I'd like to call to order this regular
meeting of the Boulder Valley School
District for Tuesday, March 24th, 2025.
Board members may attend and participate
in board meetings by electronic means in
accordance with BBSD policy BMEA in
state law. Laura, can you please call
the role?
>> Booker
>> here.
>> Chavez
>> here.
>> Medler
>> here.
>> Uh Quinn Linua.
She's corresponding with me saying she's
trying to get into the meeting.
>> Raj Paul here. Teamading
here
>> anger
>> here.
>> Thank you.
>> I'd like everyone to turn their
attention to the screens for our land
acknowledgement this morning.
The Boulder Valley School District
resides and operates on land that is the
ancestral homeland and unjustly and
illegally taken territory of the Ute,
Pueblin, Arapjo, Cheyenne, Apache,
Navajo, and 48 other tribal nations
historically tied to this land who have
called this land home since time and
memorial.
We acknowledge the atrocities committed
here, including the painful history of
genocide, forced assimilation, and
efforts to alienate the indigenous
inhabitants from their homeland,
supported by the policies of the United
States government.
BBSD is aware of the many indigenous
peoples, past and present, and their
dignified nations and cultures, who care
for this land with strength and
resilience.
BBSD recognizes the histories of the
land in Colorado and the survival of
many nations that carried their oral
traditions into the present.
It is BBSD's responsibility to educate
ourselves, our community, and our
students so that we can embrace the
wisdom and knowledge of indigenous
peoples
and actively stand together to address
injustices.
In offering this land acknowledgement,
we affirm and honor the history, wisdom,
oral traditions, and resilience of
indigenous people, and recognize the
responsibility to care for and
appreciate this land together.
I'd like to remind everybody that the
mission of the Bowler Valley School
District is to create challenging,
meaningful, and engaging learning
opportunities so that all children
thrive and are prepared for successful,
civically engaged lives. Good morning,
everyone. Thank you for joining us here
in person today on this Tuesday after
spring break. And for those of you who
are tuning in to watch our meeting
remotely, we're glad to have you observe
and participate in our meetings. At this
time, is there a motion to approve
today's agenda?
Moved by Jason, seconded by Alex. Laura,
can you please call the role?
>> Booker,
>> yes.
>> Chavez,
>> yes.
>> Medler,
>> yes. Quinn Linua,
>> yes.
>> Raj Paul, yes.
Tamuading
>> Anger,
>> yes.
>> Motion passes.
>> We have a couple items on today's
agenda, board members. The first of
which is a work session taking an
in-depth look at artificial
intelligence. I will turn it over to Dr.
Anderson to do the introductions this
morning.
>> Thank you, board president Rajpal, board
members. Good to see everyone. Hope
everyone had a wonderful spring break.
Um excited uh to have our team present
to you today uh where we are with
artificial intelligence in BBSD. Uh
board members, we gave uh the board and
the public our first update on this
topic about two years ago and things
have changed in terms of AI. I think
that uh as we think about how K12 school
districts across the country are
responding
uh to artificial intelligence, I think
that you what you'd see is um some
confidence, some struggle, uh some
benefits, some fears, and uh and
something that's actually emerging right
in front of us. Uh as soon as I think uh
oftentimes you get a sense of where
things are, things evolve at rates that
probably um have never been seen before
in terms of technology. And so, you
know, we tried to take here in BVSD a
measured approach, not being too far
ahead of the curve. I think there's
danger in that when there's you're in an
emerging field. Um, but also being uh
responsive both to the the needs of our
educators, of our parents, and of our
kids. And so, um, excited to share with
you kind of the journey that we've had
and excited to share this with our
community as well. I think we've done a
lot more than maybe has been um been
been presented especially over the past
two years and so um excited to turn the
presentation over to Dr. Da Cruz who
will do introductions and get us and get
us started.
>> Good morning, President Rash Pal,
members of the board. We're glad to have
a large team here today to facilitate a
discussion as Dr. Anderson said about AI
and BBSD.
And as Dr. Anderson stated, "We are
moving at a measured pace. We're
intentionally not going full speed ahead
or racing to get to the front of the
line with AI. Um although AI is rapidly
evolving, our intention is to take an
approach that is mindful, that is
planful and is well considered on all
fronts which the team today will address
and we look forward to the discussion.
Since our measured approach um to AI is
a cross team effort, we have several
members of the team today. As I said, we
have Frankie Elmore. Next to me, our
CIO, Chris Bret, our director of
strategic initiatives, Lynn Gershman,
director of academic services, Dr.
Nativity Miller, our chief academic
officer, and Dr. Emma Herszog, our ed of
academics. So glad to have everyone
here.
Our team is going to share today the
foundational elements and progress of AI
in BBSD through discussions about a
measured approach, policy, safety and
data protection, listening first and the
growth of AI in BBSD, the current state
of AI usage in BBSD and moving um toward
intentional moving forward with
intentional practice. So, we're aiming
to ensure that we center educators and
students throughout the progression of
AI and BBSD. and you'll likely hear that
today.
Uh we know that AI is a really powerful
tool. We also know that the human brain
is a very powerful tool. And so
individual creativity and critical
thinking remain at the center in BBSD.
So while today you'll hear about
parameters and opportunities with AI in
BBSD, we do remain committed to
enhancing our work in many ways with AI
as an opportunity for each person in
BBSD to use it as a tool while still
elevating critical thinking and
intellectual growth.
And as we likely know, AI carries both
promise and peril, which necessitates
the need to move forward mindfully. So
you'll hear today a thoughtful approach
that's not about racing to the front of
the line as I said, but really
developing guard rails and parameters
for safe and productive use of AI. We
have a team here today that I'm going to
pass it over to. Uh next up, Chris is
going to share how this work aligns with
our strategic priorities and
initiatives.
>> Good morning, President Rajal, members
of the board. Uh really quickly just
want to highlight that although this is
uh artificial intelligence is not a
standalone initiative within BBSD we see
it as advancing our priorities within
the strategic plan. Uh and all while we
are taking a measured approach and we um
are being very strategic on how we
implement different aspects of AI within
our system I want to make sure that we
highlight the fact that we see AI as a
tool that is going to advance each of
our strategic initiatives. We see it as
a tool for good. Um, and we are
constantly going to be looking for
opportunities uh to embed artificial
intelligence uh into our work in support
of each of these uh key objectives.
Whether that be through finding um
unique ways that students can engage
within grade level standards, supporting
teachers in their planning to identify
different ways to differentiate their
instruction, uh the creative ways that
it uh expands student opportunities for
career exploration and work-based
learning. Uh and then most importantly,
how we ensure that in this modern tech
world of things evolving so fast that
it's really hard to keep up, uh that
students continue to feel valued and
included while they're within BBSD. Uh
so all of those things we again can see
artificial intelligence as a tool for
good and advancing these strategic
initiatives.
And then really quickly too want to
highlight that um I'm sorry the next one
for uh where we are within some related
board policy. Um and you'll see here
that we've outlined some policies that
we feel like u relate to this topic. But
you will notice that in 2023 there were
two policies JDC on student conduct and
JS regulation student use of technology.
Uh both of those policies incorporate
some artificial intelligence language.
Uh and then we also have uh some
upcoming revisions due in terms of a
student use of internet and electronic
communications revisions due in 2028.
Student use of technology revisions due
in 2026 and an acceptable use of
technology for staff. That's also due at
2026. Just a reminder that while these
are along the timeline, any of these can
be prioritized at the will of the board
as as you feel necessary for us to be
able to help guide this work
appropriately.
>> And with that, I will hand it over to
Frankie to talk a little bit about
timeline.
>> Good morning, President Raj Paul, board
members, Dr. Anderson. This timeline, as
you can see, provides a view of how AI
work has evolved in BBSD over the last
few years. We began like most
organizations in late 2022 when tools
like chat GPT became widely available.
At that point, our focus was on
understanding the technology and its
potential impact. In 2023, our IT team
began evaluating generative AI while our
instructional teams started engaging in
a series of professional learning
discussions to better understand
classroom implications.
As interest grew, we intentionally
expanded opportunities for our staff to
learn and collaborate and establish an
AI teacher discussion group.
And in early 2024, we moved into more
structured implementation with the p
purchase and launch of Magic School as
an enterprise platform, providing a
safer, more controlled environment for
AI use.
We also began formal communication with
the board, providing our first AI update
in June of 2024 and continued expanding
communication through staff channels
such as the Aidas section of the
download newsletter.
Over time, this work has continued to
mature, including expanding our teacher
discussion group and increasing the
frequency of engagement and feedback.
As part of our ongoing evaluation, we
also made targeted adjustments as ne
when needed. In early 2026, we
restricted student access to the
consumer version of chat GPT, which I'll
discuss in more detail momentarily.
And today, we continue to refine our
approach, including this update to the
board as we move forward with a more
structured and governed AI strategy.
Frank, if I could if I could just uh add
a little context as well, Laura, if you
can go back. Um,
you know, this is kind of our timeline,
but if you think just how what has been
happening AC, you know, in our country
and in the world with AI, I think that
there have been these m moments of
excitement and fear like almost
simultaneously every time every time
something evolves, if that makes sense.
Uh, and so I do I do want to commend the
team for, you know, having a steady hand
as we've as we've really began to try to
really understand the the benefits, how
how this can be good for us, but also
protecting our kids um and protecting uh
their their data. Data privacy we know
is a long-standing value of not just
this board and this district, but our
community. And so, uh, making sure that,
um, that our students and our educators
have had the opportunity to reap the
advantages while also protecting, uh,
the dangers I think that can come with
AI. So, just a little bit more context
on the timeline before you proceed.
On the topic of chat GBT, I want to
demonstrate a spec specific decision
that reflects how we apply our approach
in practice.
In January this year, we made the
decision to restrict student access to
the consumer version of chat GPT on
BVSSE networks and districtisssued
devices.
This was a targeted action based on
content safety concerns,
specifically related to chat room
functionality and adult content features
as well as age verification mechanisms
that did not meet our standards for
student use.
It's important to note that this was not
a broad shift towards blocking AI tools.
Rather, it was a specific response to
ensure alignment with our student safety
and data protection expectations.
From a technical standpoint, this
restriction was implemented through our
existing firewall and web filtering
systems, consistent with how we manage
other categories of online content.
This is an example of our broader
approach. Continuing to evaluate tools
as they evolve, expanding access where
appropriate, and intervening when safety
thresholds are not met.
Good morning, President Raj Paul and
BBSD board. Um I'm excited to um provide
some clarity this morning around how
we're working with AI. Um and just to
define some terms. Um generally speaking
there are three types of AI that is used
in education. Um we all know the
reactive
um type of AI. This is your basic Google
search. uh when you ask Google Google a
singular question, it responds with a
bunch of choices that you can click on.
Um predictive is where we're using some
data sets to try to figure out what is
um happening in a specific set of
instances. So our example in education
is any type of adaptive test. We use NWA
as one of our um digital assessments for
math uh across the district and it's
adaptive. So, as a student gets an
answer right, the assessment will ask a
harder question, as the student gets the
answer wrong, it will ask an easier
question to try to figure out where that
student's level is. So, it's a
personalized experience, but that's it.
The software is predicting where that
student lies. What we're mostly talking
about today is um the newest type of AI
that we're seeing in education which is
generative AI where the student is
engaging with the software and new
content is being created. Um that's
really our emphasis today because that
is the quote unquote innovation of a
chat GPT or a large language model. Um
the other two have been around for a
long time in education. So we've had AI
in education for quite some time. This
is a new development in the type of AI
that we're looking at. So that's why
we're talking about it today.
Now before we move into tools and
implementation, it's important we
understand the policy safety and data
protection framework guiding our
approach.
Student data protection is our first
filter. Any AI tool must pass
contractual, legal, and technical review
before it can be approved for use in the
district.
We require data data privacy agreements
aligned with FURPA and Colorado student
data law and our teams review vendor
terms to ensure there is no unauthorized
data sharing, no resale of data of
student information and clear data
retention practices.
We also prioritize enterprise level
platforms that allow district managed
authentication, administrative oversight
and audit capabilities.
And because AI technologies are evolving
so very rapidly, this review process is
a continuous effort.
And rather than leading with technology,
we've started by listening, ensuring our
implementation reflects the needs of our
classroom and staff.
Me again. Um so after we started um with
our professional learning um series that
was I think two years ago um there were
several teachers who wanted to continue
talking about what AI looks like and
what it's going to look like in the
classroom. Some were concerned about
plagiarism. Some were concerned about uh
not really concerned excited about the
creative uses of AI as we were seeing
it. Others wanted to continue talking
about guidance from the district level.
So there was a very small group of
teachers that met uh monthly the very
first year that we saw AI in our in our
classrooms. The second year we met
quarterly because we were all kind of
just trying to survive um all the
different things that were happening in
the district. Um and now we have a
larger group uh that meets monthly um
that includes
many teachers, some parents, um other
stakeholders in the community, uh we
have a few representatives from CU, um
we have teacher librarians, uh we have
folks from assist of technology, from
our sped department, and we have some
students who meet monthly to discuss
topics surrounding AI. I um in our
community, in our schools, um just
innovations that we're seeing. Um it's
been a pretty robust conversation each
month. Um and uh really enjoyable for
everyone um who's participating. Um and
what you'll see in the next slide, these
are some of the topics that we've been
discussing. Um these are questions that
we have. These are um areas that we're
just trying to bring to the forefront uh
as we're thinking and talking about AI.
Lyn, can I just so that board members
and our public is aware
Lynn intentionally relate this is an
interest group and I just want to make
sure that we're all aware that we're
used to seeing like a super excuse
superintendent advisory committee or
board or board advisory committees which
we approve the membership of and ensure
they are representative an interest
group folks self- select into.
We they do not provide recommendations
to the board or the superintendent. It's
a place for conversation, but they're
structured very differently than our
other advisory committees that you're
familiar with. So, I just want to
elevate some degree of distinction. And
Dr. Anderson, I can see you wanting to
chime in there as well.
>> Absolutely. I I I really want to commend
Lynn who has been at the forefront of of
this really um and creating this space
to to to help just talk about and think
through something that's emerging and
you know within this interest group and
and I could let Lynn speak to this a
little bit more. Um students provide
value. We've got very well-informed
community members who are on the cutting
edge of some of these technologies that
help provide value. our educators, you
know, ground us in our experience
around, you know, the, you know, what's
possible. And so, you know, the idea of
an interest group that has emerged and
has been inclusive for folks that that
are interested um is something that is
that sits outside board policy. It sits
outside something that I would I would
um ask to be developed. I think it's
just something that's emerged and I
think that that's best practice. If we
want to know and understand new and
innovative and exciting things, you
know, from time to time, we should
create a space to listen and learn and
think. And there are some ideas that
will come out of, you know, both of our
advisory groups, but even an interest
group that would um allow us to begin to
explore or understand uh topics that
this board would be presented with and
take action on. Um but I really just
want to commend Lynn and her leadership
uh and uh you know the the nimleness of
this group I think has been its strength
um to allow it to come together collect
information um and uh and really stay on
top of things that are happening. I mean
you know
I think the the challenge is is to try
to figure out what's going to happen
tomorrow when you're still trying to
understand what's happening today.
Right? and and these things are
evolving, right? Like even just with
chat GPT now a lot of districts have
taken an approach where they just locked
everything down immediately. no access
even districts that that may tout that
they are AI leaders and I've been early
on I was I was on a couple it was in a
couple of groups as this topic was
emerging and I I found that um
you know people's approaches vary and
depending on what they're trying to do
like for us that we see this as a tool
we see this as a as something that that
we can use but we also see our
obligation and making sure that we
protect uh data our students data um as
a top priority. Um
but as you see people talking about
this, sometimes folks are talking about
it, but you have to kind of see how is
it being used? How is it improving uh
the outcomes for kids? And as you all
know, board members, our number one
priority is is advancing the strategic
priorities and initiatives within our
strategic plan. So I really love the way
that Chris framed that up for us. Um but
just again, Lynn, thank you for your
leadership on this and uh you know, it's
not like she went into this group with
all of these topics, these things
emerged and um what a better way to
really know and understand where a
community is than being nimble, bringing
folks together and letting the topics
come to you.
>> I know the next slide says questions and
conversation, but I want to make sure
you are wrapped up with this one before
I just start. Okay, it was Alex and then
Jason.
Yeah, I really appreciate this and I'm
excited for the board to have this deep
dive into it and I do think we could use
up three hours in this discussion pretty
fruitfully. Um I guess my observation on
this last slide if you go back um these
if you had a list of pros and cons for
AI all of these would be on the con side
of the ledger. These are guard rails and
restrictions and concerns not visions
and hopes and uses and applications that
make people do anything. So, as like a
governing board or administrators of a
big system, these are all the wet
blankets of why you shouldn't and why
you can't do this unless we make sure to
control it for you. What would be in the
slide if we were talking about what the
people in the interest group think is
cool and good.
>> Um, I think that's that's a way to look
at this. I think when we're talking
about I was trying to give a window into
the types of discussions we are having.
So when we're talking about data privacy
and security um the discussion centers
around like how are we doing that? When
we're talking about age restrictions the
conversation is how do we make sure that
teachers understand what the age
restrictions are around some of these
applications or uses. it it's not about
um saying we need to shut things down
but we are talking about how do we
promote the idea of a bias check because
some people at uh you know at a cursory
level may not understand that there
could be bias that's being presented
using an AI tool. So how do we educate
around that? That's really more of the
discussions if that helps. Yeah, if I
may, I guess I in the discussions I've
been around, there is a balance of the
guard rails we as system designers and
governors are putting in place and the
reasons why people are using it and the
applications they're using it for and
the things that raise these issues. So I
think it's incumbent on us to also
understand the utility, the perceived
utility and the actual utility and the
things that people are doing out there
that we may or may not be able to
protect all these important parameter.
I'm in for protecting all these
parameters. I totally get it. But I
think we could easily fall into a policy
discussion that becomes increasingly
irrelevant. Like everything has AI in it
now. And if we are thinking about the
systems that we control and how to make
them safeguard these parameters, we are
missing what the, you know, 4,000 odd
adults and what the 27,000 kids are
doing with the stuff because it'll be
outside our systems and the things we
control. So, I'm I'm like, I don't want
us to actually do worse at the guard
rails because we're thinking in the
parameters of the things we can control
when so much of this we can't control.
I
>> I I really do appreciate your
perspective on this, Alex, and I think
that, you know, that this is the balance
that that we're really striving to to to
strike. like how can we see this as a
tool for good? Um and then also um
overcome some of the fear that that can
dominate conversations when you pull
groups together. And um I will say that
at further along in the in the in our
conversation
um our our academics team will begin to
think about um and present to you all
around this idea of using AI as a
competency,
right? like because I really think that
once we're able to think about our
standards and embed how AI can be used
as for our kids for to to along the
lines of what you're thinking about what
what does a kid who graduates high
school in 2026 27 28 need to really know
about AI before they leave us so they're
prepared for a world that will be
dominated by AI and so I don't want to
lose that I think that that's a critical
component of where we need to go to and
evolve just double checking with Lynn
there has not been any efforts by our
state at this point or by the federal
government or um through through No
Child Left Behind, Every Student
Succeeds Act or any of the
accountability systems where AI is is
being thought of as a competency, right?
So um so again, it's emerging, right?
We're thinking about it. uh you know and
uh you don't want to get too far ahead
of those folks who will then um but I
think we're going to have to I you know
and I think we have the opportunity to
so but I do appreciate that perspective
and this isn't uh you know protect
everybody from AI but how do you
leverage this as a competency so our
educators are through professional
learning our kids know and understand
how to use that
>> Jason and then Deian
>> um yeah I just have some questions I
appreciate Alex's perspective But
questions kind of on this and maybe I
don't know that there's an endgame here.
It sounds like this is really just kind
of a a really great forum for teachers
to talk through questions. I would
imagine all levels of expertise, people
who feel very very competent and
comfortable and people who are terrified
and scared. Um, but I it seems like a
really great forum and maybe this is
further in the discussion to really put
together some recommendations and some
so I hope and I guess a question for you
Lynn and others like will there be um
takeaways and feedback from this group
that can be turned into recommendations
or guidance of some kind. Sounds like we
may get to that discussion later, but I
would hate to waste this, not waste like
not use this opportunity where people
are getting together to talk about, you
know, how imagine how talk about how to
use this in a productive way and kind of
to Alex's point. Um, but then let those
discussions just kind of like move on.
I'd like to, you know, find ways to
really take this because this is, I
think, what we're at least what I'm
hoping to get out today is like what are
what are the things that we're going to
tell the tell teachers? What are the
things we're going to tell students and
parents about how we're using AI, how
we're integrating this? And again, not
to jump ahead to what sounds like a
future discussion, but this seems like
the the great a great first place to
start.
>> I would say that um you know, this is
work sessions, these dayong work
sessions are designed to be interactive,
right? And so to know and understand um
and and to to partner with the board to
provide direction for the system I think
is is a critical piece of some of the of
a work session like this. Um, and it
could be if we want a group that we form
if we want to formalize a group that
advises the board or advises the
superintendent, we'd want to take I
think some other measures to make sure
that it's representative of the
perspectives within our community so
that those recommendations
um could we we would have those um
asurances as a governance team. I think
that that is something we could we could
talk about. Um and and I think that as
as the rest of the team will talk some
of those questions will be answers and
the ones that aren't I think that's why
we're having this discussion and so this
is not a information topic where we're
reporting you all the things how we
figured it all out it's emerging right
and I think that you know trying to stay
in tune not only with our community and
where they are but this you know these
advancing technologies and just all of
the the the excitement and and
challenge. So yeah, so I think that by
the end of today, my hope would be that
you all would be able to weigh in, have
some clear direction on next steps on
what this looks like. Um, and but but
also with input from our team as well,
right? You know, if there's things that
you say, hey, you know, what about this
idea? You know, I would I would
encourage our team to provide the
perspective to really make sure that we
work together to to build some good
recommendations.
>> We're going to turn it over to Deian,
but Lany, I want to let you know if you
have anything to ask or to share. I'll
have you up after Deian since I can't
see you.
>> Thanks. I'm good right now.
>> I don't see this list the way you do. I
like I see it as lesson plans. I see it
as lesson plans for how to teach
students as they reach 12th grade and
are about to metriculate. They need to
understand all of these issues before
they go on to college. They need to
understand that AI is going to present a
bias. They need to understand how
they've been impacted um by getting to
use these tools over students in other
places that don't have the technology
that we have. They need to understand
the ethics and the academic honesty that
go into using one of these tools um to
do their college work that could get
them thrown out of college. um they need
uh these are all critical thinking
skills that they need in order to
graduate and be successful adults. So I
really see it not as negative just as a
layered um approach of all of the things
that we need to think about.
>> Lenia and then Jorge and actually Laura
did Anna join the meeting or is she No.
Okay. So, Lolenia and then Jorge,
>> can you hear me? Nicole,
>> yes, I can. Good morning, Lenia.
>> I do not have any questions at this
time. I'm just listening. I'm good.
Thanks.
>> Thanks, Jay.
>> Uh, thanks for sharing this. I I
appreciate the timeline. I know you
mentioned the learning series for
professional development for teachers
back to 2023 and that's I'm guessing
that's continued since then. I'd like to
get a sense of kind of what's that
looked like and kind of issues that are
popping up from that and um maybe I
think there's some data usage later on
but I just kind of get a sense of where
we're at with the professional
development.
>> Sure. Thanks for that. Um the main way
we are doing professional development
with um AI is weekly we have the teacher
newsletter the download um and we've
invited any teacher who's using AI to
submit how they're using it called a
ideas
get it um and uh so each week um we have
a new idea from a classroom teacher so
that another teacher could read that and
adapt to what uh to to use in their own
classroom. So, we've had a lot of
different examples with there's a couple
examples later on um in the the
presentation. Um but uh you know
specifically just off the top of my head
um we do we have a high school anatomy
teacher um who has created unit chat
bots for um each of his units so that
his students have access to him without
having access to him 247. So every unit
has a bot that the the kids can engage
with and ask questions. Um, we've seen
um other teachers who have created uh
like book recommendation
type situations for kids. So they can
type in the last book that they read
that they liked and get a suggestion for
the next book. Um so we have all
different types of uh teachers who are
adding to that. Um, in addition, there
was a there was a high school teacher
who I really enjoyed her submission
because she added a way to ask kids to
site the use of AI in their writing in
her class. So, she provided that form um
for other teachers to adapt and use um
to start to have those conversations
around ethical use of AI. And there were
different levels of how you can site
your AI use from the prompt to your
actual uh to the actual return
um and how the kids were using it to
edit their own work. So
>> the Wednesday morning series you had a
couple years ago.
>> I think that Jorge,
sorry I don't know your last name. Um
>> Chavez, sorry. I think um board member
Chavez
do you were remembering those earlier?
the six the series of six that we
started with.
>> Did you want more information about that
series that professional learning series
>> just in general?
>> Oh, I'm sorry. I misunderstood.
>> Where we're at today.
>> Okay. I'm sorry. I misunderstood. So,
when we first started um
>> Yeah. Um Dr. Dea Cruz asked me to create
a series of professional learning for
Wednesday mornings that teachers could
opt into so that they could get familiar
with what AI actually is in the
classroom. So this was before we um
purchased Magic School. Uh the first one
was just about what is AI? What do we
know about it? What don't we know about
it? Teachers could ask questions um
about it. The second one was about
prompt writing and we really just kind
of messed around with uh ChachiPT. We
were writing like silly haikus, not
really even trying to get to education
yet. Just what is this as humanity? what
do we need to know as adults in the
world? And then the third one was more
about how could we use AI in the
classroom. So what could you use it for?
And that's when we started experimenting
with lesson planning or differentiation
or brainstorming ideas. And then we
started talking to Magic School between
the third and the fourth session. So
then the fourth session was a a demo of
Magic School and getting teacher
reaction around it and then the fifth
and the sixth sessions were actually
doing some training around Magic School.
Um, these were all voluntary and I would
say we would do an elementary one in the
first 45 minutes of late start and a
secondary um for the second 45 minutes.
And I was having 200 to 300 teachers
attending each of the sessions. So,
could be up to 600 teachers
or more um during those sessions. It was
a little nerve-wracking to to see all
those people on there, but um really
having those engaging times and engaging
talking about what we're facing in our
classrooms. As that's progressed,
that's when some of the interest started
peaking around I want to talk more about
AI. What can we do? What can we
organize? And that's how this kind of
organic interest group emerged as
teachers were asking me questions. I was
starting to recognize some repetition
there um of interest in it. And so I
just thought it would be a good way to
facilitate conversation around this. And
then principles started sending me
parents who were asking questions. I was
engaging with those parents. And then I
just thought this is like taking up so
much of my time. I'm just gonna make it
an hour a month and everyone can just
come. And that's kind of how it's been.
So, we average around 40 or 50 people um
come into the the meeting each month. Um
and we talk about all different things.
I'm not really providing a ton of
guidance. I'm more facilitating it
because it's a forum for folks to to
just talk about what they're thinking
about. Um it's splintered into a book
study. Um one of the teachers is leading
a book study now. Um she told us what
the book was. So then since my
department um also manages libraries, we
bought some digital copies of the book
so that the teachers could read the book
for the book study and not have to pay
for it. You know those kinds of things.
Oh,
fine.
>> Jason, then Alex,
>> um, thanks. I'm glad Jorge asked that
question because that's that's kind of
what I'd really love to get from today
is, you know, um, I mean, I love the
idea of the a ideas and also the clever
uh, name, but how do you have a sense of
how widespread that is and how how much
uptake there is on those things? I think
my my biggest worry uh so I think about
my my own experience. I was you know
fifth grade teacher many years ago and
we had two random apples with different
color things dropped Apple computers
dropped off into my classroom and I had
no idea how to how to use it. Uh and it
was just one of these they collected
dust. It became kind of an incentive if
you finished your work. And then I had a
colleague who just with those same two
laptops was able to kind of integrate
into everything and the kids use it for
all sorts of things. And that's, you
know, obviously not a total parallel,
but I think of AI in the same way. And
that like you have teachers who are
incredibly skilled and know how to do
it. And then you have everyone else
who's kind of scared of this stuff. And
so I'm really curious about the the kind
of uptake and you know how widespread
you get a sense that these practices
are.
>> Um I could skip ahead and show you that.
No, that's okay. I can skip ahead and
show you um our adoption of like the
there's a point here where we're going
to talk about magic school because that
is our approved enterprise product and I
can show you the growth of adoption of
that that's been pretty organic
>> and I I didn't mean to jump ahead of
topics but I think just on Jorge's point
about kind of what's what's what are
teachers getting and how much are how
much are people using those. So if we
are jumping ahead, I'm sorry, but uh
that was I thought that was a natural
jumping off point.
>> We don't need to jump ahead yet. Dr.
Anderson, Alex, I'll say something and
then we will move on so we can get
ahead.
>> Jason, I love your question, right? And
I think that this is you know to to the
extent but but but to you know h how
many teachers have embraced this and
adopt this adopted this on their own,
right? This has been this is we have
really designed
um our land our AI landscape in a way
where folks it's an opt-in type of an
environment right and as it's emerging
now you we're going to trans at a
certain point it goes in from optin to
expectation
right so uh I would say that you know
once you get to that place then it's
change management then it's really you
know following all of the things that we
know to do as we've implemented new
curriculum and change instructional
practices and improve those and change
the ways we think about post-secary
readiness like there's a whole system
that has to evolve and emerge and change
on that and so I would say that uh there
has not been an expectation from any
district staff to say this is how you
use AI this is what it's going to be um
I think the only restrictions we've
probably have have made are when we
think that data privacy is at risk and
we've shut you know we shut chat GBT
down um we we made the conscious
decision to embrace an enterprise
solution in magic school early on to
give folks a safe place to begin to
really build their skills here. Uh so um
but I do think like after a session like
this as we start to think and evolve
like what you know how do we evolve from
organic
emerging to intentional
uh moving forward and so I think that uh
I would just I just would want to be
clear like if a teacher has not used AI
at all it's not because they've done
anything that they're not doing what
we've asked them to do. We haven't asked
them to do that.
>> Yeah. I I sort of have a question and
also sort of a prompt for that. I mean I
I deal with AI in my professional life
in my personal life and I try to help
other people use it in their work and
all these responsibilities and
obligations are part of all those
discussions. So I'm I'm quite aware of
the urgency to address all that, but I'm
also aware of the divide to um Jason's
point between the the current early
adopters and the people who are really
afraid and angry and the people who
haven't explored it yet. And I think at
some point it's incumbent on us. I
really see like the taking away from
students the cognitive development of
learning how to do things, but I also
see the application of how much more you
can learn about stuff. And if you
haven't used AI to learn more about
something you're curious about, then you
should go home and do that. Like I was I
took a vacation in Spain uh last fall
and I had my iPhone with me and if I
ever had a question like is that an
olive tree or something else? It could
tell me and then I could say how much of
southern Spain is olive orchards and
when did that start? Um and if you're
curious and you're using it, it's an
amazing tool to deepen your
understanding. I told both my kids in
college, I challenge you after every
lecture, go take 15 minutes and ask
questions of chat GPT from the lecture
and see if you don't learn twice as much
as you would have. So I mean that's
where I'm I'm I think it's not that
we're shouldn't do these things and that
we shouldn't anticipate the growth of it
but if we are not understanding the
power of it and and focusing on the
concerns we're going to be totally blown
away as more and more people realize the
power of it and then the cognitive
damage to the students development that
will come with that because it'll be so
much more powerful than our restrictions
will be meaningful. like they're going
to use it a lot to do lots of things and
and other kids will be taking shortcuts
on things we needed them to learn and
we'll be talking about which platform to
use and they'll go put it on their phone
and their personal computer at home as
will the teacher and they'll do the
stuff that we've blocked somewhere else.
So that's why I think we need to talk
about the the power in learning and
development and the threat to learning
and development and not just
institutional interests of liability and
concern which is where this is a lot of
this goes when it not just BBSD but
that's where education institutions do
it and we know from ever since Chris
Whittle started you know tell station
one that edtech underdelivers all the
time right but I think this is a
different thing and we're sort of
treating it like we have to protect
people from it which we do rather than
understanding more deeply how it affects
learning and knowledge. So I don't know
what to do with that. But I as a person
in a policy position or as in a
designing PD for educators and system
leaders, I'm really struck by the
dichotomy between those who are
concerned about it and those who are
using it, right? And we need more people
to use it enough to have a meaningful
discussion so it's not just amplifying
fears because that's going to lead. It's
not that we shouldn't address the fears.
It's that if that's all we do, we're
going to be so overwhelmed by the wave
of use and the wave of applications as
people get into it and and we'll be way
behind. So I if that's where we go to
start, I'm afraid we'll be left behind.
I appreciate that point because that's
something I've been thinking a lot about
is um what are we trying to amplify or
not amplify and and and making sure it's
not just people's personal opinions on
this tool. I think change to Dr.
Anderson's point around change
management, the expectation of right
well now it's opting in but there's not
expectations around it having attended
negotiations again yesterday. We're
asking a lot of our staff right now and
there is a lot of change and I would be
hesitant to say at the end of this year
the board is going to create a policy
that says we have to educators have to
do XYZ because we're still rolling out
new curriculum and adopting new
curriculum. And what was really cool
last night also talking to a principal,
secondary principal on curriculum we
haven't ever purchased as a district,
how some of her staff members are using
AI to make sure what they have been
teaching are meeting state standards and
when they're not, how they can fill in
the gaps. So there's really cool stuff
that we can do and I think making it's
that equity piece a little bit to what
you're also speaking about because not
everybody has cell phones or devices
that they can plug that into and how are
we making sure that everybody has access
appropriate access folks with
disabilities that need the
accommodations that AI can provide. How
are we looking at that? So I think this
is a great landscape to start. I like
the fact that I appreciate the fact
that's anchored in our strategic plan
and it's not like this one shiny object
that we're trying to get media attention
on. It's like how are we doing this with
purpose in a way that's going to improve
outcomes for our students and support
our staff. I really appreciate that and
thinking through what are the
guardrails, the appropriate guard rails
to help our staff, help our kiddos. And
I think a lot of it for me this is about
our old conversations around digital
literacy like how can you consume
information like teaching our kids how
to do that and as any tool it's like
when graphing calculators became popular
or the internet became a thing. It's
like I didn't have encyclopedia
bratannica in my house growing up. So I
got the last library book and my topic
was always on whatever was available.
But you know when internet was became
more widely available, people are
copying and pasting and using that as a
as a tool. Now it's a little bit more
efficient with chat GPT and other you
know other um platforms. But how are we
continuing to evolve? How are we
adapting? what are the guardrails that
are appropriate for our students and our
staff are really where I am coming to
this and I really appreciate the that
that is the approach of our staff
because it is changing every day and
it's hard to think to our board members
points like making a decision today it
will be obsolete
two months from now because it is
evolving so quickly and so that measured
approach I think feels right for now as
we continue to evolve and keeping at the
center what we really value in this
district is going to help us navigate
these waters 100%.
And with that, oh
>> I I just want to commend the board, you
know, as I look at our team and the
talents amongst the governance team and
I think, you know, we have higher ed,
national policy, teaching, policym,
parents, community members. We have a
really um we're positioned really well,
I think, to to do some really cool
things on this as a team. And so I
really appreciate our team, the
governance team's uh discussion and our
staff's um um participation in that. So
just wanted to kind of I was just
looking around. I was like gosh,
everybody here has this really great
rich experience to bring to the table.
So I just wanted to just commend
everybody on that.
As Dr. Dela Cruz had mentioned
previously, our approach to AI is
enablement with guardrails.
We are not defaulting to blocking
emerging technologies. We recognize the
instruction instructional and operate
operational potential AI offers. At the
same time, we prioritize education ready
enterpriseup supported platforms that
provide stronger privacy protections and
administrative oversight.
For classroom reuse, we've approved a
limited number of education focused
platforms such as Magic School, Adobe
Express, and Grammarly under structured
conditions. These tools support
instruction, creativity, and writing
with district-managed environments.
For operational productivity, we are
currently conducting a limited pilot of
Google Gemini within our Google
Workspace for Education environment.
This pilot allows us to evaluate
potential productivity benefits while
continuing to monitor privacy
protections, governance controls, and
practical use cases.
While we have not formally adopted
consumer grade AI platforms for student
use, we have taken an approaches of
evaluating rather than immediately
blocking.
However, as has already been discussed,
when content safety concerns emerge
within the consumer version of chat GPT,
we restricted student access until we
can ensure alignment with our safety
standards.
Ultimately, our goal is simple. Expand
access where educational value exists
and intervene when student safety
thresholds have been crossed.
We believe students should learn to
navigate AI responsibly, not be shielded
from it entirely,
but that learning must occur in a
protected environment.
So, this gets to your question about how
many teachers are using it and how
they're using it. Um, if you look at
this
data set, um, I think I pulled this a
week or two ago,
when we started, um, we had,
let's see,
we had um, a thousand teachers using it
when we first started in the
uh four or five months and we had just
over 18,000 generations of um items.
Um I've been in edtech a long time,
probably a dozen years. Um I've never
seen a tool um take off like this with
as little guidance around it. Um, you
know, we had a couple days, a couple
sessions of recorded PD that teachers
could take a look at, but for the most
part, this was organic growth. Um, I've
never seen anything like this.
I also just want to point out um the
graph shows that there's different types
of tools in Magic School. Um, some are
efficiency tools for teachers, some are
creation tools for teachers. same with
um same with students. Um
but we really had um a variety of
different types of tools being used.
I know. I love it.
Um we can go to the next slide.
So, I thought it might be really
interesting to take a deeper dive into
some of the things that teachers are
doing with Magic School that also um
align to our strategic plan. Um if you
go to the next slide, please. Thank you.
Um so, when we're talking about no
limits for our students,
um here these are actual prompts that I
pulled out of Magic School um that
students wrote. So,
the first one um was a middle school
science class and the teacher had
allowed the idea generator for students
to help them brainstorm some ideas
around a science fair project. And so,
this is the prompt that the student used
there. There two prompts there. um in
high school um this would be um a study
bot that a teacher created basically
just linking the curriculum from unit
one into a chatbot and then the students
are asking for study questions.
Um so here are some examples from next
best step. Um, one of our teachers
submitted this idea to to a ideas, the
one on the left, for tiered prompts. Um,
she you can see that she had uh ski
level ski run signs for the different
prompts. So, all the prompts were
available to the kids, but they could
choose their level of difficulty um
according to the prompts in her math
lesson. She submitted this to a ideas
and I um I mean just
incidentally some teachers have said how
much they appreciated this. They like
the ski run idea and they like the idea
of creating the leveled pro prompts but
that students can choose their own path.
Um
and then the other idea, this is from
elementary school where the teacher was
showing others how they can create
leveled texts. Um because that's
something that um in adoptions that's a
big ask of our curriculum vendors to how
do we level our texts for our students
for differentiation? And now we don't
have to ask our vendors to do that
because um this tool can do it.
>> Leveling texts making
>> Oh, thank you. Y
>> uh leveling text, making um text
available at the particular reading
level of the of the student. So whether
they're at grade level, above or below,
we want to be able to make the um access
point um approachable for every kid.
Um and then here you can see in define
the destination, I've been working with
the principal at Apex uh a lot with AI.
Um, many of those teachers over there
are not teachers by trade or by
training, but they are teachers within
their trades. So, showing them and
teaching them how to use edtech is new
for many of them. Um, but they're really
interested in making sure that they're
using AI because they know their
industries are using AI. So, we want to
make sure that we're keeping up with
that with some of the new programming
that's going to be happening at Apex
next year, especially in computer
science. Um, AI needs to be included.
So, the course that we have slated is uh
creative computing will be one of the
courses offered at Apex, which could
include um I mean I have my eye on an AI
curriculum for developing AI code. uh it
just depends on the the teacher who we
end up hiring. So, it's entirely
possible there will be an AI class, but
we just don't know.
Um, and then as we're talking about
being valued and included, I wanted to
point out that even if our teachers are
not exactly sure how to do that, Magic
School has a number of tools to help
guide them and help brainstorm with
teachers to make sure that all of their
students are being valued and included.
So, you'll see some of these on the
side. Um, I'm really interested in the
top two and the um common misconceptions
tools um where a teacher can enter a
prompt about what they're teaching at
the grade level and then it will
generate um a social story um and you
can put in more items around the social
story. So you can kind of give it
context like we're in Boulder, Colorado.
My classroom is made up of um these
types of students. These are their
interests and a story will be created to
capture the kids based on their
interests or based on the classroom
makeup. So um it makes it ends up making
things relevant which is another tool um
where you can help where AI can help
teachers brainstorm that kind of
introduction or um personal connections
with kids that they might not actually
know about. Um I think it's really
helpful um in that instance. And then
the common misconceptions I think can
point to um just some cultural blind
spots that we sometimes have as
classroom teachers. I think back to some
of the lessons that I've taught and I
it's a little cringey at times. Um but
uh you know I think if I had had a tool
like this and I could have thought
through some of those items I would it
would have just been more comfortable
and I wouldn't be remembering them right
now in this board meeting. Um so that's
um some of the tools that are available
in Magic School. They add new tools all
the time. Um and it's just grown
exponentially. It's really really cool
what they're what they're doing with
that. And then I wanted to put this in
because this is from a seventh grade
teacher. He's a real um AI champion. Um
but he had all of his kids write songs
using the songwriting generator. Um and
then they uh talking about their seventh
grade experience. So this was last
spring. Um, and then, uh, it generated
the songs and then the kids had to sing
the songs as karaoke to each other about
their memories from seventh grade. And,
um, I just thought it was so charming,
so funny. Um, so anyway, um, another
aspect of Magic School that I think is
really um, important for for the work we
do is we can create tools. So, because
I'm the administrator of Magic School, I
can create enterprise tools for our
district. So, for example, I I just want
you to know I tried to make a board tool
um for you uh yesterday and it turns out
I have to um I have to download all of
the board documents first. So, I just
kind of ran out of time, but uh I can do
that for you if you'd like. Um but um
I've been able to make a couple of
really useful tools that uh have been
requested by schools or different
departments. So for example, one of the
new social studies standards that came
out two years ago is um Holocaust and
genocide studies. Um, every social
studies course
should, if it's appropriate, talk about
uh, Holocaust or genocide. Um, that
pertains to whatever the students are
studying in that class. Um, and it was
really easy for teachers to be like,
"Yep, you got it. I do Anne Frank. I've
got the Holocaust. I do World War II."
And it's like, "Well, there's there's
more." So, we want to make sure that our
kids are getting a really well-rounded
education according to state guidelines
um for each grade level where social
studies is taught. So, because CDE
published a very specific guideline,
um we're able to turn that into an AI
tool. So, now a sixth grade teacher
teacher can type in, I'm teaching, uh
about China next week. what should I
talk about in terms of Holocaust
genocide? And it will bring up the
lesson plans that are appropriate for
sixth grade that are touched on in the
guidance by the state and give that
teacher um an idea of that what needs to
be taught or a complete lesson plan if
needed based on the guidelines from the
state. Um, another example is, um, our
sped department came to me telling me
how much time it takes to review IEPs.
Now, I just want to be really, really
clear. I'm saying this into the
microphone. We do not have AI writing
IEPs. Those are written by people. They
are written by our special educators.
However, we want to make sure that they
are accurate and they are meeting all of
the requirements that we have in BBSD.
That means a small group of people has
to review every single IEP
to make sure that all the elements are
there and that takes them a very long
time. They have a rubric though that
they use to compare the IEPs. So I
created a tool that compares an IEP
that's been written to the rubric and
gives um it just you know scans it for
those elements and makes sure that all
the elements are there. If not, it gives
the suggestions for improvement and um
right now the review team in the sped
department is testing the tool. Once the
tool has been thoroughly tested and
vetted and we know that it's accurate,
we'll make it public for the teachers so
that when they are writing their IEPs,
they can insert their IEP into the tool
for review before they even turn it in
to make sure it has all the elements
that are required. So, it will help them
be more accurate at from at the
beginning. Um, a tool that I'm working
on right now is for middle school
science. We have a number of middle
school science teachers using a program
um out of CU called open sed. Um there
are unit documents for all of those. Um
and right now it just takes a long time
for a teacher to go through download all
the documents parse through everything
to figure out what they need for
teaching and learning. So, I'm going to
create a tool for them to to use so that
they can find all that information a lot
more quickly and provide some guidance
so I can I can match it to um grade
level expectations from BVSSD also to
our priority standards so that our
teachers don't have to figure that out
for themselves. that it just takes all
of that information and creates that
pathway for the teachers to use. Um, I'm
really open to teachers asking for
custom tools, uh, if they don't know how
to make them themselves. Um, I'm happy
to do that for any teacher or any group
of students. Um, it's really it's a
pretty cool way that I can uh,
manipulate and personalize Magic School
for our district.
Lynn, I was wondering or staff
>> um some of the people watching this
meeting today or even serving on the
board were not here in 2024 when we
first did a d thorough dive into what is
magic school.
>> Sure.
>> And so I was wondering if you could we
could get a high level view of how um
like magic school itself, how input,
what kind of information is in there,
how are we does that make sense in that
system? So then it
>> closed versus open just a higher level
of what what information is inputed into
Magic School and how does that happen to
ensure we're having some of our checks
and balances for our students.
>> Sure. Do you mean like the data
retention or do you mean um like how are
using it content and like how how do you
know like the standards and all the that
stuff?
>> Um do you want me to demo? Would that be
helpful or no? I can just describe it.
Okay. Um so Magic School uses um
something that is like a an emerging
acronym ZDR zero data retention meaning
there they don't keep any of our data um
our data is contained that's what the
enterprise model does so something goes
in the generation is created and it's
created within our instance uh there's
no one else can access what we do to be
perfectly honest I think I'm the only
person in the district who can access
what's actually happening in every
classroom um across the district. Pretty
sure that's true. Uh so like I can see
what kids are are writing. I can see
what teachers are prompting. Um but I
don't think anyone else can. It's it's a
I'm drunk with power. Um
but uh the basically a teacher can use
any of the teacher tools at any time and
create generations. They have a tile in
their SSO. All of you on the board have
the tile as well. You can go in there
and
type in whatever you want. Choose a tool
and you add the grade level. You add
your prompt. It can be two words, it can
be one word or it can be very extensive
instructions. Either way works. Um, and
then something is generated for our
students. They do not have a tile and
they do not have direct access. The
teacher goes into something called magic
student which is the student side. They
have a similar suite of tools
um not all the same but a similar suite
and the teacher can decide what tool
should be used for that particular
learning experience. So for say a
writing um a writing lesson plan, the
teacher might put in idea generator,
sentence starter, and writing feedback.
And those are the three tools that the
kids are going to be allowed to use for
that lesson. The teacher can then go
over with the students, these are the
three tools you're allowed. Here's why
I'm allowing them. How might you use
these? what do you think? You know,
whatever kind of dialogue they want to
have. And then the teacher creates a
room and then a URL is generated. The
the kids join the room. They can join it
in a variety of ways through you don't
need to know that part. Um and then
they're in this room. That room is then
moderated by the teacher. So if a kid is
messing around and puts something
inappropriate in, it's immediately
flagged. The teacher gets notified and
can have a conversation. Um, but the
teacher can see all of the inputs that
the teach that the students use and all
of the outputs that are generated by
Magic School. Um, when the class is
over, they close the room, that lesson
is done, the students don't have access
anymore.
A new thing since the last time I talked
to you about this, um, one of the
complaints about Magic School was, well,
what if the kids are still working and
we, you know, they don't have access
anymore? class is over, the teacher can
keep the room open now so that the kids
can get back to their generations. They
can get back to what they've created and
they can continue to work. Um, but the
teacher still has that insight. So, I've
seen cases where students will use the
writing feedback tool and then they will
ask the prompt, how can I make my
introduction more engaging
or how could I reduce um the length of
my third paragraph to be more concise.
Um, it's not writing for them, it's
helping them with their writing. The
student knows what question to ask but
might not know how to get there. And I
think that that's pretty compelling.
>> Um, thanks. I I know you presented on
Magic School Vest, but it was helpful to
get even though I was here to get kind
of a like how it works. But I guess just
a kind of practical question. How what
would prevent or I guess maybe nothing a
student from opening up a new tab and
then opening up Claude, Anthropic, any
other AI tool
>> um in our district right now. Frank,
would you
>> to be honest, nothing?
>> Okay.
>> You know, we those LLMs remain available
to students
>> with the exception of now we're talking
consumer grade
consumer grade access to the other LLMs
remain open.
>> Okay. Is is it just as a followup, is it
is our goal to kind of funnel all AI
work to Magic School Bus? Is that like
is that a best practice among districts
or do we still is this just one are we
considering this one of many tools that
teachers and students can use because it
sounds like you know we have so many
more controls you have so many more you
know ability to kind of structure how
students use it while still being able
to use to take advantage of it. Um so I
guess yeah the question is what is what
is considered best practice to funnel uh
students and teachers into one
particular platform or to just have
better guardrails in place for the
commercial versions?
>> We can discuss that in just a minute.
>> Thanks Frank. Uh
Magic School um
I just I I don't think it's realistic to
to say you can only use Magic School.
you'll never use anything else because
you know to the access to personal
devices, the access to the internet at
home, phones, all of those things. I
just don't think it's a realistic
approach to say only use magic school.
But I will what I will say what I I I
like a few things um very much about
magic school. you know, if if we can
direct kids to the types of prompts and
the types of ways to use that and have
them practice and use that as opposed to
just giving them a a blank kind of
window and type in whatever you want
with no direction. I actually think that
kids are learning AI skills every time
that that teachers help shape the AI
experience for kids. And I think that
that's important because if they know
sentence starter is an appropriate use,
right, of of AI versus write this p this
paper for me, right, the sentence
starter might get them past the pl the
pace the place they really struggle
with. So then they're happy and free to
write. Um I I will say that from from
our educator standpoint, magic school is
the tool, right? And I also, you know,
and to the extent that even if you were
to lock things down deeper than we have,
I don't think that you lock kids or
their families out of these other tools.
And these are are a reality. Uh, you
know, Magic School is is a Boulder based
company. Um, and Denver based, I think
they have offices here in Boulder, uh,
the largest program of its type in the
from a use perspective in the country.
Uh, and I I I do appreciate how they're
continuing to evolve with the market. I
think that, you know, I was at a recent
conference and had a chance to talk to
some folks at Magic School, and the
question I asked is, "How are you going
to keep up?" Like, "How you going to
stay competitive?" And so, um, they they
have really really good answers. They're
working on some tools now on the
operational side as well for school
districts. But when we started in 2024
the we were we were on the path to build
our own magic school but would have
wouldn't have and and that's how we
ended up with magic school. Is that
right Lynn? Um where we were looking for
enterprise solutions where we built our
own Frank I think you called it our
walled garden where our data wouldn't be
able to come out and we'd be able to set
some of the parameters and uh and and
that's how we ended on magic uh magic
school.
But you know to the extent that um you
know to Frank's uh you know the point
you know we haven't locked our systems
down entirely around these other tools
but as a teacher when be because you
it's it's through class link our SSO is
our single sign on right so just an
acronym kind of definition uh like
teachers can know and measure and
monitor what kids are using and what
kids aren't using and how they're using
it and so um to the extent a kid goes on
clawed or something else and tries to do
the same work that they should have done
in magic school, the teacher
theoretically would be able to see that
they didn't do that. Uh but you know it,
you know, one of the challenges is that,
you know, keeping your arms in in
control over these things can be really
really tricky. You know, as a district,
we could lock everything down, but we're
not really locking it down. to Nicole's
point earlier, like if your family has
access and you have a personal computer
that can access these things, when you
lock it down, you just lock it down for
the kids who don't have access to those
programs outside of school. And so some
of the equity work around, you know, um
our onetoear program and making sure all
kids have have technology, uh the more
you lock things down, uh really can
become an equity issue as well.
Jason can wrap up and then Alex,
>> this is more, you know, I kind of follow
up on the chat GBT thing and locking
down and I don't know if that's the
right place here, but so do you, I guess
Frankie and the team, um, do you have,
you know, the decision was made on chat
GPT that it was, you know, inappropriate
for this network or for the internal
network? Do you have confidence that the
other platforms that kids have access to
have the same protections that you were
concerned about with chat DPT?
Currently, uh I do believe that they are
um working to limit the adult content on
their sites, especially Claude in
particular. Now,
when we start talking about the
difference between enterprisegrade
versus consumer grade, this is kind of
where we get into a conundrum.
Um when we're consumer grade, it's you
know it's the wild wild west. Okay.
Within uh um
within enterprisegrade
uh um access to these tools is where
where we could if we adopted a an
enterprise platform
provide more control. But these
enterprise platforms are first firstly
very expensive
and second if you really dig into the
terms and conditions of these platforms
they tell you that
these platforms actually shouldn't be
used by a student under the age of 18.
Their educational offerings are aimed
squarely at higher education.
Um, for instance, if we wanted to go
directly to chat or open AI for an
enterprise level uh of chat GPT,
uh that platform is aimed squarely at
higher ed, not K12. The ma the uh magic
school by the way from the technical
perspective is chat GPT on the back end
with a fancy front end that contains all
of our data and all the guardrails. So
we're really in a bit of a a conundrum
when it comes to K12 focused enterprise
platforms. There's only just a few. Max
School being one. Another is called
School.ai
and I believe there's another one. But
by and large, there's only like three
enterprisegrade
platforms that is aimed at K12 and all
of the um legal requirements
staying in compliance with the various
uh um federal and state laws and
regulations.
Um,
so that we're we're really in kind of a
a tight position there where Magic
School is probably right now our best
option for a K12
enterprise platform.
>> May I?
>> Yeah, Lynn can um add it in. Alex,
>> thank you. Um, I think that it's I think
that in in addition to what Frank just
um said that what's important with Magic
School is that the teacher is
controlling the access for kids. So it
gives us that opportunity to teach um AI
skills, AI competencies and an ethical
use of AI. Um, so when a teacher op uh
chooses to use magic school that is just
sort of embedded in the lesson which I
which was something I was looking for
when we were looking at different
platforms. I wanted to make sure that
when we started working with AI that
there was an opportunity for that
ethical education. At the same time, um
we also have teachers who aren't using
Magic School and so we do, you know, so
there are kids out there who are using
these different platforms
um and learning those competencies
hopefully on their own. Um the
internet's a noisy place. So, um, if we
can help kids focus,
reduce some of that noise by giving them
the guidance, especially in our younger
grades, I really appreciate that part
about Magic School.
>> I I find this all really fascinating and
I'm learning a lot. So, I'm grateful to
the staff for uh curating our
understanding of something so complex.
So, I really appreciate that. Um I just
uh I guess I have one I can continue to
think about control and being humble
about what we control. We control
enterprise systems for sure and we
control a lot of what happens within our
doors but I can tell you personally uh
best practice includes not vaping uh
putting your cell phone away in high
school not being on social media when
you're 11. So there are all these
endemic things in our society and in our
schools that we do not control
satisfactorily.
And so if we think we are controlling
it, we are actually um at more at risk
than if we are humble about our
inability to control it. And I will add
when we think about the equity of access
to machines, we give everybody a
machine. And then when we were talking
about the cell phone policy, I was
educated that low-income families are
more likely to have their kids have a
smartphone earlier than middle class and
more affluent families.
So the idea that they're not accessing
all the consumer grade stuff is total
pipe dream and that that's something our
educators and our system must be robust
to not um you know creating a guard wall
to assume we've fixed it. Uh we need
just like we need to implement a cell
phone policy in some of our high
schools. It's ongoing work that we'll
always be doing as far as I can tell. So
I just want to put that out there that
the appearance of control or the pursuit
of control over understanding of the
robustness of the environment could be
counterproductive. And then another
piece for me is that the like I work
with edtech companies in my day job and
a bunch of them have stopped using AI as
a descriptor of what they do because
it's not an optional thing. There is no
edtech that doesn't use AI. Anybody
who's got something they're trying to
sell nationally has AI behind the
scenes. Almost everybody that like magic
school is doing a feature for education
something they are sending their data to
the big LLMs like like magic school like
most of it is just a portal by which
someone is telling you uh hopefully it's
true about how they're using the LLM for
you and then finally I just feel like
the like in my work I'm getting people
instead of thinking about which tool to
purchase or which portal to purchase is
training them how to create their own
custom GPTs Right. So Lynn shouldn't be
the one that has to do this when we have
4,000 adults working here. Right? So
probably 3,000 of the 4,000 should know
how to create a custom GPT pretty soon
or the analog of it. And it gets easier
and easier to do. So once again, I feel
like we're kind of treating this as a
procurement problem when in fact it is
an ecosystem development. And so I'm I'm
concerned that we would act as if we
have some control over what people are
doing for the 18 hours a day they're not
in our schools or even for the six hours
they are there. So that's where I'm like
ah I'm so excited about the good stuff
and I feel like our focus on our
procurement is actually
counterproductive to what will be
happening in the next few years.
Frank and then Jorge and then Elenia,
I'm going to check on you to see if
there's anything you want to chime in
and add.
>> Uh, board member Medler, I appreciate
your comments because you're absolutely
spot on. While we have to um make our
best effort in controlling our
environment, we make no mistake and uh
our students will our students are very
bright, very intelligent. Anything that
we put on our devices that we think is
going to block uh access to uh u a
particular site or application, they
will find a way around it. No doubt we
fight this battle every day. Uh our
security team is engaged in this fight
on a daily basis. So you're absolutely
spot on. Um why we have to make our best
effort to be able to stay in compliance
with with federal law. Um, it's a battle
every day and our students are very
bright and they will work around any any
blocks that we may put forward.
>> Thank you. Um, I I recognize that it's
out there and students can access it and
we can't control the do outside the
classroom. that doesn't necessarily mean
that we need to allow it or facilitate
it with our Chromebooks and in the
system and in schools. And so I'm I'm
kind of torn about our ability. I
recognize, you know, we can enforce
everywhere at all times and catch
everybody, but that doesn't mean we have
to make it easy either. And I'm
concerned about things like Claude and
and and other um AI that have no
guardrails being easily accessible and
for students to just have the run of it.
um with the Chromebooks that we're
providing and with the access that we're
allowing. Um yes, kids are on their cell
phones,
I can't even say when because they're
always on the cell phone, right? But we
still try to limit it in the classroom
and in the school, right? And so I'm I'm
wondering if it's worthwhile to try to
have some of those limits within our
Chromebooks in our schools for those
external things so that we can use the
tools that we provide to provide ethical
guidelines and appropriate ways to use
that. So that's one part of it. The
other part is is um as as Alex kind
mentioned and what my question earlier
was about oh we started PD in 2023 and
we've kind of kept going it's evolved to
kind of uh whoever is interested but um
have we moved towards more thinking
about more PD opportunities to think
about how it's not just informally you
going to do this but hey if you're
interested let's provide some in terms
of how you create these um different
tools for yourself how do you do this
like you know do we see ourselves moving
in that direction now is it already
happening just is what what does that
look like now in addition to who the
kind of the groups that are um
informally coming together.
>> I'd say a few things. Um
you know, t taking other LLMs and
blocking them, right? So, you know, you
would prevent um a good majority of
students from them. There's going to be
students that are going to figure out
workarounds to Frank's point. Um I
wouldn't say it's the majority of
students. I would say there would be
some students that would figure that
out. I think that that's a choice that
we have yet to make. But, you know,
based on this conversation, we certainly
could consider if you were to to take
and limit those things. Alex's point is
is right um to an extent. And I think
your point's right, Jorge, to um it's
one thing if a parent provides a device
to their kid, I'd monitor what they were
doing. And I would, you know, as a
parent get involved and parents have the
right to to to manage that any ways that
that they feel is right. Uh but when we
give somebody a tool, right, and say,
"Hey, here's your tool from us." Now, I
would say with GoG Guardian, parents do
have the ability to go in through GoG
Guardian and request certain sites to be
blocked, right? And so, parents do have
some controls over what the device is
used for when they get home, right,
through GoG Guardian, which is is our
software that we use to kind of kind of
control that. So the question would be,
do you allow parents to do you empower
parents to decide what their kids should
and shouldn't access or do we say this
is what we're going to allow access on
our devices? I think um that is the
decision that we have yet to make but
it's the decision that we could make. Uh
but to be clear for parents, anybody
watching, if you're starting to, you
know, I don't want my kid accessing
these these types of things, right?
There's a process. um they would call
our IT help desk and uh and parents
would we would be able to walk them
through how to make sure that we locked
locked locked those their devices at
their homes out of the programs that
they wouldn't want their kids to to to
see.
>> And can individual schools themselves
just make some decisions on what's
allowed at their site uh through
GoGardian too? It doesn't have to just
be the parents, but the schools can say
as a school we're not going to allow
XYZ.
Um, yeah, they can. Um, individual
teachers can make that call as well. Um,
it's really up to the practitioner. Um,
I would be really excited to
um continue doing some PD series if um
our uh PD time allows for that. Um, I
would be very excited to to do more work
with that um for those teachers who
don't know how to create a chatbot in
Magic School because there are some that
absolutely do. I don't have to hold
their hand which is great for me. Um but
yeah I and I think that this um I think
that the approach that we have taken has
been really as I watch the the kind of
changing landscape around AI. I think
it's been really smart um where we are
watching and learning from what other
districts are doing and successes
they've had and pitfalls they've fallen
into. Hello LA. Um I you know I think
that we are
taking this kind of measured approach
has been really smart for us and really
only addressing
blocking something when it is a danger
to the students that we cannot manage.
Um we just we cannot manage what chatbt
is doing with their free accounts. So,
or we couldn't and now we can because
it's blocked on our network and our
devices. If any of these other companies
went in that direction,
we would also I'm I mean, I'm not saying
for sure, but we would probably block
those as well. It's the fact that
they're not doing those kind of
endangerment type choices that makes it
feel okay for now.
Clearly, it's above my pay grade.
>> And I think that makes sense. And and
for me, and I think the cell phone is an
interesting analogy, like we can never
control. I mean, in this tech landscape,
the idea that we have full control is
not a reality. And yes, and it's how can
we compel our students to make
thoughtful decisions and compel them to
use the tools that might be most
reliable. It's like, you know, there are
some great sources of reliable, unbiased
information out there that person can
access and there are some really
terrible sources of information that are
flawed, not fact-based. And so, like
compelling the use of something like
magic school, which we can align to the
Colorado state standards, which we can
put in factual information, which you
know removes some of those concerns
versus like trying to think we're
preventing and controlling something
else. And that's like with the cell
phones, if we can compel them not to use
them in the schools that have been
successful with alternatives, you know,
it's been generally more wellreceived
than the than when we just try to kind
of come down with a illusion of control.
So like how can we compel appropriate
use from our students, thoughtful use,
so you are learning along the way is I
think something that I continue to think
about uh in this discussion. Lenia, is
there anything that you wanted to add or
ask?
>> Um, well, as a technology lagard, I
would appreciate um finding ways to
have more education opportunities on
this, maybe through parent engagement
network or continued PD opportunities.
um just because there are
I'm I'm not alone in in feeling like a
lagard on this particular issue.
>> Thanks Elenia Deian and then Alex.
>> Uh my question is a little bit off topic
but um perhaps related also. I did a
really quick search on our um our the
curriculum that we offer and I didn't
see um a class about AI except for
pretty advanced computer science topics.
Um is that in the works? Is someone
someone coming up with a course? And I
know a little bit about this because at
my private school yesterday, we had a
student who enrolled just for the last
term so they could take our AI class and
count that as their tech um credit. So I
hope that's in the works as some general
overview of what AI is, how to use the
different tools and um just as an
introduction class. Yeah.
Um yeah, we are developing um a course
right now with uh a computer science
teacher at Fairview um
um I'm working with him to develop that.
There's also the opportunity at Apex um
for development of AI, but if you're
speaking more about learning about what
AI is and how it works, um that's not
something that we have as a standalone.
Um but we're working with some of the
middle school teachers. um around their
design tech classes and their computer
power classes to provide them some unit
knowledge around how to teach about some
of these ideas.
>> So coming next year.
>> Yeah, I uh I do appreciate the both the
idea of specialized you know coursework
but also the integration into the other
courses just understand how to use the
tools. Um I guess uh I would make one
observation too about how we control
things. I would say that the process
from
uh someone bringing a policy to us at
the board or us bringing up an issue,
discussing it, having the policy come
back, redline it, approve it, uh the
administration now starts implementing
it. It's kind of like a 24-month
timeline before someone in a school has
to do something this board thinks they
should do. Um and even then that's an
iffy proposition appropriately. though.
Um, so like 24 months ago when you were
trying to do statistical analysis in
Claude, you would ask it to create code
in Python that you then had to plug into
a software application to run it with
the data that you had in a $1,500 piece
of software somewhere else in order to
generate the analysis. Now, you upload
the data and you ask it to do the
analysis and the product comes out right
away. So like the the the practices of
the AIS are developing much faster than
our policy to on the ground change
timelines which is another piece of my
humility about this. So like we can be
thinking oh we need to do this to
control it when the stuff behind the
scenes the infrastructure is just
developing so much faster and so you
don't need to know how to do Python
coding anymore. you don't actually need
to know how to do any coding anymore for
a lot of what would have taken advanced
degrees in coding three years ago.
Right? So that's the kind of thing where
sometimes I think we're playing catch-up
with how we control. I'd love to hear
your thoughts on that. And the second
part for me is on the the parental
engagement because I totally agree that
we need to empower our parents same way
we empower our excellent teachers um and
eventually empower the students, right?
So, I just think that parental
engagement is key, but also parental
choice. So, we're going to have parents
who want as little tech as possible
touching their kid as long as possible.
And we're going to have parents who want
as much tech and empowering their kids
to be smart users of tech to prepare
them for the future. And this, you know,
we have a third to 40% of our parents
exercising choice just which school to
attend. So at some degree I think we
also need to accommodate parental
variation on this the same way we
accommodate uh teacher variation on this
and understand that some parents are
going to want much more or much less
than others and that I mostly I hear
we're always telling people they can use
go guardian but I don't think many
parents do and haven't yet. So I'm
really curious to know what that those
numbers actually are and what it would
take for us to empower more to do it.
And so I want to accommodate choice by
the parents. I want to think about how
our schools what could they can be
different about and what they all need
to be the same about and then I want us
again to be humble about our timelines
and how our speed of action is not
keeping up with Silicon Valley. Lynn,
could you talk a little bit about the
parent use of GoG Guardian and how that
works?
>> Um sure. Uh so at this point every
parent um has the opportunity to use GoG
Guardian parent. Um, basically it works
outside of school hours. Uh, it's an app
on your phone. Um, the parent has the
opportunity to type in different URLs
that could be blocked for students um,
outside of school. Um, they can do like
I I'll make sure you have the
directions. Um, um, but uh, they can uh,
time out internet. So they could
actually shut the internet off of the
device um at a certain time. They could
set a schedule for internet use outside
of school. Um they can see different
usage data. So, we have um the reason I
I know about this is because I've been
doing some talks at different middle
schools, elementary schools, and so when
when families are interested, uh they
sometimes they fill out a form,
sometimes they just contact me directly,
but I just have a set of instructions
that I send out to those families just
to here's how you get the app, here's
how you use it. It's not hard. Uh but
everyone, every parent is aligned to
their students. It's available for
everyone is the is the point.
Um, oh,
>> and can you speak to what the numbers
are for usage?
>> Um, no, but I can pull it up if you'd
like.
>> Any parent will has access to GoG
Guardian. All they have to do is contact
our service desk. Um, our security team
will reach out directly to any parent
who's interested in GoG Guardian and we
can walk them through the process.
If I could follow up on that, um I think
this is another area for uh Ry's
excellent team to consider how we
promote access to it uh via the website
or other whatever our dissemination
vehicles are. And I'm sure we already
are, but I hear from more parents about
well, they wish they could do something
that they clearly can do if we could get
them there. Yeah, I I I think it's an
appropriate followup followup to this
work session to create a communications
plan to to inform our parents of the
tools that they that we have purchased
and that they have access to um to be
able to make sure that that the the use
the use of our our Chromebooks uh is
governed by something that they have
control over after hours. And so I I
think that that's that's a definite
takeaway from today.
>> With that I Oh, do you have the numbers?
Well, I wanted to talk about the the
first um piece that you were talking
about about the courses in embedding um
AI and I think that that's where our
value ad for teaching and learning
really um comes to fruition. Um
I know it's exciting to think about AI
as something really special and unique
um to be managed, to be feared, to be
used, to be empowered.
um in my mind as someone who you know
studies this I mean I considered myself
a an instructional technologist for a
long time uh I see this as another tool
a very powerful tool but it's not a
pedigogy it's not the way we do school
it's a value ad to school and so the
teaching and learning around harnessing
that powerful tool can and should be
embedded in coursework work. Uh we do
have a lot on our plates for our
teachers here. We have a lot of new
curriculum packages. Some of those
curriculum packages have an AI component
and we evaluate that every time to make
sure it's an actual value ad and not
just like a powerful search engine. So
when we're talking about what we want
our students to walk away from BBSD
in terms of AI with what skills and
competencies
it's around being comfortable with tools
like this because it will be in their
professions. It's about creating
intelligent and practical uh and new
content. It's not about doing your
homework for you. It's not about writing
the essay for you. And so I I understand
where you're coming from with talking
about management and parameters, but the
unfortunate truth of it is we have to
have some talk about that. But I don't
know that putting it as board purview
um as policy is going to be the most
efficient and effective way that we go
about this. I think working with the
academics team, I think working with um
it I think working with instructional
personnel, that's where we're going to
be able to harness this a little bit
more um and coming up with those
classes. I'm interested in our teachers
proposing courses. I can write courses
all day about how I would teach this,
but I'm not going to be the teacher. So,
how do we inspire those teachers to come
up with those courses? How do we ask
kids to come up with what they want to
learn about? That's where I think our
board can really influence um our
practice around this.
>> I did say that was going to be the last
question before we move on. I'm trying
to keep a mind on the clock. So, if you
can hold that last question or burning
thought, Alex, to our final um final
section on questions.
Um, as you all know, we lead all the
academic content curriculum that Lynn
was just mentioning and student service
programming inside a school. Um, and as
Dr. Anderson mentioned our goal is in
academics for the future is to leverage
AI as a competency for student learning
which Lynn just provided us an amazing
um leadin and start bridging the work
that Lynn has led with tech in
connection to curricular resources and
content. Um in our role as an academics
department as you know we lead adoptions
um curricular resources as well as
support schools with implementation with
tools with resources and the components
of teaching and learning. So we need to
start considering both our current
opportunities to embed AI and future
possible opportunities to reimagine the
student experience not only with course
offerings but also within the curriculum
that we have. So in full transparency,
we have not started that work. We have
been very deep over the last few years
with adopting curriculum and assessments
and implementing those with fidelity and
so have not worked with our directors
yet on how do we integrate these tools
into the the curricular resources that
we have. Um so our academic
considerations under curricular
resources as I mentioned is to consider
the amount of curriculum adoption. So,
we're finishing up with elementary, but
we'll be moving into our intermediates,
right? And so, we need to think about
timing. Um, uh, uh, President Rajpal was
with us last night and has heard many
stories around the overwhelm that our
elementary teachers are feeling with
curriculum implementation. And so, we
just need to be mindful on that and
think about the integration. Um, our
team needs to evaluate what's available
in our current resources as Lynn just
mentioned and then what are the
possibilities moving forward. Um, we
need to learn uh the teaching and
learning best practices. Um, so in order
for us to expand that, we need to
provide and exp provide student learning
experiences that are engaging and
meaningful with I AI. Um, Lynn gave some
great examples. We've ema and I have
started doing some of our own research
as well. But things that you talked
about um uh board member Medler around
providing student experiences. So
simulations of like a chemistry lab with
chemicals that students may not be able
to have in the classroom. Those are the
types of things we need to think about
within the curricular content that we
have. Um and then as many of you have
also mentioned we it is essential for
our academics team to engage in learning
of their own. Right? So we have not had
an ask of our directors to have a
proficient understanding of AI in order
to make the connections to the
curricular resources. They have been
purely focused on being very well-versed
in the adoptions that they are leading
and they're supporting in the schools.
So we need to spend some time which
we're Emma and over here have taken
notes on how we can do that and what
that looks like for both of us as well
as for our content directors. And then
we need to find the opportunities for
the professional learning. As you all
know, with a very limited professional
learning calendar, we are going to have
to think about how we integrate that
into the time slots that they already
have learning the curricular resource.
So that's where we are. Um we've we're
starting to have conversations. We have
some good models now that we're using
with implementation
um of new curriculum. like we have math
leads in schools that are helping us
with a team of two for 56 schools.
That's not a lot of people to lead that
type of thing. So, we have leveraged our
teacher leaders to help us do that. And
that's a model that has really worked
for us with this math implementation.
And so something we've started to just
grapple with ourselves in moving forward
with you know integration of AI to
curricular resources and how do we take
and partner with Lynn and some of the
work that they've done so that we can
start to get more more connected in
schools but in connection to the
resources that they have. And so with
that I'm going to pass it over to Emma
and she's going to talk about leveraging
AI and opportunities for our teacher
use.
Um, and I'm going to try to not just say
everything that's already been said by
various people at this table, but maybe
it'll be a nice summary. So, when we
think about systematically embedding AI
use in instruction, as Dr. Miller said,
we're considering both current
opportunities and future possible
opportunities. So, in connection with
what do uh Director Gershman and Dr.
Miller shared and building on director
Gershman's previous experiences and
examples, we want to give some ways
we're thinking about how we could use
teacher AI use going forward in a more
embedded connected way with our
curriculum and instructional resources.
So, first in talking about the strategic
plan, we uh have some opportunities to
be even more systematic in how we uh
align instruction with our strategic
plan initiatives using AI. So for
example, webs do is a strategic
initiative we've talked a lot about and
who is doing the cognitive lift of the
lesson as part of no limits. You can and
as director Gersman shared some teachers
already have use magic school or other
platforms to plan for how to increase
the cognitive lift with tasks, questions
or unit planning overall um as long as
it's used strategically. So really
starting to think about where might we
embed those in opportunities we already
have with our professional learning.
Second, and related, as director Gersman
shared, we can use AI to design and
differentiate instruction meaningfully
for all students by using AI to help
teachers plan for lessons and units that
include certain components and have
built-in adjusted tasks and questions.
We know the school day is short. We know
that in a classroom there's a variety of
need and we know that the planning lift
to do that well is tremendous. I would
say particularly at elementary when you
have 45 minutes of plan time and about
six preps. So really getting clear on
how you can use AI as a planning tool is
a place we could go and it requires that
our teachers deeply know and understand
the standards and our resource to be
able to use it well which is what Dr.
Miller was talking about with just the
various demands on time. Third AI can be
used to enhance student feedback. There
are ways to use Magic School so that it
reviews student work similar to what
director Gershman shared about IEPs and
then provides suggested comments for
feedback that a teacher could use,
incorporate, or edit as a jumping off
point either in general or based on a
specific task or look for.
And then fourth, teachers can use AI
generated work like summaries of a topic
as part of their instruction to ensure
we're supporting students to be critical
consumers of AI generated information in
their environment. I think several
people brought up like the smart usage
of AI and so really leveraging it as a
as a tool for instruction in a variety
of ways. Um we know that these examples
are already happening in pockets and as
we've said uh what we just what we
haven't done is embedding these sorts of
examples strategically and
systematically into our professional
learning or require that they be used in
a certain way. And as Dr. Miller shared
this is for a reason. We have a lot of
current initiatives and we're trying to
be mindful of the pace and cadence and
priorities so that when we do this the
foundation is laid so that it's
incorporated well. Um that being said as
we look to next year and beyond we know
we have work to do and we also need to
make sure that we continue to prioritize
that deep understanding of standards and
our existing resources to build on. On
both this slide and the last slide, as
an academics team, uh we did mention
that we have to think about both our
current opportunities and future
possible opportunities. And within those
future possible opportunities, something
we've been thinking about and talking
about um and potentially need to be
planning for are secondary courses where
the course is d designed around AI as a
core tenant, which would be reimagining
our current instructional reality versus
retrofitting AI features into the way we
currently do business when it comes to
instruction. So I think as Dr. Miller
shared like some of it is also defining
as an academic team as a district how
and where do we want to use AI in which
ways in which content areas with which
grade brands and then that would inform
how we lead our professional learning
and provide that targeted support across
our district. So AI as a core competency
we we're thinking about that in myriad
ways and what that might look like.
So as we move forward, our work with AI
will continue to evolve. One of our
leading priorities is continuously
evaluating emerging AI tools and
capabilities.
The technology landscape is changing
very quickly and we want to ensure that
we are identifying opportunities that
meaningfully support the district's
strategic goals.
We also expect to expand responsible use
cases in both instructional and
operational areas. In the classroom,
that means supporting teaching and
learning while operationally it includes
productivity tools that will help staff
be more work more efficiently with
increased efficacy.
At the same time, governance and safety
remain central to our approach. Any new
tools or capabilities will continue to
be evaluated through our governance
framework, privacy protections, and
security review process.
We will also ensure any AI
implementations remain fully aligned
with federal and state student data
protection requirements, including
FURPA, COPA, SIPA, and Colorado student
data privacy laws.
And as the technology and regulatory
landscape continues to evolve, we will
update our guidance and district
practices so our staff and students are
supported in using these tools
responsibly.
Ultimately, our goal is to ensure BBSD
students leave our schools prepared to
use emerging technologies such as AI
responsibly, ethically, and thoughtfully
in the world they are entering.
And with that, thank you very much and
whatever other questions you may have.
>> Thank you all for that very thorough
presentation. I also want to highlight,
I know we get a lot of feedback
wonderings about staffing at the
district level. The majority of our
academics team is here with us today. So
it is a small but mighty group of
individuals who are tasked with not only
thinking about how AI is integrated into
our educational landscape but everything
else related to academics. So um thank
you for your department for representing
tier uh here today. Board members final
questions on this topic before we take a
short comfort break and move on with our
agenda. Dr. Anderson,
I
>> I want to thank the team for for doing a
really good job, having a very honest um
conversation in public where we are uh
with AI. I think that our team was
honest and uh this has been emerging and
we're continuing to learn and I think
that um th this conversation that we've
had today I think will help shape um
even further the next steps that that
Frank had laid out. You know, the idea
of communication I think is important.
the um what Nativity and Emma talked
about on how do we begin to know and
understand
uh intentionally where do we begin to
implement AI competencies into our
curriculum? When is a grade level
appropriate? What does that look like?
Um you know, continuing to evolve our
tools and then continuing to to really
wrestle with this question of less or
more. Are we really in control even if
we say we're in control?
um how do we inform parents so they know
and understand to Elenia's point what's
actually happening what's possible
what's not possible and so uh as
follow-ups from this meeting I think our
team will will convene and create kind
of a roadmap that might move forward for
us as a district that then we can bring
back for the board to to to understand
uh this could obviously be something
that's embedded in my goals for the next
calendar year as we think about moving
into um the 262 27 school year as as as
really beginning to move some of this
work forward, understanding, you know,
how do we redeploy resources that
currently exist? Our declining
enrollment reality does not mean it's
going to mean less people at the central
office, not more. And so, how do we
reconfigure and redeploy resources to be
able to find the bandwidth? Like Lynn
can't be all AI for every person, every
kid, every every employee in the
district. um that she probably could,
but I'd have to not the other things
that she does that are really important,
we'd have to find someone else to do.
So, uh I think that there's a resource
issue here as well. Um and in a time of
declining resources, it's redeployment,
not more. So, uh I think that this
conversation for me was very helpful. I
think it was very helpful for our team.
Um but happy to answer any other
questions that you might have if you
feel like anything that I shared with
you um you'd want it to encompass even
more than that.
>> Jason and then Alex.
>> Um thanks Dr. Anderson. I uh yeah this
was a really great conversation.
Appreciate all the work that went into
this. you know, as you put together this
road map, I guess questions, comments,
you know, I think Lynn, you summarize it
really well with kind of what our what
at least I think our vision should be of
what do we want kids to walk away with,
you know, as as they leave this
district. And so maybe as we put
together this road map, you know,
that'll include some kind of vision. And
then a question about, you know, I think
Alex has touched on this. Are we do we
have the right structure to be able to
adapt to this to be nimble and to be re
to provide recommendations? And so
something I hope you know as we put this
together we'll think about that as well.
>> Yeah. I just want to reiterate how
grateful I am for the very small team
that we have to do such deep thinking
and great work and I can't imagine how
Lynn does her job. Um but that's true
for many of the central people at
Boulder and I know that it's like we
deal with declining enrollment and
basically a state fiscal crisis that
that is not going to get better. And so
I'm super sensitive to prioritization.
This is yet one more thing where I think
we need to act and at the same time job
one is on the strategic plan on
increasing students learning and
addressing achievement gaps and help
preparing all our kids and protecting
them in this environment. So my
priorities haven't changed. I just am an
anxious about this one um derailing us
at some level and at the same time
failing to leverage it while we're being
cautious. I will say one of the things
when technology is moving this fast we
should be comfortable leapfrogging
stages of development like we don't have
to track every stage because we can't
change in four months what we're doing
so we can sort of anticipate that a year
from now it'll be significantly
different and deal with that rather than
trying to track everything every day. So
I I'd encourage us to think um
judiciously about when we when we want
to leaprog and jump to where the
technology is rather than trying to keep
up with it the whole time. I also want
to say uh we didn't really talk much
about two things that I've always heard
from professional educators and that is
dealing with the plagiarism and dealing
with the students cognitive development
and lift. So pedagogically there are two
really important things here that I'm
sure our educators are dealing with
every day and concerned about which is
where um I do think this is an issue
that is part of teacher professionalism
and that we have wonderful teachers and
they're they're representative
collectively about what they need and we
should hear a bit more from them. I know
we do that through the team about their
working with the teachers all the time,
but I think collectively it might be
helpful to hear what their day-to-day
concerns are and what would be most
helpful to them because ultimately with
this small team it will be teachertoteer
sort of support that leads to more
change. Um, and I just want to make sure
that we are providing the support that
we can while still keeping our eye on
our biggest priority. So I I feel for
Dr. Anderson and his team and uh I
apologize for suggesting things that are
not doable. Um but I do want us to think
about when we decide what to do that
we're not constraining what we think is
an option.
And I am as afraid of the risky things
as anybody. I just have been in a lot of
professional discussions among
professional educators and system
leaders who lead with the fear. And I
think that is alienating to the people
who know how powerful it is. Uh and
gives an excuse for professionals in our
field not to sort of get up to speed
with what the issues are. So that's why
I say don't always lead with the fear.
Um bring the fear and the power to the
discussion while you're trying to
empower people to manage it.
Deion.
Uh, I have spent most of my career
dealing with um teaching educators about
equity. And one of the points that I
want to make is that the skills we're
asking those teachers who are
overloaded, those elementary school
teachers that are trying to do all of
that, the skills they can teach with
anything. So, when you get your new
social studies book, you can look at
bias right there. You can look at
whether um it's correct information. You
can look at all of those skills uh not
ever touching a computer. And those are
the skills that'll help make them better
when they're actually using a computer
and will help to uh bring the curriculum
to a richness that no matter how many
packaged curriculums you buy is not
there without a teacher uh implementing
it. So I would just encourage us to look
at all resources like we're looking at
AI resources.
Thank you again. Um seeing as there are
no further questions, we will take a
five minute comfort break before we
resume with the end rest of our agenda.
Thank you everybody.
like to call this meeting back to order.
We will now move on to action items. We
have our first action item today is
employee benefits package for 2026 2027.
Is there a motion to approve?
Moved by Jason. Is there a second?
Seconded by Deian. Board members, any
discussion on this benefits package?
Just want to thank staff for putting
this together. I know it takes a lot of
time and year-over-year increases are a
reality in a fiscally constrained
environment. Um, but
seeing as there is no further
discussion, Laura, can you please call
the vote on the motion?
>> Booker. Yes,
>> Chavez.
>> Yes,
>> Medler.
>> Yes,
>> Quinnland Aa.
>> Yes,
>> Rajpaul.
>> Yes, Anger.
>> Yes.
>> Motion passes.
Next action item is resolution 26 26-08
additional cash management through the
state interest free loan program. Do I
have a motion? Moved by Alex. Do I have
a second? Seconded by Jorge. Bo member.
Any discussion on this?
As a reminder to our community, I would
welcome Mr. Bill Sutter to explain why
and we participate in this and why there
might be deviations from our original
anticipated amount amount.
>> Uh thanks.
As a reminder or information for the
community, um in June of every year, uh
the board passes a resolution to
participate in the interest free loan
program. It's been around uh I believe
for decades um to provide cash flow uh
and a a cash flow option to school
districts um with a change in the fiscal
year um to where property taxes are
funding the current year uh in instead
of the upcoming uh year. And so in June
uh we make some estimates based on uh
projected uh assessed values, budget
cash flows and uh adopt uh the board
adopts the borrowing limit um which was
100 million uh for this current year uh
and this one is increasing it to 110
million. Uh the last time we did this
was in 2024 uh in January of 24 uh where
we increased it by 15 million from 90
million to 105 million. Uh so these are
paid back in the current fiscal year. Uh
it's not a long-term borrowing like uh
debt is. Uh it's just for cash flow
purposes.
>> Thank you for that. I mean just good to
understand why we participate in this
program. This program is exceedingly
helpful to us and our ability to pay it
off year-over-year is outstanding. So,
just freeing up a little bit more cash
beyond what was originally anticipated.
Any other questions or thoughts on this
item? Board members,
>> seeing as there are none, Laura, can you
please call the role on the motion?
>> Booker,
>> yes.
>> Chavez,
>> yes.
>> Medler,
>> yes.
>> Quinn Aea,
>> yes.
>> Raj Paul,
>> yes. Anger,
>> yes. Motion passes. Our final action
item today is resolution 26-09.
Read the authorization to sell general
obligation debt. Do I have a motion?
Moved by Jason, seconded by Jorge.
Board members, any discussion on the
selling of this next round of bond
obligation?
>> Jorge,
more just a question of clarification in
terms of what this actually authorizes.
This is authorizing the potential to
sell the next round, right, of some of
this. Not all of it necessarily.
So, the next round of bonds, right? So,
it's the potential to sell not neessally
all the remaining bonds, but the
potential to do so.
>> Uh, correct. This was um authorized by
the voters in 2022. Uh we issued the
first round in early uh spring of 23. Uh
and we've spent most of that down. Uh
and then this is the next round. Uh
there's a little bit remaining uh from
the authorization uh that can be issued
at a future date.
>> So it's not selling the totality of what
remains, a portion of what remains. And
when how does it determine when we are
going to sell that bond obligation? I
think is we're we're not necessarily
selling it today, but how do we decide
when we sell that that obligation? The
bond.
>> Correct. There's there's um a
very set schedule for it. Um we uh the
district uh performs a um competitive
sale for uh general obligation debt. Uh
we've done so for
25 years uh or more. Um and uh the
notice of sale will go out on Friday. Uh
and then the actual sale uh happens on
April 7th. Um and it's uh it's an online
platform that all the big banks have
access to. Um and they'll put in a bid
for uh buying our geo debt.
So this authorizes us to put out that
notice of sale and have the sale on
April 7th. Any
other questions, Jorge, before I go to
Alex?
>> Yeah. No, that's helpful. So then that
is happening then April 7th, right? So,
um I'm just thinking in terms of our
bonds, right? So, um we're also
discussing declining enrollment in that
context, right? We may not necessarily
need to sell all the bonds, correct?
>> Correct.
>> Down the line. And this still allows us
that flexibility down the line
>> because there's still some remaining.
>> Correct. So that's what that's so that
helps out. Thank you.
>> Yep. The the authorization is good for a
year. Uh and so um if the decision was
made at the next board meeting, the
board could authorize to sell that
additional amount at the next board
meeting. It's just u it's not felt to be
necessary right now.
>> All right. Thank you.
>> And so I'm reading this right. We've got
a basically 162 million left and we're
selling 112 leaving $50 million
authorization on the table
>> that we could use at a later date.
>> Yeah.
>> And then we'll be continuing to spend
the 112 as per our current
>> plan master plan
>> within the district and we'll start
spending pretty much once those bonds
sell we'll start the processes supported
by that 112 million. Right.
>> Correct. Thank you.
And selling those bonds does not
guarantee like that phase four. It
doesn't mean we're committed to the
phase four portion of our bonds. We're
just bond construction work. It's just
we're selling releasing those bonds.
Yeah.
Any other questions or further
discussion? Board members,
seeing as there are none, Laura, can you
call the role on the motion?
>> Booker,
>> yes.
>> Chavez,
>> yes.
>> Medler,
>> yes. Quinn Linawa,
>> yes.
>> Raj Paul,
>> yes. Anger,
>> yes.
>> Motion passes.
>> Next, we will move on as indicated on
our agenda this morning. The board has
matters to discuss in executive session.
Do I have a motion? Alex? Um, I, Alex
Medler, make a motion to convene into
executive session pursuant to CRS
section 24-6-42
PN4 PN lowercase EN
for purposes of determining positions
relative to matters that may be subject
to negotiations, developing strategy for
negotiations, and instructing
negotiators regarding agreements with
the Boulder Valley Classified Employees
Association, BBCA, regarding the
community leaison pursuant to CRS
section 24-6. 6-42 PN 4 PN E PN Roman
numeral 3 for purposes of developing the
strategy of the school district for
negotiations related to collective
bargaining with BBCA regarding the
community liaison and pursuant to CRS
section 24-6-42
PN4 PNB B for legal advice regarding the
same
do
any discussion
Great. Board members, we will convene.
Oh, is there a vote? Laura, can you call
the vote on the motion?
>> Booker,
>> yes.
>> Chavez,
>> yes.
>> Medler,
>> yes.
>> Quinn Linua,
>> yes.
>> Raj Paul,
>> yes.
>> Anger,
>> yes.
>> Motion passes.
>> Board members, we will convene in
Glacier. Please take your stuff and grab
lunch if you would so like to take in
there. The public portion of this
meeting is now adjourned.