No, robots won’t be teaching your kids. DC releases new AI guidelines for teachers – WTOP News

D.C. public and charter school teachers have received new guidance on using artificial intelligence in the classroom.  

The policy comes from the District’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education for the 2026-2027 school year.

State Superintendent of Education Antoinette Mitchell told WTOP that her office has developed a stoplight-style system for determining when and how educators should use AI. 

Areas that would fall into the red, or a prohibited category, include student discipline.

“Those decisions should be made by humans, and not AI,” she said.

Another red light is using AI for any purpose that could compromise safety or privacy, such as determining an individualized education plan for students with disabilities, teacher performance evaluations or physical surveillance. 

In the yellow category, “These are areas like assisting in reviewing or grading student work (and) monitoring digital activity on school-issued devices,” Mitchell said. “Yes, you probably can use AI in these areas, but with a lot of human oversight and also, humans making the final decisions.” 

Areas where Mitchell said teachers could use AI more freely include drafting lesson plans, analyzing assessment or attendance data, scheduling and drafting messages to parents. 

Another aspect of the policy, Mitchell said, is ensuring teachers get robust AI training and that “staff only use those platforms and tools that are approved by their district.” 

The new AI policy is not mandatory, but Mitchell said schools and administrators have asked for this type of guidance. 

While using AI in grading is in the “use with caution” category, “for the most part, it feels like grading should be something that a teacher does based on their own judgment,” Mitchell said.

“When I was in school, getting feedback was critical for my growth and development,” Michelle said. “I believe that is the case for students in schools in D.C. and across the country.”

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