Dear School Board Members,

My question is straightforward. How are students expected to use AI as a learning tool when teachers respond with, "This was done with AI—do it again"?

I would appreciate clarification on what is actually permitted. Can a student use Copilot to create a Word template? Can a student use AI to look up the meaning of words? Can a student use AI to rewrite a sentence for clarity? These are basic academic supports, yet there seems to be no uniform guidance or communication across schools.

If students are not allowed to use AI as an educational tool, then the district should reconsider promoting "BCPS Powered by AI." Now you want to add yet another tool , MagicSchool, for our students and teachers to use. Right now, the messaging and the classroom expectations do not align.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Melissa C Ramos

My name is Dr. Trudy Jermanovich.

Even our present Secretary of Education can’t figure out how to discuss AI reasonably.

“Teachers and educators were fuming on Sunday after President Donald Trump's education chief fumbled a question about classroom technology during a CNNinterview.

Linda McMahon, who founded World Wrestling Entertainment with her husband, Vince, told CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday's broadcast of "State of the Union" that students often spend the first two hours of their school time on their computers, which she said is a good thing because the students have a "one-on-one" tutor. But her comments about the use of artificial intelligence stunned several educators.
Bash asked McMahon whether using AI in classrooms makes students "guinea pigs for chatbots," since there is little evidence of the technology's long-term effectiveness.

“There aren’t a lot of metrics available now,” McMahon acknowledged.

Her comments sent several teachers over the edge on social media.

"This is exactly how AI should not be used in the classrooms," Sari Beth Rosenberg, a history teacher and "AI brain" at Share My Lesson, posted on X. "They want to find a way to eliminate public schools altogether. A first big step is replacing teachers with tech, and this only hurts America’s kids. Also, if you talk to kids, they don’t want AI & humanoids replacing their teachers."
"As an educator of 19 years and high school teacher for 17, I can say this is absolutely wrong and Linda had no business leading anything related to education," Matt Walton, a former teacher at North Carolina State University, posted on X.
"Such a double message- she’s hyping AI and Alpha schools but expressing reservations on screen time & need for more evidence," Leonie Haimson, executive director of Class Size Matters, posted on X. "MAGA faithful are caught in a contradiction as the backlash vs Ed tech grows from both left & right."

"The US Education Secretary, formerly known for her role as a wrestling promoter, is intent on dumbing American education down to an even dumber level. She is succeeding," John O'Brennan, a professor of European politics, posted on X.”