Guest Commentary | School District preparing for AI
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing education, and the School District of Lee County is preparing policies to ensure these powerful tools are used responsibly, transparently and appropriately in our K-12 classrooms.
Our policies will be built around the new rules adopted by the Florida State Board of Education. These rules establish clear protections for parental rights, student privacy, academic integrity and age-appropriate technology use.
Parents must be informed when an AI instructional tool is approved, including the tool’s name, the courses in which it will be used and how students will interact with it. Parents will also have the choice to opt their child into the AI tool or select a non-AI alternative.
Additional safeguards will apply to students in VPK through fifth grade. AI designed to simulate friendship, companionship or emotional relationships will be prohibited. Vendors will not be permitted to sell student data or use it to train AI models. Our policies will also establish clear expectations regarding cheating, plagiarism and the responsible use of AI-generated work.
AI can support teachers, personalize instruction and help prepare students for the modern workforce. However, it must never replace teachers, independent thinking or meaningful human interaction.
As we develop our local policies, our priorities will remain clear: protect students, respect parents, support teachers and preserve academic integrity. Innovation should strengthen learning-not replace the effort, judgment and critical-thinking skills every student needs.
Lee County will move forward carefully and responsibly, ensuring AI serves education while keeping teachers and parents at the center of every child’s learning.
Armor Persons represents District 5 on the Lee County School Board.