As school districts across Sacramento County advance thoughtful artificial intelligence use, the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) convenes, listens, and learns alongside them.

“We’ve learned that the most effective AI work happens when we bring everyone into the conversation early. By listening to concerns, testing ideas together and building systems that support good teaching, we can move forward responsibly and confidently.”— David W. Gordon, Superintendent of Schools, Sacramento County Office of Education

Twin Rivers Unified School District and San Juan Unified School District have emerged as leaders in this endeavor, lighting the path to the most advantageous and ethical uses of both staff-facing and student-facing AI tools, including MagicSchool, Brisk, Snorkl and Google Gemini. 

“AI can help educators personalize learning, provide timely feedback and streamline tasks so they can focus more on students,” says Kelly Bettencourt, coordinator of instructional technology for Twin Rivers Unified. “When used intentionally, it enhances rather than replaces high-quality teaching.”

Sacramento County school districts are building a foundation for AI use through closed AI environments, single sign-on systems and district-approved platforms. Responsible implementation is not only possible, it’s essential.

“We use board policy, data privacy standards, district-approved tools and ongoing professional learning to ensure AI use remains ethical, transparent and student-centered,” notes Bettencourt.

There is legitimate concern for ethical AI use in education. Nicole Naditz, program specialist for instructional technology for San Juan Unified, says, “Our student-facing AI license is set up so there’s nowhere for students to go astray with AI. It is intentionally teacher-driven and teachers make the decisions about which tools to share with students and when and how to provide those tools. Our student-facing AI tool gives control, guardrails, visibility and data.”

The benefits of AI are myriad, giving educators more time and tools to support students through better feedback, differentiation and engagement. When implemented well, it strengthens teaching and learning rather than distracting from it.

“We’re positioning our students to understand their role in human-centered AI work,” says Naditz. “They learn to lead this human-AI partnership through their uniquely human skills, such as critical thinking and evaluation. Upon entering the job market, they will be better positioned to work in companies and industries that already have AI tools and to understand how to do that in an ethical, responsible and productive way.”