The Student Executive Council hosted its annual Titan Town Hall during PRIME on Wednesday, Dec. 12. Students gathered to participate in a Q&A with five panelists: Superintendent Dr. Don Austin, Board President Shana Segal, Palo Alto Middle College Principal Emily Garrison, Title IX Coordinator Robert Andrade and Mental Health Wellness Director Genavae Pierre Dixon. The discussion topics included policies for artificial intelligence use and the place of politics in the classroom, as submitted by students through SEC’s anonymous Google form. To help provide additional answers to questions, Principal Dr. Wendy Stratton and Assistant Principal Harvey Newland supported the speakers.
On politics, Andrade responded by mentioning the Controversial Issues Board Policy that PAUSD follows, which allows teachers to present a political opinion if it is relevant to the coursework of the class and delivered in a way that addresses all viewpoints.
“This is a space where part of the learning includes discussions about issues that might have opposing sides,” he told attendees. “If you have a problem with what a particular staff member has said to you based on their political beliefs, one, let them know that, and two, if there’s an issue that continues to escalate, (talk) to your assistant principal and principal, (so we can address) the issue with that particular staff.”
Senior Sujay Dorai raised questions about the board’s transparency on clear expectations for AI usage. PAUSD has already given training on standardized AI guidelines to staff, and is working on implementing these with students more thoroughly.
“Honestly, our approach in the district was to start with the teachers, district office staff and administration (to focus on) the teaching and learning aspect to directly impact students,” Austin said at the meeting. “We’re just transitioning into that, so watch for an evolution in (AI usage expectations in classrooms).”
With district efforts underway, Dorai still hopes for the district’s clearer communication on AI protocols.
“I’m sure the policy does exist, but (I wish they would clearly post it in) some way where students in classes know what (is) expected of them, especially because teachers tend to (vary) in what is acceptable in one class to another,” he said.
Student input from Titan Town Hall and similar forums is regularly factored into account into board decisions, according to Segal, who said this meeting’s student questions, concerns and insights are especially helpful since she is no longer teaching in the classroom.
“The most recent (way student input affected a board decision) was the Academic Distinction Diploma,” she said. “Dr. Austin took it back to his Student Advisory Group, and (in the last board meeting) it was stated that based on student input, (the diploma) would not be moving forward.”
Gunn School Board Representative Angelise Chang, who organizes Titan Town Hall, appreciated the significant number of submitted questions despite lower-than-usual attendance.
“I was especially excited to see that students were really interested in talking about AI, since we had a lot of questions on that,” she said. “It’s definitely helpful for me to know which stance I should have on certain issues. Having an opportunity to speak directly with (site and district administration) is the unique appeal of these kinds of events, and why it’s so important to keep it.”
