In an episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner, CEO of the Agile Evolutionary Group, welcomed Wes Kriesel, Administrator of Innovation and AI at the Orange County Department of Education. Together, they explored how educational leaders can build systems that don’t just adopt artificial intelligence—but use it meaningfully, ethically, and in alignment with the future of learning. What follows is a practical breakdown of the ideas discussed, focused on helping education leaders think critically and strategically about the role of AI in their schools.
From Hype to Usefulness: Redefining the Role of AI
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a hypothetical. It’s a reality in classrooms, offices, and board meetings across the country. But adoption isn’t the same as impact.
Many schools are still chasing tools without asking the harder question: What is the meaningful use of AI in this context?
Rather than defaulting to screen time, automated grading, or chatbot tutoring, leaders must consider how AI can strengthen—rather than replace—human relationships. This means designing for purpose, not novelty. AI should enable better instruction, deeper personalization, and more efficient systems—not just faster answers.
A Two-Brain Model for System Leadership
To make this happen, districts need a structural shift: the Two-Brain Model.
- The first brain is governance. This includes policy, procurement, data privacy, professional development, and risk mitigation. It’s deliberate, strategic, and clear.
- The second brain is experimentation. It’s where teachers and leaders test tools, explore ideas, and get hands-on with AI in a low-risk, high-curiosity environment.
Without both, districts either stagnate in fear or rush forward without focus. Creating intentional space for exploration—separate from compliance—builds momentum, capacity, and culture.
Ethical Integration: More Than Just a Checkbox
Ethics in AI isn’t a module. It’s a mindset.
Leaders must consider not only how AI is used, but who it impacts, who built it, and who’s missing from the room. This includes everything from safeguarding student data and managing screen time to asking hard questions about representation in training data and software teams.
Policies must be living documents—reviewed and refined every six months, not shelved for five years. Ethics isn’t a barrier to innovation; it’s the foundation for sustainable, trustworthy systems.
Innovation Requires Visibility, Not Reinvention
Innovation is already happening inside schools—but too often, it’s isolated or invisible.
District leaders can accelerate change by identifying and sharing “schools worth visiting.” These are programs or sites already doing exemplary work—whether that’s project-based learning, dual-language programs, or tech-integrated career pathways.
Creating a regional or county-wide directory of models gives leaders and teachers a roadmap. Innovation shouldn’t feel like starting from scratch. It should feel like joining a movement.
Aligning to the Workforce of Tomorrow
Educators don’t just prepare students for college—they prepare them for life. And that life is changing fast.
Districts must track regional and national labor trends and ensure career pathways align with emerging industries, not fading ones. This isn’t about pushing everyone into STEM—it’s about giving students accurate, up-to-date information and opportunities based on who they are and where the world is going.
That means combining labor market data with conversations about student passions, strengths, and identities. It means ensuring schools aren’t pipelines to irrelevance—but springboards to opportunity.
A Redefinition of Innovation
We often mistake innovation for novelty—new tools, new jargon, new plans. But real innovation is something simpler and more powerful:
Identifying a real problem, and building a solution, rooted in the community you serve.
That’s an entrepreneurial mindset. And it applies to both students and staff.
Disengaged students often know exactly what’s broken. Give them space to design. Educators know where the system is stuck. Give them permission to fix it. Innovation isn’t about adopting someone else’s tool—it’s about creating the right solution in the right context.
What Educational Leaders Can Do Now
- Set up two systems—not one. Establish a clear governance body and a separate innovation task force. Let one protect, and the other explore.
- Audit for equity. Review who’s represented in your AI tools, your policy discussions, and your vendor relationships.
- Map local trends. Use real-time labor market data to guide your career pathway designs—not just tradition.
- Create a model-sharing culture. Highlight, visit, and learn from schools within your region doing great work.
- Start with purpose, not tools. Always ask: What problem are we solving? And who benefits?
Final Thought
AI is not an endgame. It’s a tool—and like any tool, its value depends on how we use it. When leaders embed ethics, experimentation, and community-centered design into their systems, technology becomes a force for real, lasting change.
The future of education won’t be built by policy alone or by flashy new software. It will be built by those willing to lead with clarity, curiosity, and care.
