'25 MSAA Summer Institute

In this session, I will showcase how AI tools like ChatGPT, Napkin AI, and Canva can enhance school leadership, streamline communication, and improve decision-making processes. By sharing practical examples from Henry C. Sanborn School, participants will learn how these tools can support administrative tasks, professional development, and school culture initiatives. Attendees will also engage in a hands-on activity to explore how AI tools can be applied in their own schools. Whether it's drafting communication, creating data visualizations, or designing engaging presentations, these tools offer efficient ways to meet the challenges of modern educational leadership. The session will also address challenges such as balancing AI with human judgment and ensuring data privacy, providing a holistic view of how AI can serve as a valuable asset in education.

Description:
According to the World Health Organization (2023), 5-15% of adolescents experience loneliness. As reported in Ed Week (2023), this is something that experts warn may be connected to an increased risk of mental health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideations. What is more, once these adolescents become young adults, the loneliness rate jumps further. In fact, in 2024, Harvard's Making Caring Common reported that 24% of adults ages 18-29 reported serious feelings of loneliness. This number is staggering if we are to consider public schools as a community hub and as places vital to the strength, connectivity, and economic development of a location (Jacobson, 2016).

It is for these reasons that loneliness is a concept that should be at the forefront of school and district discussions, as addressing this concern can help improve academic, social, and community outcomes, all the while, helping students become more invested in their communities, connect

Our district has gone cell-phone free, with remarkably positive results. While getting to this point was a heavy lift, the hard work has paid off in an improved school culture for every student. (Pioneer Valley is one of the districts featured in the MA Attorney General's Toolkit for School Leaders around cell phones and social media.)

Participants will learn about our district's experience in three key areas: how we collaborated with School Committee to craft the phone-free policy, how we communicated with our community before and during the change, and how we have implemented the policy carefully and consistently with students.

We will share a well-curated set of resources that will be helpful to any district working towards a healthy, phone-free environment for students.