Your Kids Know More About AI Than You Do

The EdSurge Podcast episode 'Your Kids Know More About AI Than You Do' exposes a growing crisis in education: schools are rushing to implement AI policies without first having the foundational conversations about purpose, values, and learning. Aleta Margolis, founder of the Center for Inspired Teaching, argues that before writing rules, educators must ask, 'What is the purpose of school?'—a question that reveals whether AI is being used to deepen learning or simply replace human effort. She warns that top-down policies without dialogue turn teachers and students into adversaries, while co-creating guidelines with students—many of whom are already more adept with AI—fosters trust and shared ownership. Sarah McKibben, a parent and editor, brings the home front into focus, revealing how her middle schoolers use AI for everything from flashcards to bypassing essay writing with AI-humanizer apps. The disconnect is stark: while 80% of teachers want to teach responsible AI use, only a third of schools have clear guidelines. The episode concludes with a powerful call to shift from fear-based policing to teaching students how to think with AI—because the real struggle isn’t against AI, but in teaching kids how to use it wisely. The core insight? Schools aren’t failing because they’re slow to adopt AI—they’re failing because they’re skipping the most important step: talking about what they value.