At Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, we believe artificial intelligence is a catalyst for learning, not a replacement for human connection. Before launching our districtwide AI integration initiative, we embarked on an intentional listening journey, gathering feedback from more than 10,000 families, students and staff members to shape a vision grounded in a "literacy first" philosophy.

To safely integrate this technology across our 185 schools, we adopted a tiered training model, starting with foundational instruction on data privacy and AI basics for more than 14,000 staff members. This training was led by 60 central office AI Champions and staff from 30 AI Champion Schools—chosen for their growth mindset and innovative thinking—who mastered district-approved tools, tested real-world use cases and built capacity by training their peers.

Our AI Champions have been instrumental in leading this charge and bringing the technology back to their specific divisions and schools. Dr. Cheryl Munn, director of employment and performance in human resources, served as one of our original champions. Using this train-the-trainer model, Munn helped demystify the technology for her colleagues by connecting generative AI to everyday tools they already used, like the Chick-fil-A app or smart home assistants. In her own department, Munn discovered AI could act as a valuable thought partner to navigate complex human communication, regularly using it to review and soften the tone of sensitive HR emails.

Munn’s training directly empowered Amy Johnson, an employee relations manager who initially felt hesitant about using AI due to strict confidentiality concerns. After learning how to safely prompt the tools without using personally identifiable information, Johnson successfully used AI to generate complex scenarios for a professional development training focused on building a positive school culture.

In our schools, AI Champions are similarly transforming instructional and administrative workflows:

• At Winget Park Elementary: Principal Kira Michaw used NotebookLM to build a custom internal database of staff handbooks and school expectations, allowing new teachers to easily search for operational procedures.
• At Ballantyne Elementary: Master teacher Michelle Haston used AI to design targeted close-reading guides and synthesize assessment data to identify academic trends across grade levels.
• At Providence Spring Elementary: First-grade teacher Sarah Yancey utilized AI to generate differentiated reading passages, noting that tasks that once took over an hour now take just 20 minutes.

"Essentially, we are becoming curriculum designers. The question is: how do we utilize this tool to be better at our craft, rather than just accepting an output?"

— Michelle Haston, Master Teacher

By relying on our AI Champions to test, refine and share their strategies, we are building a collaborative environment where our staff feels equipped to navigate the future. "You want to be in a district that embraces the changes, that embraces what's happening in education," Munn said.

For Michaw, this integration is a full-circle moment. "It gives us a chance to be learners ourselves. It's giving us an opportunity as an AI champion school to try out the things and perfect them ... setting the guidelines in an ever evolving state with this new technology," she said.

As we transition into our next cycle of scaling these efforts districtwide, our focus remains clear: giving our educators the tools they need to operate more efficiently so they can spend more time building relationships and connecting with our students.

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