How Rural Districts Are Using AI to Meet Real Needs: Lessons from the Rural AI Strategy Lab

About the Presenters

David Huggins is an educator and United States Army veteran with more than a decade of experience in education. He began his teaching career in 2012 at Dell H. Robison Middle School in Las Vegas after earning both his Bachelor of Arts in History (2010) and Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction (2012) from UNLV. In 2021, he joined the Mohave Valley Elementary School District as a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Mohave Valley Junior High. Currently, he serves as the Innovation Lab teacher and the district’s K–8 Innovation Coordinator, helping students and staff integrate creativity, technology, and problem-solving into learning. In 2025, he was recognized as the Arizona Rural Schools Teacher of Distinction for his leadership, innovation, and commitment to student success.

Jessica Gillespie is the Director of Instructional Improvement–Innovation at Griswold Public Schools. As an ISTE-certified Edtech Leader, she collaborates with teachers across disciplines in grades K-12 to integrate technology and artificial intelligence in ways that center student learning and engagement. Currently, Jessica’s professional responsibilities include leading curriculum development; new teacher support and mentor training; supporting instruction, assessment, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports; and providing professional learning. In addition to being a former Griswold Public Schools Teacher of the Year, Jessica is also a Modern Classrooms Project Distinguished Educator and Expert Mentor, a Google and SchoolAI certified educator, and CT Impact Educator for her work on blended learning. Jessica is passionate about making teaching more sustainable and about empowering learners through inclusive and authentic experiences.

Ted W. Paton is a forward-thinking educator and innovator dedicated to bridging the digital divide for the next generation of rural leaders. As a collaborator with the Rural AI Lab, Ted focuses on the vital intersection of advanced technology and community-driven workforce development in Ionia. At the Ionia County Career Center, Ted plays a pivotal role as Principal in equipping students with the practical, hands-on skills needed to thrive in an increasingly automated world. Ted’s other roles include being the Associate Superintendent of Ionia County ISD and Director for CEPD 53. As a former science and computer teacher, the merging of AI and education has been a natural step to take. Helping staff and students consider how tech/AI can be a force multiplier for work, careers and education makes sense. He looks forward to collaborating with other forward-thinking educators in AI work this summer and next fall.

About the Moderators

Dr. Megan Benay is a Partner on the Practice and Implementation team at FullScale and a strategic, innovative educational leader with deep experience advancing student-centered, evidence-based improvement in K–12 education. Throughout her career, she has focused on using research, collaboration, data, and emerging technologies to strengthen teaching and learning and create more inclusive, equitable learning environments.

Prior to joining FullScale, Dr. Benay worked as an education consultant supporting organizations including the New York State Education Department and educator preparation leaders to strengthen evidence-based literacy instruction. Previously, she served as Senior National Director of Data & Research and Director of Inclusive Education at Great Oaks Foundation, where she led continuous improvement, research, and systems-building efforts to improve academic, social, and emotional outcomes for diverse learners. Dr. Benay holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University’s Teachers College, Hunter College, and the University of Vermont Honors College.

Dr. Adam A. Phyall, III, is a former high school science teacher whose love of educational technology began the day he got his first laptop in college. Early in his teaching career, he had students create videos and podcasts to explain advanced science concepts, and once he saw the impact on learning, he began sharing those strategies with peers. That path led him from Building Instructional Technology Leader to Technology Facilitator to Director of Technology & Media Services for Newton County School System. Today, Dr. Phyall serves as Director of Professional Learning and Leadership at All4Ed, supporting Future Ready Schools, and co-hosts the UnDisrupted podcast with Carl Hooker, unpacking the everyday challenges of district-level leadership. His guiding philosophy: “If you’re having fun teaching it, then your students will have fun learning it.”