, with new tools aimed directly at students. Schools are trying to keep up, but large institutions aren’t built to move this fast.

My Search for My District’s AI Policy

I am about as engaged in the AI space as a school can hope a parent will be. I care deeply about how AI can be integrated to utilize the power of new tools and ways of learning while simultaneously enhancing the creativity, mastery, and grit of students.

I went looking for the AI policies for my school district (Boulder Valley School District - BVSD) and the high school and middle schools that my kids are starting.

What did I find?

I started with a simple Google search and found:

• A nice article with student perspectives on AI (but not a policy)

• No clear, simple web page at the district or school level

• Policies implied through academic integrity clauses and teacher discretion

That’s not enough to help students and parents navigate this space.

Why This Matters

I am empathetic with the school districts on this challenge. It’s HARD.

Making and communicating well-considered policy is slow, but AI isn’t slowing down or stabilizing. Families need guidance that’s clear, plain-spoken, and easy to act on, not buried in long documents or hidden in handbooks.

As my 14-year old daughter described in her interview,

• AI is here to stay

• Kids feel pressure to use it

• Students will work around unclear rules

Without clarity, students risk breaking rules unintentionally and parents can’t help.

Offering Solutions - Not Just Complaints

Using Google Gemini, I pulled together BVSD’s implied policy, compared it to other districts, and mocked up a one-page, plain-language site explaining it.

Here’s my solution (built for BVSD but applicable to any district)

This page is my interpretation of BVSD’s implied policy. Whether or not it matches the district’s exact intent, it shows how any school could communicate its approach.

Use simple, clear communication about a complex topic. Help families be partners.

If your school had a page like this, what would you add, change, or remove?

Note: if you click the link, you’ll get a warning that it’s a user created app. I created it, and it doesn’t ask for or collect any data. It’s safe, but here are screenshots.

‎