Why school boards—not Silicon Valley—hold the key to America's AI readiness

Fast Company

a day ago

Across the country, school boards are quietly facing one of the most profound decisions in the history of American public education: how to respond to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
The pressure is mounting. In April 2025, the White House issued a sweeping executive order aimed at integrating AI into K–12 classrooms—from building national curricula to funding large-scale teacher training and AI tools and programs. It was a bold, necessary move and a signal that the federal government sees AI literacy as essential to the nation's future.
But anyone who's worked in education—or in large-scale innovation—knows that top-down vision is never enough. The real test of transformation lies not in federal directives, but in what happens in conversations with teachers, parents, and students.
I've spent my career guiding Fortune 500 companies, government institutions, school systems, and universities through transformational change, most recently helping dozens of educational institutions reimagine the future of work and learning through AI. What I've learned, time and again, is that successful innovation doesn't begin with technology. It begins with leadership. And in public education, that leadership starts with school boards.
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WE'VE SEEN MOMENTS OF SIMILAR URGENCY BEFORE, THOUGH NONE QUITE LIKE THIS
In the 1800s, during the Industrial Revolution, it was local education leaders who reshaped schools. Grade levels, bells, and age-based classrooms weren't federally designed, but were adaptations to new economic needs.
When Sputnik launched in 1957, it wasn't Silicon Valley that responded—it didn't exist yet. It was America's schools. Local boards restructured science curricula, hired new teachers, built labs, and acted swiftly because the stakes were clear.
Each of these moments required more than compliance. They demanded reinvention. This one does, too.
WHY THIS SHIFT IS DIFFERENT: AI LITERACY, POLICY, AND EQUITY
AI isn't just another classroom tool—it's fundamentally reshaping the foundation of education. It's changing what we teach, how we teach, how we measure progress, how we support students, and who ultimately gets to succeed.
In past waves of innovation—whether calculators, the internet, or smartboards—the structure of school remained mostly intact. AI challenges that structure entirely. What We Teach : With facts a click away, education shifts from memorization to creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration with intelligent systems.
: With facts a click away, education shifts from memorization to creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration with intelligent systems. How We Teach : Adaptive learning with AI tools enables real-time feedback and differentiated instruction.
: Adaptive learning with AI tools enables real-time feedback and differentiated instruction. How We Measure : Traditional tests fall short when AI can generate correct answers. We now must assess critical thinking, originality, and ethical reasoning.
: Traditional tests fall short when AI can generate correct answers. We now must assess critical thinking, originality, and ethical reasoning. How We Support : AI-powered tutors and multilingual learning tools now extend personalized support to students far beyond classroom walls.
: AI-powered tutors and multilingual learning tools now extend personalized support to students far beyond classroom walls. Who Has Access: Without an intentional school AI policy framework, AI risks widening the digital divide between students who are empowered and those left behind.
This is not a curriculum tweak. It's a rewiring of the education system, and it's arriving at a time when trust in institutions is fragile, budgets are constrained, and teachers are already overextended.
In this environment, the conversation around AI in schools is inconsistent. In some districts, AI tools are embraced as instruments of creativity and inquiry. In others, they're banned—grouped with distractions and cheating. But the problem is less about the tools and more about the absence of a clear, shared vision that aligns with responsible, AI-ethical guidelines for districts and puts equity first.
That vision won't come from tech companies or federal agencies alone. It must come from those who know their students and communities best. School boards have the authority—and the responsibility—to shape that vision. They can make AI literacy curriculum for K–12 a core priority. They can fund teacher training and AI tools and programs, update acceptable use policies, launch AI mentorship pilots, and create guidelines to mitigate bias. They can also establish benchmarks to evaluate the long-term AI impact on student well-being.
Done well, this transformation expands opportunity. Done poorly, it exacerbates the gaps we've spent decades trying to close.
DISTRICTS ARE LEADING—QUIETLY AND POWERFULLY
Across the nation, school boards are beginning to take action. Some are launching student-led AI advisory councils to shape how technology is introduced in the classroom. Others are pairing district implementation of AI labs with philosophy courses to help students engage critically with ethics and bias.
Still, for every district moving forward, many are frozen. There's no playbook. Budgets are tight. The pace of change feels overwhelming.
But in every transformation I've helped lead—from Fortune 500 companies to national education systems—I've learned that progress doesn't begin with certainty. It begins with momentum. Start small. Listen deeply. Pilot. Learn. Adjust.
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QUESTIONS EVERY BOARD SHOULD BE ASKING
School board members aren't expected to be AI experts, but they are expected to be stewards of change. That means asking: What does it mean for our students to graduate AI-literate?
How can we ensure every educator is prepared to use these tools responsibly?
What role does equity play in our school AI policy framework?
How do we balance innovation with evaluating K–12 AI tools for ethics, bias, and impact?
We may not have every answer, but we already know the cost of standing still.
THREE STEPS SCHOOL BOARDS CAN TAKE NOW
1. Prioritize Teacher Training Over Tech Purchases
Before investing in platforms, invest in your people. Make sure every educator has access to high-quality teacher training and AI tools and programs that support effective, ethical, and confident integration in every classroom.
2. Build For Equity From The Start
Guarantee access to AI tools and curriculum across all schools—not just the best funded ones. Equity isn't a feature of innovation. It's the foundation.
3. Keep A Close Eye
AI is rapidly becoming a source of information, collaboration, and even emotional support for students, but we don't yet fully understand its long-term effects on cognition, social development, or well-being. Districts should embrace innovation—but do so with accountability.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Education has always reflected our values. But now, it must reflect our vision.
We can build classrooms that are dynamic, inclusive, and future-ready. We don't need more hype. We need courageous leadership. And in public education, that starts with school boards.