FAQ

Do I have to use AI?

No. The expectation is that you understand the policy and the Five Levels well enough to recognize when AI is appropriate. Active use is encouraged, not required.

What if I'm worried about hallucinations and confidently-wrong answers?

You should be. That's why the policy is structured around disclosure, teacher review, and validators. You don't sign your name to anything you haven't checked. The Summer Kickoff includes a "how AI fails in 2026" beat so you know what to watch for.

Can I use AI to draft a parent email about a sensitive student situation?

You can use AI to help shape language, but the email must be substantively reviewed and edited by you before sending, and you must not enter the student's identifying information into a non-Tier-A tool. If the situation is counseling, safety, or child-protective, AI is not used at all. See the Staff Policy §5.4.

Can students use AI on a take-home essay?

Depends on grade band and what you've said as the teacher. The Student Policy defaults: Pre-K–5 no independent use; 6–8 only when permitted with disclosure; 9–12 may use unless explicitly prohibited, always disclosed. You set the rule for your assignment; the policy backs you up.

What if I think a student used AI without disclosing it?

Detection tools are not the sole basis for any finding. Have the conversation. Ask the student to walk you through their process. Look at prior work as a comparison. Document. Escalate to your principal if the pattern persists. The Staff Policy §5.1 covers this.

Which AI tool should I use?

For staff productivity, Claude for Work (when the school plan is confirmed and DPA in place). For in-Workspace assistance (Docs, Gmail, Sheets), Gemini in Workspace for Education. For teacher-specific lesson and rubric work, MagicSchool if you're at the Elementary School. See the Approved Tools List for the current state.

Can I put student names in Claude?

Only if you're on a Tier A version of Claude (Claude for Work with a DPA on file) and the use case is on the approved list. Free Claude or personal Claude Pro: no. When in doubt, de-identify (use "Student A" instead of names).

What's the deal with Cowork?

Cowork is the desktop app environment where AI works alongside you on real files. It's the Level 2 tool in the Five Levels framework. The Summer Kickoff demos the Field Day budget audit and the Brennan deck rewrite inside Cowork.

What if I want a tool that isn't on the list?

Submit a request to the S2 AI policy contact (Monica Merchant). Include the tool name, what you'd use it for, what data you'd put into it, and any privacy or licensing info you can find. Decision typically within two weeks.

What happens if I make a mistake?

Tell someone. The school treats good-faith reports as organizational learning, not as gotchas. Repeated or serious violations get handled through standard staff conduct processes, but the default response is "let's figure out what to change so this doesn't happen again."

Will AI replace teachers?

No. The S2 thesis: AI amplifies what good teachers can do; it does not replace the relationship, judgment, and care that define teaching. Every place we adopt AI at S2 is somewhere it gives teachers time back so more of the day goes to students.