Questions to Ask Your Child's School About AI

AI can appear in tutoring apps, writing feedback, chatbots, translation, lesson planning, grading, and administrative systems. A school may use tools for staff work as well as student-facing activities. Parents do not need to begin with a technical debate; they can ask what problem the school is trying to solve and how educators know whether the tool helps. Ask for the name and approved purpose of each tool, which grades or classes use it, what information students provide, whether prompts or work are retained, and whether the vendor can reuse data. The U.S. Department of Education’s student-privacy office advises teachers to check with school or district administration about whether an application is approved. FERPA responsibilities and exceptions depend on context, so families can ask the school’s privacy officer how it handles education-record information and vendor access rather than relying on a chatbot’s privacy statement. For instruction, ask whether teachers review generated explanations and whether students can use a non-AI route. For grading or placement, ask what evidence the system uses, how a human reviews a recommendation, and how a family can request correction or appeal. Ask what accommodations and language supports are available and how the school evaluates access for students without reliable devices or home internet. Keep the conversation specific: request the written policy, responsible contact, and next step. A clear answer should explain what the school does today, who is accountable, and how families learn about changes.