COMMENTARY: K-12 students shouldn’t be AI’s beta testers

By Michelle Harburg • InsideSources.com August 1, 2026 - 9:00 pm In New York City, education officials faced intense backlash in March when they attempted to release AI guidelines. They are under pressure to pause AI use in schools for two years. In June, the Portland (Oregon) School Board approved a temporary pause on generative AI use in schools to buy time to develop an official policy. Last school year, without notice to parents or teachers, D.C. Public Schools expanded access to artificial intelligence tools on school-issued computers. School districts nationwide are struggling with unclear guidelines around AI use in the classroom and are lacking the guardrails needed to protect students’ privacy. Most parents couldn’t tell you which AI or EdTech products their children can access, w