Co-Authoring the Future: How AI Can Ethically Support HR in PK-12 Education
Co-Authoring the Future : How AI Can Ethically Support HR in PK-12 Education
By Jackie Levine, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Putnam Valley Central School
This article is not just about AI; it is also written with AI. As a school district HR leader, I collaborated with ChatGPT to explore how humans and AI can work together—not in competition, but in conversation. In doing so, I hope to show what’s possible when we move past fear and toward thoughtful exploration.
Understanding the Fear
Concerns about AI are valid and worth addressing. In education, fears often stem from a lack of clarity: Will AI violate staff privacy? Will it introduce bias into hiring decisions? Will it replace human judgment with algorithms? These are big, important questions.
But we must also be careful not to conflate caution with inaction. While AI must be approached ethically, dismissing it outright may cause us to miss meaningful opportunities to streamline operations, reduce human error and free up time for what matters most—people.
We know that time is the most limited resource, and where AI can help most is reducing time spent on tasks that can easily be supported by AI. For example, hiring for new positions requires interview questions. Rather than recycling old questions for a future role or or spending hours writing new questions, utilizing a well-phrased prompt in ChatGPT can assist with developing creative yet targeted questions. At the very least, what is generated can provide a starting point for you and the team to identify solid questions for candidates to discuss.
Where AI Can Help, Not Replace
Think of AI not as a replacement for HR professionals, but as a support system. Consider tasks like developing questions for interviews, automating interview scheduling or tracking onboarding paperwork. These are time consuming processes where AI can increase efficiency without making final decisions.
Used correctly, AI allows HR teams to shift their focus from administrative overload to strategic leadership. We gain more time to build relationships, cultivate culture and respond to individual needs—the very things that drew many of us to education in the first place.
The Human Element Is Irreplaceable
AI is not a stand-in for human connection, intuition or empathy. These qualities are central to any healthy school culture and critical in HR leadership. No algorithm can replace the nuance of a difficult conversation, the discernment needed in sensitive matters or the inspiration that comes from a caring leader.
Rather than trying to discount the benefits of AI as “cheating” or a shortcut, we should clarify what only humans can off er— and elevate those skills. When AI handles the repetitive, humans have the space to do the transformative.
Ethical Implementation Is Key
Responsible use of AI in school HR departments starts with transparency. Educators and staff deserve to know what tools are being used, how their data is protected and where decisions are being made by humans versus machines. This requires clear policies, ongoing training and a commitment to equity.
We also need collective guidance. Professional associations, including AASPA, are well-positioned to off er frameworks and share case studies that help school districts implement AI in ways that enhance rather than erode trust.
A Call for Conversation, Not Resistance
This article is both a message and a model: it was written by a school leader and an AI. The goal is not to persuade every reader to embrace AI immediately, but to encourage thoughtful dialogue about its potential role in HR. Let’s not wait for AI to be imposed on our systems—let’s lead its ethical, human-centered integration.
The future of HR in education will not be written by AI alone. Nor will it be written by humans unwilling to evolve. It will be co-authored—by those of us willing to ask hard questions, try new tools and always put people first.