K-12 leaders’ perspectives on the implications of artificial intelligence for the work of K-12 educators

Beyond its implications for learning and instruction, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be expected to also affect the working conditions and practices of all educators – including teachers, building and district leaders, and other non-teaching staff in K-12 schools. This study examined K-12 educators’ possible uses of AI and their potential benefits and risks as perceived by K-12 leaders, as these perceptions are likely to influence decisions on which uses of AI may be allowed in their schools and, thus, the extent to which all K-12 educators may realize AI’s potential to support their work. Based on interviews conducted in October-December 2023 with 36 Western New York building and district leaders, the study identified and analyzed four complementary categories of possible uses of AI by K-12 educators - depending on whether AI is used for (a) routine tasks, (b) instructional tasks, (c) back-office/school operations, and (d) decision-making. Each category elicited a different set of perceived benefits and concerns as well as different levels of acceptance from the K-12 leaders interviewed, thus suggesting the value of a more nuanced approach in future studies of the implications of AI for the work of K-12 educators. Having decision-makers experience using AI in their own work was also identified as critical to more informed and balanced decisions about AI uses in K-12 schools. Building on the “Future of Work” literature as well as studies on implications of “hybrid human-AI intelligence” for education, this study highlights the implications of approaching AI as an “assistant” rather than a “replacement” for K-12 educators, while also contributing to the debate of whether AI may become a “disruptive technology” for K-12 education.