KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – As artificial intelligence becomes more common in everyday life, Knox County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk said the district is working to figure out what responsible use should look like for students and staff.
In an interview with WVLT’s Casey Wheeless, Rysewyk said the conversation goes beyond education.
“You could probably erase teachers and just talk about society,” Rysewyk said. “We all continue to see it come.”
Rysewyk said Knox County Schools has tried to strike a balance with technology in the past, from cell phones to laptops, and he expects AI will be treated similarly: as a tool.
“We can’t just ignore it. We can’t just wait for it to happen,” he said. “We have to be training our students for the world they’re going to enter. For us, technology is a tool. AI will be a tool as well.”
He said the big question now is how AI fits into different classes.
“What does that mean in an English class?” he said as an example.
Rysewyk said AI can be helpful for starting points, but schools also have to rethink what learning and critical thinking look like in an AI-driven world.
“I think it is a great way to start with drafts of things,” he said.
He said one of the district’s concerns is making sure students still do their own thinking and work.
“We have to embrace it,” Rysewyk said. “But we also have to make sure there’s still integrity in what we’re doing.”
He added that AI use may require new skills, like knowing when to use it and how to ask the right questions.
“What are the right ways to do it? Is it prompting? How do you write a better prompt? What are the right times to and not use it?” he said.
Rysewyk said the district has been working behind the scenes with its technology and instructional departments and may form a committee to develop guidance moving forward.
“We’re going to need a lot of voices at the table,” he said. “And we’re probably not going to get it right. I mean, I don’t know what right is initially.”
He said those conversations could include creating “grade bands,” outlining what AI use should look like at different age levels.
“Talking about grade bands, the use and what we want to do,” he said, adding that the district may look at what other states have done.
Rysewyk said the AI discussion overlaps with broader concerns about student screen time and he cautioned against swinging too quickly toward an all-digital approach or a total rollback.
“I think there’s always the pendulum that swings,” he said. “And is there a place where too much is that? I think we don’t know the answer to that yet.”
He also noted digital tools can offer benefits, including faster turnaround for state testing results.
Rysewyk said the district expects to keep working with educators, administrators and state leaders as AI and technology continue to evolve.
“We can’t bury our head in the sand about it,” he said. “We have to embrace it. Hopefully not make too many mistakes along the way, but also not ignore it.”
Copyright 2026 WVLT. All rights reserved.
Leave a Reply