Two Greenville County seniors spent part of their summer in Boston representing South Carolina at a national forum on artificial intelligence in schools. The trip placed students directly into policy conversations that are reshaping how districts across the country set guardrails for classroom technology.
Valen Bruesch, a senior at Riverside High School, and Gabe Sutphin, a senior at Woodmont High School, served as student senators at the Day of AI Festival. The national education initiative brings students together to research AI, talk with educators, and draft legislation. Dr. Susan Stevens, Associate Superintendent of Academics at Greenville County Schools, also attended.
The students presented their work at a committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday. Their recommendations drew a clear line between where AI can help and where it should stay out of the process.
Where AI fits in the classroom
Bruesch described a framework that preserves teacher-led instruction while using AI to advance the work. The approach treats the technology as a tool for progression, not a replacement for direct teaching.
"We want to make sure that we try and keep AI out of certain assignments, like art and more creative things, just to make sure that those kind of relationships are developed with the teacher," Bruesch said. "AI would be more for the progression of the education rather than being taught it."
The students emphasized that hands-on activities and student engagement remain the teacher's responsibility. AI, in their view, assists with advancing that work rather than delivering instruction itself. This distinction matters for districts writing AI for Education policies right now.
Greenville County's own AI rules
Greenville County Schools rolled out new technology and AI rules ahead of the current school year. The district's participation in the Day of AI Festival signals that its policy work extends beyond local compliance and into national conversations about how students and teachers should use these tools.
Having students help draft model legislation also reflects a shift toward including the people most affected by classroom tech decisions. The festival drew participants from every state, each group spending weeks on research and educator interviews before writing their proposals.
Why this matters for educators
The recommendations from Bruesch and Sutphin point to a practical middle ground that many districts are trying to define. Their framework separates creative, relationship-based assignments from work where AI can genuinely accelerate learning without cutting the teacher out of the loop. For teachers building lesson plans under new AI policies, that distinction offers a concrete starting point. Resources like the AI for Teachers learning path can help educators apply that same thinking - using AI to support instruction, not substitute for it.
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