How to Navigate AI-Hesitant Leadership

Over the past year and a half, hundreds of thousands of teachers have used AI to

• Save time

• Foster creativity, and

• Have a big impact in their classroom.

One of the side effects is the frustration and conflict that arise when school leadership bans teachers from using AI.

One teacher described this as taking a cup of water out of a dehydrated runner's hands.

Here are four things to think about if you find yourself in a school with AI hesitant leaders.

1) Respectful discussion, patient disposition.

This idea is baked into us as teachers.

When students ask a favour, the answer is often determined by how they ask, not what they ask.

Part of getting the how right is acknowledging the expertise and experience of your leaders.

These leaders have seen educational fads come and go.

This isn’t their first barbecue.

Their hesitancy is probably rooted in a desire to protect the integrity of their students, staff, and school community.

Start by expressing genuine respect for their dedication and the challenges they face.

Also, don’t expect to change anyone’s mind in the first conversation.

Change is a long-term project.

Firing all your ammo in the first round is a blunder.

2) Connect AI to better student outcomes.

During a podcast, I heard a cynical school leader argue that teachers will use AI to finish their work quickly and play more golf.

This criticism assumes teachers are self-centred.

In reality, most teachers are student-centred.

We chose this profession not because of the mythical “holidays” or “4pm knockoff,” but because we want to make a difference for young people.

When a teacher uses AI wisely, there are huge student benefits.

If AI tools help teachers do more evidence-based practices more often for more students, how is that not a win for the school?

AI tools help teachers fast-track

• Text differentiation

• Adjusted assignments

• Simplifying instructions, and

• Creation of low-stakes quizzes

While some school leaders are tech-hesitant, they probably aren’t benefit-hesitant, and highlighting how AI helps students is a big step in the right direction.

3) Connect AI to school values.

When school leaders ban AI, it’s often because they get the right answer to the wrong question.

“Is AI good for our school?”

Believe it or not, that’s the wrong question. We have to go deeper.

The real question is: “What is our purpose?”

This is where vision, mission, and values come in.

With these conversations, in order to get anywhere, you have to start somewhere. Vision, mission, and values are a great place to start.

When in dialogue with an AI-hesitant leader, it’s wise to present AI as a way of continuing a school's current mission.

Simply put, emphasise missional continuity, not technological change.

Let’s workshop this with a few school vision statements:

“Students are passionate, empowered, and prepared for their world and their future"

AI has changed the world. In fact, it’s not hard to argue that AI is the single biggest disruption the world has ever seen.

At this school, I’d be making the case that, as AI is inextricably linked to our future, preparation for the future involves understanding the principles and practices of AI use.

“An educational experience which propels each student to excellence”

In this instance, I’d be discussing the capacity of AI to help teachers put students in a more tailored, personalised, and feedback-rich environment than ever.

“We aim to develop well-rounded and thoughtful students prepared to cope with a changing post-modern and globalised world.”

Again, this is where I’d discuss the fact that our students will be graduating into a world shaped by AI. If we want them to thrive in this world, we can’t let them set sail into adulthood without the principles and practices of AI use.

(by the way, if you’re interested in seeing more examples of school vision and mission statements, you can find a whole bunch here)

4) Ask for their opinion.

If your school leaders have been around education for any length of time, they will have seen EdTech phases come and go.

Why not ask them about their experience in this space?

This may help to situate AI as part of the broader continuum of educational innovation.

Ask questions like:

• "What technological changes have had a lasting positive impact on student learning?"

• "Which tools or trends seemed promising but didn't deliver on their promises?"

• "How did you navigate those changes, and what lessons did you learn?"

These questions can open a thoughful discussion about the problems and possibilities of AI. Hopefully, this will help you get to a middle ground with your school leaders.

Let me know how you go!

I’m putting a resource together for teachers in schools with AI-hesitant leadership.

If there’s something that’s worked well for you in the past, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message - let's chat.

Happy teaching!

Until next week,

Happy Teaching!

Paul Matthews