Thursday, October 1, 2026
As superintendent, I’m often asked about artificial intelligence in our schools. Should we embrace it fully or ban it entirely? The answer, like most things in education, isn’t black and white.
Recent debates have created two camps: those who say AI makes traditional writing obsolete, and we should teach students to become AI editors, and those who worry that AI will stunt our children’s intellectual development. Both perspectives miss a crucial point that should guide every decision we make in K-12 education: Timing matters most.
Unlike college students or working professionals, our elementary and middle school students are in the most critical period of brain development. Research shows that the brain continues developing into the mid-20s, making the K-12 years the window when cognitive architecture is being built. What we do, or don’t do, during this time can have lasting consequences.
Consider this: Neuroscience research demonstrates that handwriting activates more brain regions than typing, promoting better learning, memory and neural connections. Suppose we abandon foundational skills too early in favor of AI shortcuts. In that case, we may be undermining the very cognitive abilities our students will need to succeed in an AI-augmented world.
I’ve spoken with college professors who describe AI-generated student work as having “an aura of machinic blandness” — content that sounds logical but lacks substance. More concerning is when students can’t tell the difference between this hollow content and genuine critical thinking. If our graduates leave school unable to distinguish quality thought from empty prose, we’ve failed them fundamentally.
Rather than choosing between extreme positions, we will be discussing a graduated approach that protects cognitive development while preparing students for their future:
The foundational years (K-5). We’re maintaining our emphasis on core literacy, handwriting and the conceptual underpinnings and basic computation in mathematics. AI tools, in my opinion, cannot replace the cognitive development happening during these crucial years. Students learn information evaluation and source verification, skills that will serve them well.
Guided introduction (grades 6-8). We introduce AI as a research and brainstorming tool while requiring students to fact-check its output and maintain original thinking in all assignments. Students learn to compare human and AI-generated work, developing the discriminatory skills they’ll need throughout their lives.
Advanced collaboration (grades 9-12). Our secondary students on the south side can learn sophisticated AI interaction while demonstrating independent critical thinking. They tackle complex projects requiring both human insight and AI enhancement, always with emphasis on ethics, bias detection and responsible use.
The future workforce will indeed require AI collaboration skills, but it will reward those who bring robust human cognition to that collaboration. The companies that will hire our graduates want employees who can think strategically, solve novel problems and use AI to amplify their intelligence, not replace it.
We refuse to prepare students who simply accept whatever AI produces without question. Instead, we want to cultivate the reasoning people use that the world has always needed, not just what advanced technology requires: individuals who can think independently, sit with cognitive dissonance, solve complex problems and collaborate effectively with both people and machines.
While AI can generate content, it cannot replicate the uniquely human abilities we’re committed to developing: complex problem-solving across disciplines; creative synthesis of ideas from multiple sources; ethical reasoning and moral judgment; genuine interpersonal communication and collaboration; leadership and collaboration skills; and habits of mind for lifelong learning and adaptability .
These skills have always been important. In an AI world, they become essential.
Every graduate should be able to demonstrate that they can think, analyze and create without AI assistance, and then effectively use AI to enhance their capabilities. They will need to distinguish meaningful content from empty prose and understand the ethical boundaries of AI use.
We are neither afraid of artificial intelligence nor looking to replace human intelligence with it. We are taking the measured, thoughtful approach the RamFam deserves: ensuring that our students develop strong minds first, and then learning to augment those minds with powerful tools.
The future belongs to those who can think well and work effectively with AI. Our job is to prepare students to do both.
Dan Rehman is superintendent of the West Hempstead Union Free School District.
