AI in Idaho Classrooms: What Parents Need to Know
What Does AI in Idaho Classrooms Actually Look Like?
During the 2026 legislative session, Idaho lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1227, establishing a statewide framework for the use of generative artificial intelligence in K–12 public education. The law directs the Idaho Department of Education, with State Board of Education approval, to develop a framework addressing issues such as human oversight, transparency, safety, data security, academic integrity, accessibility, and responsible student use.
Now, that work is moving from legislation to implementation.
A Conversation Worth Hearing
To help make sense of where Idaho is headed, Alexis Morgan, host of The Purple Zone, sat down with Will Goodman for an episode focused on Idaho's AI journey in education.
Alexis brings a unique perspective to this conversation. She is a PhD candidate in public policy and administration, a former school teacher and school board member, and currently serves as the Director of Public Policy for Idaho PTA. Her experience in the classroom, local school governance, public policy, and parent advocacy gives her a firsthand understanding of the many perspectives that need to be part of this conversation.
Will currently serves as the Director of People and Organizational Services for the Boise School District. Idaho PTA members might recall his engaging workshop, “AI in Education,” at last April’s Idaho PTA Annual Convention. He brings a complementary perspective grounded in education, technology, and public policy. He has also been deeply involved in technology and education work at the state and national levels. Will serves on the board of the Idaho Education Technology Association and is a member of the Idaho State Board of Education's Data Management Council. He also serves as a chairperson on the U.S. Department of Education's National Forum on Education Statistics.
Together, Alexis and Will discuss what happens after legislation is passed and standards are written. Most importantly, they explore what implementation could look like in actual schools and classrooms. They tackle big issues facing schools today: misinformation, data privacy, academic integrity, screen time versus AI, and what should or shouldn’t be automated in the classroom.
Listen to the episode: The Purple Zone — “Idaho’s AI in Education Journey: Guardrails, Implementation, and the ‘Now What?’”
Parents Have a Role in This Conversation
For Idaho families, this is an important conversation because the decisions being made now will shape how our children encounter AI at school. Now is the time to engage.
The Idaho Department of Education has officially opened the public comment period for the proposed K–12 AI Standards. Public comment is open through October 6, 2026.
If you would like to provide feedback, please keep the following in mind:
Submit one form for each comment. If you have feedback on multiple standards, please submit a separate form for each comment.
You will need to include the specific standard number you are commenting on (for example, 3-5.AI.1.1).
K–8 Technology and AI Standards: The Idaho Department of Education is collecting feedback only on the AI portion of these standards. Please reference pages 14–27.
Grades 9–12 AI Standards: The complete set of AI standards is available for review.
