How Decatur students are helping to lead us in the AI era
The 18th century was defined by revolutions that reshaped not only industry but also the very fabric of daily life. Breakthroughs like the steam engine, the lightning rod and the hot air balloon carried immense promise and undeniable uncertainty.
Today, we find ourselves at a similar inflection point. Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we approach everything, from the most basic tasks to highly complex jobs. Much like the steam engine in its early days, AI’s capabilities are extraordinary and, at times, dangerous. This impact is being felt across disciplines, including education.
At City Schools of Decatur, we recognize the opportunity to prepare students for an AI-driven future with a focus on policy, purpose and caution. With this spirit, I’ll attend America’s Youth AI Festival at MIT this July with two of our leading students, who — with 98 other students representing each state — will serve as AI Senators at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute and pass a National AI Policy for schools nationwide.
I will be the first to attest that by the time many of us as adults begin to grasp one platform, students have already moved on to the next. MySpace users defected to Facebook. Facebook gave way to Instagram. Instagram evolved into TikTok and Threads. The tools that dominate today will soon seem outdated as new platforms emerge at a pace that few school systems can match.
This isn’t a gap in intelligence, but rather a difference in how closely each generation interacts with technology and integrates it into their daily lives. Students are often far more immersed: they experiment, adapt and redefine technology’s role in their lives in real time. In many ways, they are not merely preparing for the future — they are already navigating it.
Recognizing these realities, CSD intentionally chose to place students at the forefront of our AI discussions, providing them with a platform to help shape it.
The focus of our work, as outlined in our “All in Decatur” strategic plan, is anchored in a single word: All. It is our systemwide directive that aims to amplify every voice and create systems that reflect the diverse perspectives within our community.
In the fall, student leaders began a structured, monthslong process to research and gather diverse perspectives on AI usage in K-12 settings. The effort will culminate in May, with student-generated policy recommendations to the board that consider perspectives on AI innovation, ethics and accountability. Our rising student member of the Board of Education is leading this work. CSD is the first — and currently the only — school district in Georgia to have a peer-elected student board member serving alongside the Board of Education.
By engaging students directly, they gain a better understanding of both the promise and the pressure that artificial intelligence brings. Much like Benjamin Franklin and the work of others to harness electricity, it requires expanded perspectives to fully understand both the potential and the impact.
This focus on student-centered leadership is now reaching beyond Decatur. This summer’s event will gather students from throughout the U.S. for a convening aimed at amplifying student voices in shaping the future of AI in education. Our “Student Senators” will work with MIT researchers and Day of AI to create a National AI Policy to be shared with AASA’s base of more than 10,000 leaders. This is a significant victory for our students and our future.
This work will also include my participation in AASA and Day of AI’s Leadership Fellowship, with efforts reverberating well beyond July, as we connect forward-thinking schools to a growing network advancing AI literacy, policy and practice nationwide.
Therefore, when we say “All in Decatur,” we genuinely mean it.
As we all know, artificial intelligence is not a distant concept on the horizon. It is already embedded into the digital tools students use every day. It will influence their career pursuits, the decisions they make, and the world they will inherit.
The responsibility before us is clear.
We must build systems that are responsive, not reactive. We must create future-oriented policies that are informed, not imposed. Furthermore, we must recognize that leadership is not solely the domain of adults. It is cultivated, day by day, within the classrooms and communities we serve.
The only way forward is to add more seats at the table and to listen when students share their insights. Because the future of artificial intelligence in education will not be defined in isolation. I believe it will be shaped by those who live it.
At City Schools of Decatur, our students are already leading the way.
Gyimah Whitaker is the superintendent of City Schools of Decatur.
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