Lawrence school district weighs AI safeguards as committee questions learning benefits
The Lawrence school district's AI advisory committee raised concerns Tuesday about whether artificial intelligence actually improves learning and whether families should be able to opt out of AI use in classrooms.
The 23-member committee, which includes school board members, parents, staff, students, and community representatives, met for the fourth time to discuss how the district should approach generative AI. A parent survey showed respondents preferred opt-in consent rather than automatic AI participation in schools.
The Kansas State Department of Education has not issued AI usage guidelines, leaving districts to develop their own policies.
Questions about learning outcomes
Committee members said any AI system should be transparent, comply with federal student privacy rules, and offer alternatives for families who decline participation.
Christin Bowman, a parent on the committee, questioned whether the district was starting with the right question. "The first question is actually how does AI help students learn? Does it at all?" she said. "And to learn, you have to struggle."
Parker Curl, a University of Kansas computer engineering student on the committee, said elementary schools should remain traditional. "You're learning how to read, write, count - I really don't find any reason for there to be AI in a place like that," he said.
Zach Harwood, principal of Lawrence Virtual School, said he would not want AI tools to have personalities or appear as friends to students. Stories of minors forming emotional bonds with AI chatbots have led to mental health crises and suicides.
Privacy and data concerns
Katherine Morse, a district parent, said she would not have consented to her children participating in an aging system that ran their faces through a filter to show them as older versions of themselves.
Morse's children were affected by a previous district data leak in which Social Security numbers were posted online. She wants AI tools scaled by age group, with younger students spending less time on screens.
"We should always remember that students, all of our students, are children," she said.
Protecting creativity and critical thinking
Several committee members said they did not want students to receive the message that AI will take their jobs, especially in creative fields. The group wants to protect students' creativity and critical thinking skills.
Daniel Dao, an eighth-grade student at Lawrence Virtual School, said AI challenges offer schools a chance to focus on helping students understand why they learn, not just what to memorize.
Carrie Poe, a district parent, said the district should engage families to help them understand AI's role in education.
Jake Potter, the district spokesperson, said the committee would likely continue meeting and reviewing policy on the topic for the foreseeable future. "There's passion around this topic, there's concern, and I think there's also hope and optimism," he said.
The next meeting date has not been announced. Meetings are open to the public.
For educators looking to understand AI's role in classrooms, the AI Learning Path for Teachers offers practical guidance on classroom integration.
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