Amplifying Local Voices: Empowering Regional Leaders to Drive the Statewide AI Conversation

How can local educators shape statewide AI policy? In this panel session, technology directors, curriculum assistant superintendents and regional support teams from the New York State Artificial Intelligence Consortium (NYSAIC) share a blueprint for grassroots AI leadership that empowers schools to integrate AI safely and equitably. Explore the consortium's policy and compliance framework and its tool evaluation rubrics for assessing privacy, data minimization, algorithmic bias and cognitive presence. See tangible solutions built during hands-on practicum meetings, including Regents review applications, parent help portals, high school course guides and custom AI dashboards for student information systems. Panelists also share insights from their position paper and how it advocates directly to the New York State Education Department. You will learn how to build a network that cross-pollinates technology, curriculum and regional expertise, craft AI codes of conduct that meet compliance requirements without over-burdensome restrictions, vet tools on multi-tiered criteria and author position papers that give local districts a voice in state policy.