Using AI to Leverage Leadership: An Educator’s Guide to What Works

Written By Lydia Kumar

Why Start with Familiar Frameworks?

My education journey has been TFA to KIPP to Public Impact to Kinwise. Along the way, a few education books have served as pillars. Some may feel a little dated, but I suspect many of you will recognize them , and maybe even find yourself saying, “Oh yeah, I know that one. I get this concept. Let’s dive in.”

  • Teach Like a Champion

  • The First Days of School

  • Get Better Faster

  • The Skillful Teacher

  • Leverage Leadership 2.0

These books remind us of what works in schools. They’ve helped generations of educators build strong instruction and culture. That’s why they’re the perfect place to begin asking: What happens when AI enters the picture?

The Promise and Perils of AI in Education

Opportunities to Amplify What Works

AI has the potential to make our work faster and sharper. Lesson planning can become more efficient. Data analysis can be automated. Professional development can be personalized. Done well, these tools can free up time for teachers and leaders to focus on what matters most: students.

Ethical Concerns We Can’t Ignore

Of course, there are risks. Privacy, bias, and relational trust must be front and center. Take a simple example: we all know data-driven instruction is good practice. But you wouldn’t want to paste student learning data into ChatGPT. If you do, that data may be stored or accessed in ways you can’t control. And when working with children in particular, we have a responsibility to protect their information.


Kinwise’s Perspective on Human + Machine Intelligence

At Kinwise, we believe human intelligence and machine intelligence are fundamentally different. The relational, human side of teaching and leading matters most. (Hence the name Kinwise.) These books remind us of what strong human intelligence looks like in practice. Our task is to explore how AI might help bring those practices to life, while holding on to the values and ethics that make schools human.


Introducing the AI + Leverage Leadership Series

Over the coming weeks, we’ll walk through concepts from these classic texts, beginning with the seven levers of leadership from Leverage Leadership 2.0.

Instructional Levers

  • Data-driven instruction

  • Observation and feedback

  • Instructional planning

  • Professional development

Cultural Levers

  • Student culture

  • Staff culture

  • Leading the leaders

What to Expect Next

This series is about building on what’s familiar, where educators have already found success, and imagining what becomes possible when timeless teaching meets emerging technology.

Let’s get started.

Lydia Kumar
Next

Three Things Districts Can Do Now to Lead in the Age of AI