The University of Texas at El Paso College of Education hosted more than 100 leaders on Tuesday for a summit focused on shaping how the El Paso region prepares students and workers for an AI-driven economy. The event, called the Built Here Summit, addressed creating a regional framework for AI in education and workforce development.
"Conversations about AI focus so much on the technology and platforms being utilized, but we know that at the end of the day it is our people we need to focus on," said Clifton Tanabe, the College of Education's dean.
Why a regional approach
Tanabe said the El Paso region has a distinct way of working that can serve as a foundation for building AI policies. "There's something unique about the way in which we do work," he said. "I think that's something we can lean into. We're certainly doing it right now, and we've done it in other areas. In education, for example, we've created the leading pipeline in teacher preparation right here in El Paso."
Workforce leaders from Microsoft and Workforce Solutions Borderplex spoke at the summit about practices and policies businesses use to protect workers from being displaced by AI. The conversations focused on what organizations can do now to keep humans central as automation spreads.
AI's role in classrooms
Catherine Tabor, president of the Computer Science Teachers Association, addressed the limits of AI in education. "AI is a tool for educators and students to use; it cannot teach," Tabor said. "Educators are still needed in the classroom to introduce students to the pursuit of knowledge and a love of learning."
Tanabe emphasized that keeping humans at the center of work is essential. The summit's goal was to develop practical guidance for schools and employers in the region as they adopt AI tools. For educators specifically, that means learning to integrate AI into instruction without ceding the human elements of teaching - mentoring, motivation, and curiosity.
For educators looking for structured guidance on this balance, the AI Learning Path for Teachers offers a practical starting point for building those skills.
Why this matters for educators
Summit leaders made clear that AI adoption in schools is not optional but inevitable. The specific takeaway for educators is this: your job is to stay in the classroom, not be replaced. That means building fluency with AI tools now - not to automate your role, but to manage how AI gets used in it. Without local frameworks like the one UTEP is building, administrators and teachers risk adopting AI tools that undermine the teaching profession without improving outcomes for students.
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