Chicago students and teachers are entering an AI-driven world. Now is the moment to make the city a national leader in preparing them
Why are we treating AI as academic dishonesty in schools when it is actually a career requirement? And why are we hesitating to encourage students to master the tools that will transform them from entry-level hires into six-figure professionals? Technological change has a long history of being misunderstood. Early skepticism often gives way to widespread adoption, and those who adapt first tend to benefit most. Consider the past: The internet was dismissed as incapable of replacing paper newspapers, personal computers were seen as unnecessary in the home. Even the automobile was once called a passing fad. Closer to home, many believed machine learning and electronic platforms would never replace the trading floors of the Chicago exchanges. These were not fringe opinions. They were widely held beliefs.
We have been here before. The risk for schools is not that artificial intelligence moves too fast. It is that we respond too slowly. Treating AI as a threat rather than a tool is not caution. It is surrender.
Students are in a state of crisis and confusion
We are told AI will define our future, yet in classrooms today, using it is often treated as academic dishonesty with consequences. You cannot prepare our generation for a fire drill by telling us we are not allowed to use water.
The consequences of this “confidently wrong” approach are already here. At Hingham High School in Massachusetts, a high-achieving student used AI for research and outlining on a history project, something many teachers encourage. The student was punished with failing grades on key sections, a drop in GPA, Saturday detention, and initial denial of National Honor Society eligibility.
In Maryland’s Broadneck High School, a student received a 'zero' for her grade and an academic integrity violation after GPTZero flagged her essay. After public embarrassment, the accusation was later investigated, proven false, and fully rescinded. Across the country, some students deal with false accusations, months-long investigations, or disqualified essays, as reported by ABC News and The Washington Post. There are plenty of students using AI in ways that are not appropriate, but it seems that the burden has flipped: students must now prove they didn’t cheat just to be allowed to learn.
Mixed messages in the classroom
Even in Chicago Public Schools, the plan for AI is unclear and sends a confusing message. CPS has not banned AI. Its district-wide guidebook encourages AI for idea generation and for learning. It requires student disclosure, while permitting teacher use of detection tools that the district admits can produce false positives.
CPS has created rules for AI use. It has not created a plan for AI success.
This creates a “gotcha” culture that punishes the curious and rewards the cautious.
The district has started the conversation, but it needs to finish the job. CPS needs a systemwide curriculum, a defined funding stream, and an executable plan to make sure that every student and teacher will benefit. Time is not on the students’ side.
The workforce is already changing
Our future as students is shifting quickly. McKinsey reports 51 percent of organizations are already reducing entry-level hiring because of AI. Goldman Sachs estimates 300 million jobs globally exposed to disruption. The World Economic Forum notes 41 percent of employers plan workforce reductions as automation expands.
Schools cannot prepare students for 21st century careers by failing to train them in 21st century technology.
There are models that work
The good news is there are models that are working. At Seckinger High School in Georgia, AI is fully integrated into the curriculum. Students build models, analyze data, and study AI ethics every day.
In Newark and Niagara Falls, public school students complete Stanford University-designed programs where they learn prompt engineering and are required to earn certifications before graduation. They receive grades for their AI work, just like in other classes. Illinois districts like Indian Prairie are integrating these tools starting in third grade.
These models do not promote cheating or taking the easy way out with AI. In fact, just the opposite. They elevate work and prepare students to be productive members in the workforce of tomorrow. That is hardly cheating.
Chicago has a choice: Remain reactive, or lead.
The stakes are urgent
Roughly three-quarters of Chicago students are not meeting proficiency benchmarks in math and nearly 60 percent are falling short in reading. The district is failing these students.
Intentional AI programming can help address this. Stanford University research shows structured AI tutoring can improve math performance, with gains of roughly nine percent. The Brookings Institution reports meaningful improvements in math and ELA learning when AI is implemented with clear structure and guidance.
Unstructured use may increase engagement, but not outcomes. The difference is not the technology. It is how it is used.
Four steps Chicago can take right now
Chicago has a choice to prepare its students and lead. Here are four focused steps CPS can take to enact swift change.
First, establish a dedicated AI Integration Office within CPS.
This team should have a clear mission: Improve student outcomes, increase teacher productivity, and position Chicago as the nation’s leading big-city school system for AI training. Without ownership, strategy becomes suggestion. A centralized team ensures consistent implementation and accountability across schools. Beyond academic gains, AI has proven to be a reliable cost saver when implemented properly, and the CPS administrative budget will be no exception.
Second, build a clear systemwide AI curriculum with a “proof of work” standard.
Make expectations explicit. Require students to show prompts used, errors identified, improvements made, and their own reasoning. Teach AI ethics so students understand not just what is allowed, but why.
Third, invest in practical, teacher-first training.
Provide hands-on use cases, shared lesson plans, and clear grading standards. AI can free teachers from repetitive tasks so they can focus on mentorship, relationships, and early intervention. This strengthens both instruction and the profession.
Fourth, build a competitive AI ecosystem across CPS.
Partner with national programs like aiEDU and TeachAI and create citywide competitions such as AI Olympiads and hackathons. Work with Chicago’s robust private sector to offer scholarships and real incentives for student participation.
These steps reinforce what already works: quality curriculum, data-driven growth, early intervention, professional development, and time on task. AI does not replace these fundamentals. It accelerates them.
A chance for Chicago to lead
AI could be the great career disruptor, but if we find healthy ways to be early adopters in our schools, it can be the great accelerator for students, teachers, and the city of Chicago.
Now is the time to trade caution for courage. By thoughtfully integrating AI into our curriculum today, we stop reacting to the future and start clearing a high-speed lane for every student in this city.
The door is wide open. It’s time for Chicago to walk through it — our students are counting on it.
About the Author:
Leo Fiascone was born in Chicago. Now a high school junior, he is the founder of Chicago Rising, an independent research project focused on data-driven solutions to the “kitchen table” issues facing Chicagoans. His work also includes AI for Main Street, an initiative exploring how ethical, practical AI can support small businesses. For more on his research into urban policy, ethical AI, and economic opportunity, visit www.leofiascone.com.
