Commentary: Arkansas needs balanced strategy to address educator concerns about AI

By ALISA KINDSFATER | Special to the Arkansas Advocate

Halfway through my student’s “Beowulf” summary, I stopped. 

The high school senior had trouble comprehending complex texts and struggled with writing. But this summary was immaculate: no grammatical errors, college-level vocabulary usage, and sentences longer than the assignment required. It was only after some probing that he admitted to using a generative artificial intelligence tool. 

My students are not the only ones using AI.  A 2025 Gallup-Walton Family Foundation poll found that 32% of teachers use AI weekly, saving an average of six hours per week on administrative tasks, customized lesson plans, and feedback. 

Furthermore, standardized tests like the Arkansas Teaching, Learning, and Assessment System also now use AI to grade writing and return scores within 72 hours; this effectively brings AI into every public school classroom in the state, with high stakes for students and educators alike. 

There are some possible advantages for students using AI in school. My former student might have benefitted from his teachers utilizing an AI program to generate variations of lessons tailored for a diverse range of students, including those with learning disabilities. Or he might have benefitted from AI tools like text prediction and talk-to-text, which weren’t yet widely available when he was in my classroom. 

Our district now has these powerful tools and others accessible on every student Chromebook. Despite these supports, I still have concerns about AI in schools, and I am not alone. 

In a 2023 Forbes Advisor survey, 65% of teachers expressed concerns about student plagiarism with AI. English teachers in particular are also worried about the difficulty of convincing students that it’s worthwhile for them to develop independent writing skills when they can generate text with the click of a button. 

Most concerningly, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology study suggests that overreliance on large models can cause critical thinking and problem-solving skills to atrophy. 

While AI can offer transformative support for students who need it, it also risks eroding the foundational skills we are trying to help them acquire. Arkansas needs a balanced strategy that prioritizes accessibility without sacrificing rigor. We must focus on three key areas.

First, teachers, administrators, and parents need high quality support and professional development to be aware of AI platforms and their capabilities. Aspiring educators should have new technology in their college and graduate-level curricula. They should be aware of AI tools that benefit students and their learning; programs like text-to-speech and grammar checkers can be extremely useful for students with learning disabilities, and can help teachers make the needed accommodations for students with 504 plans and Individualized Education Programs. Teachers also should know which AI functions are being used in their content area in order to inform what they teach students about artificial intelligence and what is allowed in the classroom.

Second, we also need to educate students on the complexities of AI. Students like mine need to understand that, while AI is a part of our lives now, it can also be unreliable. It can include falsehoods and biases, and can pose a risk to their personal data, privacy, and mental health. I share examples with my students of how AI programs will cite non-existent sources. As a result, my students use search tools like Google and online libraries to locate and verify sources for their research, rather than relying on AI to find and cite them.  

Finally, schools must create clear ethical guidelines for AI use. Educators must ensure that their students are still gaining the knowledge and skills that they need to master the state’s academic standards. Students should not use AI for tasks involving vital skills that they must develop and that teachers like me need to accurately assess. Tools that support a student’s growth and understanding, rather than allowing them to “outsource” their learning, can be allowed and encouraged. Teachers can form their own classroom guidelines, or schools could develop shared policies for all educators and students. The Arkansas Department of Education could also share guidance for teachers and districts looking to create AI policies of their own.

When it comes to using AI, Arkansas teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders need to find a strategy that supports student learning and prepares them for the future. We can assist students by providing them with the technology they may need to succeed in class, while also helping them to navigate appropriate uses for new tech. 

With clear guidelines, educators like me can ensure that the next generation is prepared to transition to an AI-heavy world and workplace, while developing their own critical thinking skills and maintaining their integrity. Our policies must define what responsible, skill-building AI use looks like in schools.

Alisa Kindsfater teaches at Mount Vernon-Enola High School in Mount Vernon. She is a 2025-2026 Teach Plus Arkansas Policy Fellow.