The University of Texas at Austin · College of Education
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The University of Texas at Austin
UT Public Schools AI Council
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Shaping how AI is used across UT Public Schools, with learning at the center.

Leaders from UT Elementary School, UT University Charter School, and UT High School, building shared AI guidance for staff and students.

Comment on the Student Guide Meeting 1 agenda
UT Public Schools AI Council emblem: an open book beneath a guiding star, framed by laurels, with the words Forward and Responsible
OCT 28 Wednesday · 2026
Next meeting Coming up

Initial Council Meeting

10:30–11:30 AM Central
UT Administration Building, Hole in the Wall room (basement)
Convened by James Garza
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Why this Council, why now

Districts are asking for guidance. That's our work.

TEXAS DISTRICTS' #1 AI NEED 40% of Texas school and district leaders say what they need most is AI policies and guidance, ahead of training.
86%of Texas district leaders say their teachers already use AI
29%have a policy on student AI use
45%of educators nationally have had no AI training

“People are not waiting to use AI. They are looking for practical guidance.”
Instructure, 2026

Sources: Leading the Way in K-12 Education (TACC, UT Austin, 2026), from a fall 2025 survey of 322 Texas school and district leaders. Instructure survey via K-12 Dive (July 2026), 1,125 K-12 and higher ed educators, students, and parents.
§ 01

Meeting 1 agenda

Full agenda ›

The only materials are the two guides, with every comment left visible. About 25 of our 60 minutes go to discussion and decisions.

  1. 01 Welcome and why we're here Introductions, plus what each district needs most.
  2. 02 UT Austin's AI stance The shared foundation our guides build on.
  3. 03 Student Guide: does it fit? The draft and your comments, district by district.
  4. 04 How we'll work How often we meet, where, and how we give feedback.
§ 02

The guidebook drafts

We want your perspective on the Student Guide. Please add comments before Oct 28 wherever something works, doesn't fit your district, or is missing. Your feedback shapes our first discussion, and there's more time to weigh in after.
Comment on the Student Guide
Cover of the draft Student AI Empowerment and Integrity Guide
Comments open now

Student AI Empowerment & Integrity Guide

Responsible AI use, academic integrity, and digital citizenship for students. We aim to finalize it at meeting 2.

Open and comment ›
Cover of the draft Staff Guide to Responsible AI Use
Up next

Staff Guide to Responsible AI Use

Expectations and practical guidance for staff. We'll work through it at later meetings, and comments are welcome anytime.

Open the draft ›
Quick answers

Before the first meeting

Are the guidebooks policy?
No. The Council makes recommendations, and each district's administration makes its own final decisions. The guides are living documents, and v0.1 is a starting point.
How do I give feedback?
Add comments right in the Student Guide draft wherever you see a gap, a question, or something that wouldn't work for your district. Anything you can add before Oct 28 helps us focus, and there's more time to comment after the meeting.
Why start from UT Austin's stance?
UT Public Schools sits within The University of Texas at Austin, so UT's AI-Forward and AI-Responsible approach is our shared foundation. The UT's AI Principles page has the short version.
What happens after the guidebooks are done?
We finalize the Student Guide first, then work through the Staff Guide. After that, the Council meets quarterly to review what's working, what needs a tweak, and what's new in AI and education.
§ 03

Council members

UT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
NW
Dr. Nicole Whetstone
Superintendent, UT Public Schools
RM
Ryan May
Assistant Principal, UT Elementary School
LM
Lori Moore
Director of IT, UT Charter School
VR
Dr. Veronica Ruiz Winner
Executive Principal, UT Charter Online Program
JG
James Garza
Convener · Technology Director, UT High School
SD
Sara Dawson
AI Coordinator, UT High School
KH
Kristina Huff
Director of Curriculum and Instruction Operations, UT High School
MF
Melissa Freeman
Director of District Programs, UT High School
SH
Samantha Hardwick
Information Systems Specialist, UT High School
JJ
Julie Joesel
Director of Student Services, UT High School
Questions for the Council? Contact James Garza, Council convener. james.garza@austin.utexas.edu