AI Is Already in Your School: 7 Questions Every School Leader Should Ask This Year 

The AI Conversation Has Changed 

For the past few years, conversations about artificial intelligence in education have often centered on a single question: Should schools embrace AI? 

Heading into the 2026–27 school year, that question may already be outdated. 

AI is increasingly showing up in the tools teachers use to plan lessons, the platforms students use to learn, the software administrators used to analyze information, and the applications school teams use to communicate, create content, and manage everyday work. Schools may be using AI even when they have never formally decided to “adopt” it. 

At the same time, the expectations surrounding responsible AI use are evolving. In May 2026, a new U.S. Department of Education priority on advancing AI in education took effect, emphasizing AI literacy, professional development, age-appropriate implementation, safety, critical thinking, and responsible use. The Department has also emphasized that AI should complement strong teaching and human judgment rather than replace them. 

That creates a different challenge for school leaders. 

The goal is no longer simply deciding whether AI belongs in your school. It is making sure your school is prepared for the AI that is already arriving. 

Here are seven questions leadership teams can use to start. 

1. Where Is AI Already Being Used? 

Before writing a policy or purchasing another platform, begin with visibility. 

Ask staff members where they are already encountering or using AI. That could include: 

• Lesson planning and curriculum development 

• Student tutoring and learning platforms 

• Writing and content creation 

• Email and family communications 

• Data analysis and reporting 

• Translation 

• Recruitment and HR processes 

• Enrollment and marketing 

• Productivity tools 

• Technology and cybersecurity platforms 

You may discover that your school’s AI footprint is significantly larger than expected. 

This does not mean every tool presents a problem. It means leaders cannot effectively govern technology they do not know is being used. 

Start here: Add AI capabilities to your existing software and technology inventory. Identify which platforms contain AI features, who use them, what information they access, and whether those features have been formally reviewed. 

2. What School or Student Data Do AI Tools Collect?  

Convenience can make it surprisingly easy to copy information into an AI platform without considering where that information goes next. 

That is particularly important in schools. 

Student names, academic records, behavioral information, Individualized Education Program details, staff information, financial data, family communications, and other sensitive information should not be entered into tools simply because they are accessible. 

Children’s digital privacy requirements are also evolving. The FTC’s amended COPPA Rule became effective in 2025, with most amended provisions carrying a compliance date of April 22, 2026. Among other changes, the updated rule addresses data retention and expands certain definitions of children’s personal information. 

School leaders do not need to become privacy attorneys, but they do need a strong process for evaluating the technology their community’s use. 

Before approving an AI-enabled platform, ask: 

What information does it collect? Where is that information stored? How long is it retained? Who has access to it? Is user data used to train the system? What happens to the data when the account is closed? 

Your technology team or provider should be able to help you answer those questions before implementation. 

3. Have We Defined What Responsible AI Actually Looks Like? 

A policy that simply says “AI is allowed” or “AI is prohibited” leaves too much room for interpretation. 

Consider giving your community clearer boundaries. 

One simple approach is to establish three categories: 

Green: Generally acceptable uses 

Examples might include brainstorming, summarizing publicly available information, drafting routine internal communications, or generating ideas when no confidential information is involved. 

Yellow: Uses requiring judgment or approval 

This could include AI-supported assessment development, analyzing anonymous student information, generating family-facing communications, or using AI to inform operational decisions. 

Red: Prohibited or highly restricted uses 

Examples might include entering protected student information into an unapproved platform, allowing AI to independently make high-stakes student or personnel decisions, or using unauthorized technology that bypasses school security controls. 

The categories themselves will look different at every school. 

What matters is creating enough clarity so that teachers and employees do not have to make every decision alone. 

4. When is Human Involvement Required? 

AI can accelerate work. It should not automatically become the final decision-maker. 

Current education research suggests AI can support areas ranging from tutoring and instructional planning to data analysis, but it also reinforces the importance of pairing these tools with professional judgment and high-quality instruction. 

For school leaders, that principle can extend well beyond the classroom. 

If AI helps draft family communication, someone should review it. 

If AI summarizes student data, an educator should interpret it. 

If AI helps screen information or identify patterns, a qualified employee should make the decision. 

If AI generates instructional materials, a teacher should evaluate their accuracy and appropriateness. 

A useful rule for leadership teams is: 

The higher the potential impact on a student, employee, or family, the stronger the need for meaningful human review. 

5. Are We Training Staff, or Simply Giving Them Access? 

Your teachers and employees do not need to become AI engineers. 

They do need enough AI literacy to recognize both what these technologies can do and where they can go wrong. 

The Department of Education’s current AI priority specifically includes professional development and support for educators, including age-appropriate AI methodologies, critical thinking, developmental readiness, and safety considerations. UNESCO similarly emphasizes human agency, critical thinking, ethics, and equitable technology use as AI becomes increasingly embedded in education. 

Consider incorporating basic AI literacy into professional development this year. 

Staff should understand: 

• Which platforms are approved 

• What information should never be entered 

• How to evaluate AI-generated information 

• When AI-generated work needs additional review 

• How bias or inaccurate information can appear in outputs 

• How AI can appropriately support rather than replace professional expertise 

• Who to contact when they are unsure 

It might also be helpful to offer training sessions for staff who need additional support learning to use these platforms, so they do not feel overwhelmed and have an open platform to ask questions, as well as an opportunity to strengthen their tech skill set. 

The goal is not to make employees afraid to experiment. 

Good training gives people the confidence to experiment responsibly. 

6. What Do We Want Students to Learn About AI? 

Schools have an opportunity to move the student AI conversation beyond cheating. 

Academic integrity matters, but students will also need to understand how to navigate a world where AI-generated text, images, recommendations, search results, and information increasingly surround them. 

That means AI literacy can become part of digital citizenship. 

Students can learn to ask: 

Where did this information come from? 

How do I know whether it is accurate? 

What information should I avoid sharing? 

Could this system reflect bias? 

When should I use AI, and when should I rely on my own thinking? 

How can AI help me create rather than simply complete something for me? 

The federal governments current definition of AI literacy reflects this broader approach, incorporating technical knowledge alongside ethical reasoning, critical inquiry, creativity, and the ability to evaluate AI’s benefits, risks, and implications. 

That makes AI literacy much bigger than learning how to write a good prompt. 

It is about preparing students to think critically in an increasingly AI-mediated world. 

7. Who Owns AI Governance at Your School? 

AI governance cannot live exclusively with one enthusiastic teacher or your IT department. 

The decisions touch too many areas. 

Consider bringing together representatives from: 

• School leadership 

• Academics 

• Information technology 

• Student services 

• Operations 

• HR 

• Legal or compliance support 

The group does not need to create a 40-page AI manual. 

Instead, give someone clear responsibility for maintaining approved tools, reviewing emerging technology, communicating expectations, coordinating training, and revisiting the school’s approach throughout the year. 

Because the technology will continue changing, and your policy should be designed to change with it. 

A Simple 30-Day AI Readiness Check for Schools

As the school year gets underway, schools do not need to solve every AI question immediately. 

Start with five practical actions: 

Week 1: Inventory the AI-enabled tools already being used across your school. 

Week 2: Review your highest-use platforms for privacy, security, and data-sharing concerns. 

Week 3: Establish basic green, yellow, and red expectations for staff AI use. 

Week 4: Share those expectations with employees and identify areas where additional training or guidance is needed. 

Then schedule a leadership review later in the semester. 

Responsible AI adoption does not require having every answer today. It requires creating systems that help your school ask better questions tomorrow. 

Build the Technology Foundation Your School Needs 

AI is one piece of an increasingly complex K-12 technology environment. Schools are managing devices, networks, cybersecurity, software platforms, student data, classroom technology, and an expanding number of digital tools at the same time. 

A strong IT strategy helps bring those pieces together. 

Vertex Education provides comprehensive IT support designed specifically for schools, including technology strategy, help desk support, device and asset management, network management and security, educational software management, and cloud infrastructure. 

As technology evolves, your school should not have to navigate it alone.