Cherkin proposes teaching about AI while barring student use
Emily CherkinAuthor and founder of The Screentime Consultant
Cherkin proposes teaching children about AI while barring student use. She calls the technology unsafe and insufficiently tested, says it violates privacy and relies on plagiarized work, and argues that it conflicts with environmental commitments.
“we will teach our students about AI without using AI.”
Analysis
Where this statement fits
Should schools pause student-facing AI despite Microsoft’s new privacy safeguards?
Microsoft and the National Academy for AI Instruction signed school-AI privacy and safety standards announced with the AFT and UFT on September 9. Fairplay’s Josh Golin welcomes the privacy improvements but calls for a five-year pause on generative AI in schools. New York City’s September 2 policy illustrates a different approach: pause most direct use through eighth grade while allowing restricted high-school pilots. Kristen Gonzalez and Carmen De La Rosa support the younger-grade ban but urge postponement of the pilots until the tools can be properly assessed.
Source and context
Analysis
About this source
Cherkin presents a hypothetical district policy, not an adopted rule.
Before the quotation
She explicitly identifies First Fish School District as a hypothetical policy, not a district that adopted it.
After the quotation
She notes that AI embedded in existing educational products makes implementation harder.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Cherkin expressly advocates withholding student access while teaching about the technology.
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The Dispute Index. "Cherkin proposes teaching about AI while barring student use". First published: 2026-10-30. Last updated: 2026-10-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/7331-cherkin-proposes-teaching-children-about-ai-while-barring