We don’t yet know the destination, but we do know the path forward. At least, we know how to start walking it.

AI’s impact on education is inevitable. As a parent, AI advisor, lifelong learner, and school trustee, I’ve had more than a few conversations about what to do next. One thing is clear: the cost of waiting is higher this time. In past tech shifts—whether the internet, mobile, or 1:1 devices—schools had time to prepare, debate, and cautiously adopt. AI doesn’t afford us that luxury. This wave is already here, and already in students’ hands.

So, what’s a school to do?

Here’s how I think about the path forward: act quickly, embrace experimentation, and be ready to change course. If we’re going to take advantage of this moment, I think there are three core principles to guide us.

1. Lean Into the AI Opportunity

The natural instinct for many educators is to focus on what’s being lost: originality in writing, authenticity in homework, control in the classroom. But there’s just as much—if not more—to be gained.

A recent Nature study found that AI use in education can improve learning performance, boost student engagement, and support higher-order thinking. That’s not a risk—it’s an opportunity.

So how do we lean in?

  • Educate your teachers. Not just about what the tools are, but what they can do. Get them hands-on experience. Encourage cross-school conversations. Set aside time and budget for real professional development—not one-time webinars, but ongoing learning.
  • Educate your students. Help them see AI as a tool for learning, not cheating. Teach them how to use it responsibly and creatively. They’ll need that skill in the workplace—and in life.
  • Build a community of practice. This might be the most important step. Encourage teachers to share what’s working, what failed, and what surprised them. Celebrate successes just as much as you learn from failures. Create a space for experimentation and iteration—a culture where it’s okay to try, okay to fail, and even better to share what works.

2. Rethink Assessment

This may be the hardest challenge ahead. We can already see clear, practical ways to use AI to support teaching and learning—but adapting assessment to an age of abundant AI remains the tougher challenge.

The traditional pillars of academic evaluation—essays, take-home assignments, even some problem sets—are no longer reliable when AI can produce competent versions of each. And while the instinct to “ban” AI use is understandable, it’s unlikely to be enforceable or effective.

So, we need to reimagine what assessment looks like:

  • More live, in-person evaluations. Whether it’s classroom discussions, oral exams, or group work, we’ll need to lean more on what can’t be outsourced to AI.

  • More project-based and interdisciplinary work. AI can be a great partner in exploration and execution. Let’s assess how students use it—not whether they avoid it.

  • More emphasis on thinking, not output. We’ve long claimed to teach critical thinking. Now we have to assess it directly.

This won’t be easy. But if we get it right, it may actually improve our approach to measuring what matters. And what matters most is not just a set of academic skills, but the broader capabilities we hope to nurture in students: curiosity, resilience, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. These are harder to measure—but ultimately more important to capture.

3. Move Fast—but Be Ready to Change Course

The tools are evolving quickly. So is our understanding of how they work—and how they break.

That means we need to start moving. But we also need to stay nimble. Our first steps won’t be perfect. Our policies will need updates. What works today might fail tomorrow. That’s okay.

The real danger isn’t making a wrong call. It’s standing still.

So make your best guess about what the next right step is. Take it. Then pay attention, evaluate, and be ready to adapt. Don’t let the pursuit of perfect paralyze progress. And don’t let uncertainty stop you from starting.

Keep the Student at the Center

Above all, it is important to remember to keep our focus where it belongs—on the student.

Their learning, their excitement, their future. AI may be the catalyst, but the real opportunity is to do better for our students. To rethink how we teach, what we teach, and why we teach it. To re-engage learners in new ways. To build a system that prepares them not for the world we knew, but for the world they’ll inhabit.

This is our moment. Let’s meet it with boldness, humility, and a willingness to try.