CHEYENNE \u2014 Laramie County School District 1 is expanding access to artificial intelligence tools for employees as the district works to help staff members use AI responsibly while keeping a focus on teacher oversight and student privacy.<\/p>\n
LCSD1 has implemented use of ChatGPT Edu services for staff and is participating in an OpenAI K-12 rollout cohort. OpenAI is assisting participating districts with implementation and gathering feedback, though LCSD1 Executive Director of Technology Kyle McKinney said via email that the arrangement should not be characterized as a formal partnership.<\/p>\n
According to OpenAI representatives, who hosted a press briefing regarding the partnership Tuesday, 103 school districts across the country are involved, 55 of which \u2014 including Laramie County \u2014 are new.<\/p>\n
The district already has a small number of ChatGPT Edu licenses for staff, and access will expand as additional employee accounts are supplied.<\/p>\n
LCSD1 plans to use a train-the-trainer model for the rollout, McKinney said. Technology Integration staff, other district employees and pilot teachers will receive focused support before helping build AI-use capacity for colleagues.<\/p>\n
School staff members could use ChatGPT for tasks like brainstorming lessons, creating practice materials, drafting communications, developing rubrics and examples, differentiating resources and assisting with administrative workflows.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a support tool,\u201d McKinney said. \u201cNot a replacement for teacher expertise, district curriculum or professional judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The district\u2019s approach is part of a larger effort to establish responsible AI practices before the technology becomes more deeply integrated into schools.<\/p>\n
OpenAI representatives said during the Tuesday briefing that educators should remain in control of how AI is used in classrooms and that district oversight is incredibly important as AI systems become more capable and widely used.<\/p>\n
For LCSD1, McKinney said responsible use includes protecting student and staff information, using approved tools, checking AI-generated material for accuracy and bias, being transparent about AI use when appropriate and maintaining academic integrity.<\/p>\n
Staff should not enter personally identifiable or sensitive information into AI tools, he said, and AI should not be used to make high-stakes decisions about students.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe district\u2019s ChatGPT Edu service is centrally managed, unlike regular consumer ChatGPT accounts,\u201d McKinney said. \u201cLCSD1 has a Data Privacy Agreement in place with OpenAI and uses its identity provider for secure sign-in, account management and governance. These protections apply to the existing Edu accounts, and will continue with expanded employee access.\u201d<\/p>\n
The professional learning opportunities connected to AI use are optional for staff.<\/p>\n
The ChatGPT Edu rollout also does not give students ChatGPT accounts. Students can use district-approved AI tools when their teacher permits it and when the use aligns with an assignment, McKinney said.<\/p>\n
LCSD1\u2019s policy regarding AI use in the classroom states that the tool may be used to enhance teaching and learning, but it cannot replace professional judgment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis guidance requires use of only district-approved AI tools with students; protection of student and staff personally identifiable information; teacher review of AI-generated content for accuracy, bias and appropriateness; academic-integrity expectations; and disclosure or citation of AI use when appropriate,\u201d McKinney said.<\/p>\n
The district considers its AI guidance a \u201cliving resource\u201d that will be updated as technology, laws, research and instructional practices evolve, he said.<\/p>\n
During the OpenAI briefing, educators from other districts across the nation described common uses for AI, including lesson planning, curriculum mapping, differentiating instruction and reducing routine administrative work.<\/p>\n
Patrick Gittisriboongul, superintendent of the Lynwood Unified School District in California\u2019s Los Angeles County, summarized the goal for his district as using AI to create more time for educators to focus on students.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think our approach is very simple,\u201d Gittisriboongul said. \u201cIt\u2019s three things. Number one, students first. Number two, teachers have autonomy. They\u2019re in control. And number three, which I\u2019m very proud of, is responsible adoption. AI, for me, should never replace the human work of teaching. It should really create more room for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gittisriboongul\u2019s philosophy is similar to McKinney\u2019s stated goals for the technology in LCSD1.<\/p>\n
McKinney said the district hopes providing employees with a secure, managed AI environment will \u201creduce routine workload, support instructional planning and differentiation, improve communications and operational work, and build responsible AI literacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The district\u2019s rollout will continue as employee accounts are provisioned and training opportunities are developed. The emphasis, McKinney said, will remain on helping staff determine when AI is useful while making sure human judgment stays at the center of decisions affecting students.<\/p>\n
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