For K-8 School Leaders

Your school needs an AI plan.
Here's what to do.

Written by a K-8 Director of Technology — not a consultant, not a vendor. A practitioner who has done the work, made the mistakes, and built what actually holds up when a school board asks for answers on Monday.

20+ years
in K-12 education

Active Director
of Technology, K-8

No consultants.
No theory.

68%

of teachers now use AI weekly

RAND, Jan 2026

say their school's AI policy is clear

RAND, Jan 2026

34%

of teachers have received formal AI training

Stanford HAI, 2026

states require districts to form specific AI policies

Ed. Commission, 2026

The Problem

Your school is already using AI. You just don't have a plan for it yet.

68% of teachers are using AI tools weekly. Most are doing it without district approval, without privacy vetting, and without any policy governing student data. That's not their fault. It's a leadership gap.

School boards are starting to ask questions. Parents are worried. And the guidance from state agencies is a 50-page framework document no one has time to read.

K-8 AI exists to fill that gap with practical, ready-to-use guidance a leader can act on this week.

01"My district hasn't approved any AI tools, but teachers are using them anyway. I don't know what to do about it."
02"I'm being asked to present an AI policy to the board and have no idea where to start."
03"I don't know which AI tools are FERPA-compliant and which put student data at risk."
04"My staff wants training but we have no budget for a consultant."
05"I want to implement AI responsibly but I'm worried about moving too fast."

The Free Resource

The AI Policy Checklist for K-8 School Leaders

Five things to get right before your school goes any further with AI. Written by a practitioner. Ready to use this week.

The One Question That Changes Everything

Before adopting any AI ttol, every K-8 school needs to answer one foundational question. Most skip it. That's where the problems start.

Draft Your Student AI style Policy This Week

A 5-step framework for writing a student AI acceptable use policy in plain English, adaptable for your school.

FERPA/COPPA Red Flags to Check

The questions to ask any AI ttol vendor before approving classroom use.

Three Documents for Your Next Board Meeting

The governance documents every K-8 school needs before they are asked for them.

The 90-Day Implementation Timeline

A week-yby-week rollout plan for K-8 schools without a dedicated IT department.

Get the Free ChecklistFree. Delivered immediately. No spam.

Who Writes This

A practitioner writing to the leaders he works alongside.

K-8 AI is written by Ryan David - 20+ years in K-12, currently Director of Operations and Technology at a K-8 school. Not a consultant. Not a vendor. Someone who attends the same board meetings you do.

The guidance here comes from what actually works in a real K-8 school, not from a conference keynote or a vendor whitepaper.

Generic frameworks that don't account for K-8 realities
Consultant pitch decks dressed up as guidance
Vendor-sponsored best practices with a product to sell
50-page state documents no one has time to read
Practitioner-written. Ready to use this week.
Built for K-8 schools without dedicated IT staff
Updated as policy and tools change in 2026

“

This is the resource I wish I had when my board first asked about AI. Practical, honest, and written by someone who clearly understands what it's actually like to lead a K-8 school through something this new. I shared it with every administrator in our network.

Thomas GerdsHead of School — GCS, Ocala, Florida