AI Starts at Home: What School Leaders Must Do Next To Engage Parents

Students have already answered the question of whether AI will be used in educational environments. With phones and home devices, they have free, unfettered access to a vast array of AI tools, whether we like it or not.

There is a great deal of excellent work being done in schools regarding AI, but one critical group is still often left out of the conversation: parents and caregivers.

Ask a group of parents what they know about ChatGPT, and you’ll get a wide range of answers from “Isn’t that cheating?” to “Wait, my kid is using that in math class?” The truth is, families are encountering AI, even if we haven't started the conversation. As school leaders, it’s time to lead the conversation with clarity, transparency, and purpose—(purposeful emdash) not fear.

Your New Role: AI Translator-in-Chief

You don’t have to be a technologist to be an AI leader. You need to be a good translator.

AI in schools is not a futuristic dilemma. It’s a right now reality.

Parents and caretakers are asking questions like:

• Will this replace teachers?

• Is my child’s data being stored?

• What happens if a chatbot gives the wrong answer?

If we’re silent, parents will fill in the blanks on their own, perhaps without the benefit of the expertise of teaching and learning. Instead, we need to proactively explain what AI tools are, how (or if) they’re being used in classrooms, and what safeguards are in place.

If we’re silent, parents will fill in the blanks on their own, perhaps without the benefit of the expertise of teaching and learning.

3 Ways to Lead AI Engagement This School Year

1. Host a "ChatGPT Night" (or Gemini, Co-Pilot, Magic School, or SchoolAI Night) for Parents

Frame it as a co-learning event, not a lecture. Demo a few tools. Invite your adventurous and dynamic teachers who lead discussions in your school. If your school’s AI climate has led some teachers to go quiet or close their doors, invite them in. If you’ve disciplined a student for using AI, consider inviting them to help shape the conversation. Provide real examples of how students are using AI for writing, language learning, or creative projects.

Bonus: Let families try the tools themselves with your teachers and students. It builds trust and capacity.

2. Add AI to Your School's Digital Citizenship Strategy

Start small. Add a parent-friendly FAQ about AI to your school website or newsletter. Include links to trusted resources. Ensure that families understand your stance on academic integrity and the support systems in place for students.

If your school doesn’t have a digital citizen strategy? There has NEVER been a more urgent time to develop one!

Bonus: Invite your AI-savvy students and teachers to join the conversation and write a "one-pager" guide for parents on how to discuss AI with their students, including questions parents can ask while reviewing AI-generated homework.

3. Translate, Translate, Translate

Use plain language in all communications. Avoid jargon like “large language models” or “transformer architecture.” Instead, explain what AI is doing and what it isn’t. Focus on practical impacts: homework help, bias concerns, and digital safety.

When we invite families as collaborators, rather than skeptics, we open the door to deeper trust and better policy.

Bonus: If your event resonates with your community, consider sharing it with colleagues across your network.

Lead with Curiosity

Some of the best AI conversations I’ve had have come not from panels or webinars, but from parking lot chats with curious teachers, students, and their parents. When we invite families as collaborators, rather than skeptics, we open the door to deeper trust and better policy.

You don’t have to have all the answers. You do need to be willing to start the conversation.