Does your AI policy reflect what you say you value?
Introducing the Values Mirror
AI use (and misuse) started on the first day of school, and students aren’t waiting for guidelines. How your school or district integrates AI into the classroom and its teaching philosophies cannot be separated from its broader values.
Equity of opportunity requires consistency. A fragmented AI policy that creates islands of innovation for some and tool use bans for others won’t work.
Student empowerment and integrity require trust. An AI policy rooted in distrust undermines your message.
Future readiness requires proactive learning. An AI policy that avoids teaching students how to use AI well leaves them unprepared for college and careers.
Community requires voice and collaboration. An AI policy developed without student or parent input and engagement undermines shared responsibility.
How to Use the Values Mirror
I’m pushing the urgency of the AI policy discussion with my district and my kids’ schools. The Values Mirror grounds the conversation in what schools say they prioritize. It doesn’t dictate a single right answer. Instead, it asks for introspection and makes space for tradeoffs like balancing innovation with equity.
To have this discussion effectively, you need to identify:
Your school or district’s stated values
The AI policy’s reflected values
The alignment gap
Questions for reflection
Here’s how a Values Mirror might look for my district’s stated values vs. its AI policy:
Where to Have the Values Mirror Discussion
Theory is fine, but change only happens when we have the conversations. Here’s what I’m doing to introduce the Values Mirror as a frame:
Sending the district board an email with background on their Values Mirror
Returning to the district board meeting next week to provide public comment
Emailing the top administrators at our schools asking for clarity on their policies
Attending the first school accountability committee meetings to raise the topic
Submitting an Op Ed to my local paper raising the urgency of the issue
It’s a start, but more parents must engage with their schools to drive real change at the required pace. Critically, AI is becoming a core part of how work gets done in companies, in college, and in K-12. We owe it to our kids to help them learn to use AI well at each stage of development and to align the AI policies of our organizations with our core values.
If you’re a parent, teacher, or administrator, ask: How well does our AI policy reflect what we say we value? Make that your starting point for action.