By Angelina Parisi, Yucaipa Calimesa News Mirror Reporter
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, the Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District is preparing for how the technology could reshape teaching and learning in local classrooms.
During a special board workshop on June 23, YCJUSD board members and staff discussed the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence, outlining plans for teacher training, student AI literacy, and future policy development.
Executive Director Shad Kirkland led the presentation, describing AI as both a powerful educational tool and a technology that requires careful oversight. “So AI has obviously got a very positive and exciting, and fun piece to it, and it’s got some negatives that I think are kind of looming out there,” Kirkland said.
He emphasized that AI is already becoming a part of education and that schools must proactively prepare students and staff to use it responsibly. “First of all, it’s already here, and it’s going to continue to evolve, so we need to kind of get ahead as best we can, with teachers respectfully and correctly,” Kirkland said.
The presentation highlighted both the benefits and risks associated with AI.
Among the potential advantages cited were improvements in art and music creation, gaming and entertainment, companionship applications and increased efficiency in medical and professional settings. Concerns included deepfake technology, data surveillance, potential job displacement and a decline in critical-thinking skills.
Under the guidance issued by the California Department of Education in 2025, which emphasizes a human-centered approach to AI, it is intended to enhance learning rather than replace educators, while schools are encouraged to focus on AI literacy, ethics and data privacy.
Part of that effort stems from Assembly Bill 2876, a state law requiring media literacy and artificial intelligence literacy to be integrated into California curriculum frameworks for kindergarten through 12th-grade students.
Kirkland said districts are now required to report their level of AI preparedness and staff training.
Kirkland discussed what they described as an emerging “AI equity gap,” where students with access to advanced paid AI tools may have advantages over students who rely on free versions.
“We’re seeing gaps between the learning ability and achievement of students that have access, regular access to AI, and that is even becoming somewhat controversial, because while there’s AI out there, there’s also paid subscriptions versus that becoming a little bit of a divide in the quality of what AI is producing for students,” Kirkland said.
The presentation cited research suggesting teachers who use AI weekly save an average of 5.9 hours per week, equivalent to roughly six additional weeks of instructional planning time annually.
YCJUSD plans to focus its AI training efforts on Google’s Gemini platform because it is integrated with the district’s existing Google Workspace systems and includes education-specific tools. “The reason why we’re going to go with a typical platform is because it’s all integrated, and that is going to be so our standard protocol training, if you will, and there’s a lot of them that are acceptable, but our training for AI is going to be focused on Gemini,” Kirkland said.
“The other main reason why Gemini is one of the better ones for education right now is because it’s designed to have a designated piece of it that is for education, we already have all the agreements.”
The workshop also examined how schools’ relationship with technology has shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the presentation, schools moved rapidly toward one-to-one device programs and digital instruction during remote learning, but concerns about literacy, attention spans and student well-being have fueled a renewed interest in traditional classroom methods. “So we had a huge pendulum swing during Covid. Everything technology loaded, and it became the everyday mode of operation. This last year we’re starting to see that pendulum comes out the other way,” Kirkland said.
The presentation referenced a growing “Screens Down, Pencils Up” movement that encourages increased use of physical books, handwriting and reduced screen exposure in classrooms. At the same time, officials say AI should be viewed as a tool rather than a replacement for foundational learning skills.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jamie Anderson said the district must balance technology use with traditional educational practices.
“It’s important to show the balance,” she said. “Our portrait of a learner… people want our students to have that knowledge base of technology to be competitive in a global society.”
Recently appointed board member Mike Snellings said the adoption of AI will likely vary among educators and students, while also expressing his opinion regarding the technology’s potential effect on student creativity. “That’s probably one of my biggest concerns, is if you just start relying on Chat GPT to come up with (something) creative,” he said, referring to students.
The board and district staff said AI-related policies will be developed after the start of the school year. Teachers will participate in work groups focused on implementation, and trustees are expected to receive additional updates as the district continues developing its approach to artificial intelligence in education.