School professional structures fascinate me.
I’ve seen schools with and without a Chief Financial Officer. I’ve seen schools with and without a Director of Jewish Studies. I’ve seen schools with a Director of Innovation. I’ve seen schools with and without counseling departments or school nurses.
Every school is different.
What it generally comes down to it three things:
Budget – The argument could be made that just about every school needs just about every position, and the fact is that all schools are on a budget. So, often, you hear about how the structure and roles reflect a lack of funding for a specific role or need.
History – Sometimes the structure revolves around specific people in specific roles or specific decisions that someone made at some point and have just continued.
Priorities – Ultimately, the way a school organizes its staff and faculty reflects its areas of focus on priorities, whether intentionally or not.
So, with this in mind, does your school or organization really need someone on staff whose main job is to promote and support the integration of artificial intelligence (AI)?
I already know that you don’t have the budget.
I know it’s not how things have been done.
But you should prioritize it and make it happen.
Why?
Ensuring someone on staff is focused on AI (and has a title to reflect that) sends a message that you recognize that AI is here to stay, and that you are embracing it. It shows the rest of your staff and your stakeholders that you prioritize the intentional use of AI, and you are committed to moving forward in this area.
But this Chief AI Person has a big job. It’s not necessarily as easy as adding it to your tech person’s portfolio.
Because AI isn’t a tech tool. It’s a mindset.
Using AI in education is far more complicated than choosing between ChatGPT and Claude or getting to know MagicSchool.
Using AI in education involves questions such as:
What is the role of the teacher and student?
What and how should we be teaching?
How can we rethink assessment?
What skills and dispositions do our students need?
How can we double down on emotional intelligence and relationships?
And the catalyst is technology.
So, who should be your Chief AI Person?
Someone who has a growth mindset – and is open to change.
Using AI requires a shift in how we work and operate, and the Chief AI Person needs to understand that and embrace that (but doesn’t, necessarily, need to know how to do that). Getting good at AI requires a lot of experimentation and trial and error, and this person needs to be open to modeling that. Any change needs to start with curiosity, so that has to be the approach from the top down.
Someone who is good at relationship building – students, parents, teachers, and others.
Successfully integrating AI into your organization will require a lot of trust and buy-in, and the Chief AI Person needs to be the most trusted of them all, setting the tone for the culture and inspiring others. This person needs to empathize with where people are and be willing to meet them there, hold their hands, and guide and support them – and just generally get people.
Someone who gets education – as a philosophy and approach, not a task.
The Founding Fathers felt that education’s purpose was to prepare students to be good citizens of the world, a philosophy that still holds as relevant. It’s an infinite game, though, as the world is constantly changing; there is no “finishing” this task. The Chief AI Person needs to understand this and see AI as a vehicle that aligns with the educational philosophy, seeing education as an ongoing process rather than a static product.
Someone who gets tech – but doesn’t have to be an expert.
Ultimately, AI and technology are almost synonymous today, so the Chief AI Person needs to be technologically literate in order to understand AI’s capabilities and meaningfully integrate it (and have extensive experience playing around with AI tools). But this person doesn’t have to be an expert or a “techie.” In fact, not being one may be better as AI is actually more effective when approached like a human, and those in the organization who are reluctant in their AI use may respond better to “one of their own.”
Someone who gets it – and gets culture.
AI is different because AI requires a fundamental shift in thinking about how we think about and approach everything. The Chief AI Person needs to understand this and consider how to merge AI with the organization in a way that stays true to the mission and the people, but also recognizes and appreciates the enormity or the time and the necessity of the transition.
We’re in the midst of what people are calling “The AI Revolution,” and our approach (and staffing) needs to reflect the seriousness of that. It’s not hyperbole to say this is a technological shift unlike anything we’ve seen before. It’s not just like when the calculator was created or the internet was introduced (though, those are examples I use when working with teachers).
AI will fundamentally change how we operate, and schools need to be prepared for that – or, better yet, be on the forefront of that.
Choose your Chief AI Person wisely.
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