Albany schools outline AI guidebook as parents and teachers press for stricter limits on classroom screens and AI

The City School District of Albany heard a detailed update on its technology strategy Tuesday as parents and teachers urged limits on classroom screen time and student‑facing artificial intelligence.

Dr. Prespatino, chief of the district's Office of Assessment, Accountability and Technology, told the board the district is finishing an AI guidebook that emphasizes a ‘‘human‑in‑the‑loop’’ approach: teachers must drive tasks, AI use should be brief and deliberate, and students should reflect on AI outputs before incorporating them into work. He said district pilots with Magic School and Snorkel are already in place for controlled classroom uses and that a tentative plan to make Gemini for Education available to grades 7–12 could be tested in winter 2027.

"When a teacher determines that the use of AI is appropriate, the district's AI guide book outlines a human in the loop approach," Dr. Prespatino said, adding the guidebook will include a standardized stoplight matrix to signal permitted uses by grade band.

That explanation did not satisfy a string of written and spoken public commenters. Caroline Corrian, whose letter was read to the board, asked for strict age‑based limits and compared the district to Los Angeles Unified, which recently set limits on classroom screen time. "An 8‑year‑old should never be exposed to this content in a classroom," Corrian wrote. Several other parents — and the American Federation of Teachers' recent guidance cited by commenters — called for either a moratorium on student‑facing AI in elementary grades or far clearer policies and parental notification.

Technology staff and instructional coaches described the district's current controls. Jeremy Dudley and Terrence McN, instructional technology coaches, said the district uses curated, teacher‑created content inside tools such as Snorkel and that teachers can view and lock student screens during lessons. John Wild, director of technology, said the district's content filter categorizes sites centrally and can apply grade‑band restrictions; he also highlighted work on business‑continuity and cybersecurity funded in part by an FCC pilot.

Parents asked how to opt out and how they would learn which tools their children use. Patricia Wolf, director of data and accountability, said the summer will include parent communications and FAQs and that the district plans a public rollout for staff training and family outreach before any broad implementation.

Board members pressed staff on evidence and equity implications during a long Q&A, noting state testing requirements that make some screen use unavoidable and raising concerns about younger students' exposure. Dr. Prespatino emphasized that the district plans to keep materials public and to refine the guidebook by summer staff and parent input.

No board action was taken Tuesday; the divisional update and the AI guidebook plan will move forward with summer communications and continued testing of vendor products.