Today, we are excited to kick off the next phase of our journey to understand artificial intelligence and its impact on teaching and learning in Rocky River City Schools.
One of the guiding adages for our leadership team has been simple: go slow to go fast. As we begin exploring AI in a K–12 environment, the most important place to start is with collective learning.
Thanks to the generous support of the Rocky River Education Foundation, twenty of our teachers and administrators are participating in specialized coursework developed in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania. This learning experience focuses on the ethics, capabilities, and classroom implications of artificial intelligence. It has been designed specifically for our district.
These lead learners will help share knowledge, build capacity across our schools, and shape what we hope will become a thoughtful, forward-looking approach to AI integration in K–12 education.
Learning First, Designing With Purpose
Over the past several months, we have often been asked, “What is your end goal?” Our answer has been consistent: we begin with learning.
As with any meaningful work in education, we believe the right path is to first, understand deeply first, then design exceptional experiences for students, families, and staff. That is what makes this process so exciting. While we do not yet know exactly where this journey will lead, we do know what will guide us:
- Keeping the best interests and safety of students at the center of every decision
- Following best practices that lead to strong outcomes
- Honoring the expertise of our professional educators
As we move forward, several important questions continue to shape our thinking:
- How do we ensure student safety?
- How do we nurture critical thinking rather than replace it with instant answers?
- What guardrails must be in place to support families, students, and staff?
These are questions we take seriously every single day.
Safety, Guardrails, and Responsible Exploration
Whenever technology enters the classroom, student safety is paramount. Recently, our district entered into a 90-day trial with School AI, selected through a careful review by a district committee. One important feature of this platform is that students do not need to sign in or share personal data.
At this time, the platform is not student-facing and will be used only by the cohort participating in the University of Pennsylvania learning experience. This allows us to explore instructional possibilities thoughtfully before considering any broader implementation.
Should School AI become a long-term tool, we will continue to communicate transparently about:
- Safety protections and privacy guardrails
- The full vetting and approval process
- Alignment with state protections such as Senate Bill 29
- Additional district safeguards required of any technology vendor
This careful approach builds on an already strong foundation for responsible AI exploration in Rocky River.
A Clear Commitment: AI Literacy for Our Community
The core outcome we are firmly committed to is AI literacy for students, families, and staff. Artificial intelligence will continue to evolve rapidly. Building understanding now will empower our learners and educators to use these tools ethically, responsibly, and effectively, ultimately enhancing the educational experience for everyone in our schools.
We are deeply grateful to the Rocky River Education Foundation for making this first phase of professional learning possible. By investing in our teachers and administrators, we are building the capacity needed to truly “go slow to go fast” and to create exceptional classroom experiences for our students.
What Comes Next
We look forward to sharing more as this work continues.
- On March 19, Pat Coleman will provide an update and community presentation at the Board of Education Committee of the Whole meeting.
- In April, Mr. Coleman will lead a community Q&A session. Final details and support information will be shared soon.
This is only the beginning of an important journey for Rocky River City Schools, and we are excited to learn alongside our community every step of the way.
With Pirate Pride,
Adham
With Pirate Pride 
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