It’s not just students who go to school now – it’s also Claude, ChatGPT or various other AI tools in students’ pockets. Various districts in Monterey County have been working on plans to integrate artificial intelligence and technology into the classroom responsibly.
Last month, Pacific Grove Unified School District approved a plan that will be implemented during the 2026-27 school year. The framework includes digital safety, AI integration and recommended screen times for students based on their age. Teachers will include in their syllabus whether they will have AI-driven assignments and if they use it for grading.
Last year, teachers in PGUSD could use AI tools including Google’s Gemini and Notebook, a research and note-taking assistance tool, and GPT Zero for grading and identifying use of AI. PGUSD students, on the other hand, have AI tools blocked on any school district device.
Matthew Binder, PGUSD’s director of educational technology, says this year, high school students will have the opportunity to use AI tools in a controlled environment with the goal of gaining new skills and facilitating learning. Younger students will not have access to any AI tools because they are still learning about English composition and critical thinking.
“We only want to use technology when it’s necessary and is going to enhance the learning process for our students,” PGUSD Superintendent Linda Adamson says.
Schools have their limits, Binder notes: “It’s a challenge these days because we have no control over students’ use of these tools outside of the school day and on their own devices.”
Binder says many school districts are in new territory, pointing out some are fully hands-on with AI, others are completely against it and many are in the middle.
PGUSD sees itself in the middle space. “We found this healthy balance,” Binder adds.
English teachers may require a written essay at the beginning of the year to set it as a baseline for student writing development. Louis Algaze, PGUSD’s director of technology systems, says once teachers learn students’ writing styles, it becomes easier for them to identify if something was AI-generated.
Salinas Union High School District formed an AI committee in 2023. Gabrielle DeVilla is a middle school career technical education teacher and member of the district’s AI committee as well as the state teachers union’s AI task force. She says it is key to have policies and train teachers and staff before rolling out AI tools. “If districts do not have an AI policy or are organized with AI, the rollout is disastrous,” DeVilla says.
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, the SUHSD board is scheduled to vote on an AI policy to integrate AI technology into classrooms. “AI should be used ethically and transparently by all staff and students, with careful consideration of potential biases, and in compliance with all applicable intellectual property and copyright laws,” according to a draft policy.