Across the country, leaders are navigating rising pressure around AI. Some of these new tools are complex, but the emotions surrounding them are even more so. Staff members are hearing about AI everywhere, wondering what it will mean for the work they do every day. District leaders aren’t just deciding whether to adopt technology; they’re deciding how to guide people through a fundamental shift that touches pedagogy, workflows, community expectations and even identities.
For many communicators, the phrase “artificial intelligence” triggers excitement mixed with apprehension. Who couldn’t use a little help with content creation, data analysis and strategic planning, right? But the relationships we build hinge on the human side of connection: showing sympathy and empathy, understanding nuance. How could a machine possibly do that? They can’t. Certainly not the same way you do.
Communications experts, this is your moment. You know the benefits of AI, but also how important it is to keep humanity at the center of your work. And you have the skills needed to roll out any big change, especially this one. So let’s talk about how those skills uniquely position you to lead AI adoption in your district.
You know how to listen.
Some districts default to placing AI adoption under the purview of the technology department. But while technology leaders are essential partners, a tool-centered approach can easily miss the human dynamics at play. That’s why so many districts struggle when they rely on the old “announce and train” model. Staff attend required sessions, learn the features, nod politely and then quietly go back to old habits because their fears are never addressed.
While technology teams think in terms of features, integrations and infrastructure, communications professionals understand that successful change begins with research and listening. You ask what’s hardest for staff, where the biggest time drains are and what people genuinely want help with. You also know how to listen for the message behind the message, for those underlying fears and hesitations keeping your colleagues from buying in.
Those human considerations are crucial—because AI doesn’t just change tasks, it challenges identities. Teachers may feel threatened by tools that can help write or even create lesson plans for them. Office staff may wonder how automation will reshape or even eliminate their roles. In moments like these, people don’t just need to understand how a tool works; they need to know they still matter. That reassurance and the clarity of purpose that supports it are the work of communications, not the technology team.
The missing piece isn’t competence. It's emotional readiness. Communications leaders know how to address these deeper concerns, explain policies in accessible terms and build trust step by step.
Psychological safety is the real prerequisite for embracing AI, not technical know-how. By listening to your coworkers for what feels unsafe and helping to alleviate those concerns, you can play a crucial role in fostering it.
You know how to align communication across departments.
Just as communicators know how to listen, they also know how to align messaging. In too many districts right now, different leaders are describing AI in different ways. Some frame it as optional experimentation, others as a mandate and still others as something far off in the future. Mixed messages create confusion; confusion breeds fear and resistance.
But one of your core roles as a school communicator is to help your entire district speak with one cohesive voice. That’s already true of your external communication, and it can be true of your district’s internal rollout of AI. When everyone is using the same terminology and setting the same expectations, what you get is clarity. Clarity builds trust. That trust then builds buy-in for, and adoption of, your AI policies and procedures.
You know how to tell a good story.
Building psychological safety requires more than writing memos and FAQs. It starts with showcasing early wins. When you share the story of a third-grade teacher who created IEPs with AI, or an attendance clerk who’s using it to communicate more quickly with families for better results, colleagues listen and begin imagining their own possibilities.
At its core, AI adoption is not just the implementation of a new system; it’s a story. You can purchase the right tools, design the right training and draft strong policies, but without a compelling, human-centered narrative, none of it will stick. Stories that make people feel safe and valued while providing hope can inspire the holdouts in your district to jump on the AI train. And communicators are the story shapers who know how to elevate these early wins and turn them into momentum.
Why AI Adoption Matters for Your District
At the district level, early adopters gain several advantages. The time AI saves you this month can be invested in strategic initiatives that position your district as an educational leader next month. And those gains multiply. Better communication drives better enrollment numbers, which drive better funding, which drives better programs, which create better stories to tell. It's a virtuous cycle that starts with your willingness to embrace new tools.
Developing AI fluency before your peers also establishes you as a leader among them. When other districts are struggling to implement it, you'll already be sharing best practices. When the media asks about AI in schools, you'll be the experts they interview. In the same vein, AI prowess gives your district a competitive advantage when it comes to recruiting and retaining the best talent. Innovative teachers, leaders and communicators want to work for forward-thinking districts that empower them with modern tools. Stagnant districts lose great people to innovative ones.
Finally, districts who adopt AI sooner rather than later earn the power to shape AI’s relationship to education. At this moment in time, in every area of our culture, we’re deciding what AI will mean for our futures. But you can’t help make that decision if you don’t engage now.
Getting Started: Practical First Steps
Learn to use AI yourself. Many of you are probably ahead of the game on this. But if you are starting from scratch, begin by keeping a tool like ChatGPT or Claude open in your browser. Choose one repetitive task this week and experiment with AI assistance. I often use it for video scripts, newsletter formatting or social media post variations.
Invite your team to bring AI into communication planning sessions. Share what works and what doesn't. These small wins build momentum. Create a culture of experimentation where failure leads to learning, not embarrassment.
Establish basic guidelines for AI use in your office. Discuss what's appropriate, what requires human review and what's off-limits. Make these guidelines practical and flexible, not bureaucratic and restrictive. Otherwise, you risk stifling innovation.
Document your experiments. Track time saved, quality improvements and lessons learned. This builds your case for broader adoption and provides evidence when skeptics question the value. Even though stories convince colleagues, sometimes numbers make the strongest case to administrators.
In the end, successful AI adoption isn’t really about technology at all. It’s about understanding what people fear, what they hope for and what they need in order to succeed. As communicators, you are already building trust, shaping culture and offering clarity to fortify the success of your schools. Moving forward with AI should be no different.
Greg Turchetta is a strategic communications advisor at Apptegy and a guest writer for SchoolCEO. To share thoughts and strategies on navigating the changing K-12 landscape, email him at greg.turchetta@apptegy.com.