Leading with Intention: Policy, Guidance, and Local Decision-Making Around AI in Schools

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome Bill Bass, an award-winning educator, author, and national leader in instructional technology and literacy, for a conversation about how school and district leaders can thoughtfully navigate AI implementation. Bill serves as Innovation Coordinator for Parkway School District in St. Louis and has held leadership roles with ISTE and the National Council of Teachers of English. Rather than framing AI as something schools either fully embrace or completely avoid, Bill encourages leaders to begin by understanding their local context. He shares the importance of gathering input from teachers, students, families, IT staff, and community members in order to understand current practices, concerns, capacity, and attitudes toward AI. The conversation explores the difference between AI policy and AI guidance, including why districts may benefit from broader emerging technologies policies that can remain relevant as tools continue to evolve. Bill also shares why guidance should be practical, contextual, and connected to a district’s existing values, such as a portrait or profile of a graduate. Andrew and Bill also discuss the urgency of helping students develop thoughtful experiences with AI now, while they are still supported by educators who can help them ask better questions, make mistakes safely, and think critically about the implications of using or not using these tools. Later in the episode, Bill emphasizes that no one needs to position themselves as an AI expert. Instead, educators and leaders can create space for honest conversations about how AI is being used, what safeguards are in place, and how schools can tell their own story before someone else defines it for them. The episode closes with a preview of Bill’s upcoming work with Nebraska educators around the NCTE guidance for AI in English language arts, including how national-level guidance can support classroom-level decisions and help teachers make AI-related conversations more actionable. Resources Mentioned: SupportED AI resources: https://nesupported.org/artificial-intelligence/ NCTE AI guidance for English language arts: https://ncte.org/working-ela-ai-framework/ Bill Bass on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williambass/