Parent Alert: AI in School Backpacks & What Schools Aren't Telling You

Standing at the bus stop this morning watching my 7-year-old climb aboard for 2nd grade, I couldn't help but think about how different her education looks compared to what we had. Her excitement was through the roof today, but what caught me off guard was what she said as she bounced toward the bus: 'Dad, I can't wait to use the AI tools in computer lab!'

Wait... what AI tools? This was news to me.

Turns out, many schools are rolling out AI programs without comprehensive parent training — and that's a problem. Let me catch you up on what's happening with AI in classrooms right now and what questions you should be asking at your next parent-teacher conference.

TRENDING IN THE DIGITAL PARENTING WORLD:

Schools rolling out AI training for families, finally catching up to what kids already know:  A new initiative at Modesto City Schools is setting a standard others should follow. Next month, they'll host AI training sessions specifically for parents, focusing on how families can support children using the same AI tools being adopted in classrooms. Their 20-member AI committee (with parent representatives) stresses protecting student information and ensuring all tools comply with data privacy requirements. [Source: govtech.com/education/k-12]

Teachers who use AI weekly save nearly six weeks of time per school year: A recent poll of over 2,200 teachers found that educators who use AI tools weekly save an average of 5.9 hours per week—that's six weeks annually. About 30% of teachers use AI weekly, with 60% having used it during the previous school year. The time saved allows them to provide better feedback, create personalized lessons, and communicate more effectively with parents. [Source: edsurge.com/news]

South Korea rolls back AI textbooks after teacher and parent protests: Following pushback from teachers and parents, South Korea recently passed an amendment that stripped AI textbooks of their official status, reclassifying them as supplementary materials. Teachers reported a lack of preparation and support, with 87.4% saying they had insufficient training. This highlights the importance of teacher training before AI implementation—a reminder for American parents as similar programs expand here. [Source: businessinsider.com]

THIS WEEK'S POWER MOVE:

Five questions to ask your school about AI use:

1. What AI tools are being used in my child's classroom, and for what purpose?

2. How are teachers being trained to use and evaluate AI outputs?

3. What privacy protections are in place to protect my child's data?

4. How will you prevent AI from replacing critical thinking skills?

5. Can parents preview the AI tools before they're introduced to students?

Modesto Schools has implemented an '80-20 rule': AI handles 80% of a task, but teachers apply 20% professional judgment to refine and finalize. Ask if your school has similar guidelines in place.

If your school doesn't have answers, suggest they create an AI committee that includes parents, similar to Modesto's approach. The committee should develop clear policies about data privacy, appropriate AI use, and when human oversight is required.

LATEST BLOG ARTICLES:

Back to School 2025–26: How AI Will Shape Your Child's Year Practical, parent-friendly guide to AI in K–12 this school year—district examples, at-home projects for ages 7–18, and questions to ask your school. https://warrenschuitema.com/post/back-to-school-2025-26-how-ai-will-shape-your-childs-year

KIDSAFE: How to Prompt ChatGPT‑5 for Kids' Learning Make AI useful for kids with the KIDSAFE checklist for writing clear, private prompts for homework, stories, and projects. https://warrenschuitema.com/post/kidsafe-prompt-method

Two Weeks Left: How Families Can Use AI to Squeeze the Most Out of Summer Make the last two weeks of summer count with AI-powered planning for family outings, memory capturing, and school prep. https://warrenschuitema.com/post/two-weeks-left-ai-family-summer-planning

BONUS: FAMILY AI EXPERIMENT

This weekend, try this with your kids: Ask them to draw a picture of their dream bedroom. Then together, use an AI image generator to create that same bedroom based on their description. Compare the results! Talk about what the AI got right, what it missed, and why human creativity still matters. This opens great conversations about AI's capabilities and limitations in a way kids can grasp.

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Got questions? Just hit reply and ask. I'm happy to share more!

A FINAL THOUGHT

This morning at the bus stop, my daughter clutched her water bottle decorated with Anna and Elsa stickers (our cats' namesakes). She bounced with excitement about using AI in computer lab, and luckily has an idea what AI actually means - because of what I’ve been teaching her.

That's where we are in 2025 - our kids are racing toward a future where AI is baked into everything they do, while many of us parents are still catching up. We can't afford to shrug and hope schools figure it out.

The schools figuring it out best? They're bringing parents into the conversation early. Ask questions. Get involved. The AI education revolution needs your voice.

Until next week,

Warren S.

P.S. Hit reply and tell me: What's one question about AI in education that's keeping you up at night? I'll tackle the most common concerns in next week's newsletter.