Leading and Leveraging Artificial Intelligence Tools Within K-12 School Districts

About the Presenters

Dr. Peter J. Aiken is currently the Superintendent of Central York School District, Pennsylvania. Dr. Aiken states that he is “passionate about preparing students for a world that gets crazier by the day.” Prior to becoming a superintendent, Dr. Aiken was a teacher, an assistant principal, a principal, and an assistant superintendent. Most recently, he served as the Superintendent for 5+ years at Manheim Central School District in Pennsylvania. His core leadership tenet is that everything rises and falls on relationships. Originally from Oakmont, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh, he now resides in Lancaster, PA, with his wife and three children. Dr. Aiken is an avid reader and says that you’ll often find him running and ruminating after a great read. He invites you to read his leadership blog.

Karen Cheser, Ed.D. is Superintendent of Durango School District 9-R, Colorado. She was previously Superintendent at Fort Thomas Schools, Kentucky. Prior to working in education in several positions (teacher, literacy and math specialist, principal, state Distinguished Educator, and district administrator), Dr. Cheser worked for Procter & Gamble Inc. in sales management. Dr. Cheser is a member of the 2022-23 Colorado Governor’s Fellowship, chairs the SW Colorado Education Collaborative, and serves on the Durango Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors as well as the LaPlata County Economic Development Alliance. She has been instrumental in bringing innovation, student agency, and a focus on future workforce to schools and communities through such projects as Durango’s Impact Career and Innovation Center, the Ignite Institute, LEGO League Robotics, and the KY Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs. Dr. Cheser served as national Vice Chair of EdLeader21 and represents Colorado on the CoSN/AASA EmpowerED Superintendents Advisory Panel and SEEC (Superintendents’ Environmental Education Collaborative).

Dr. Jason Harris, Superintendent of the Columbia School District, Mississippi, is an accomplished leader in public education with two decades of experience. He is a visionary leader, dedicated to transforming educational landscapes and fostering a culture of excellence. With a noteworthy foundation in educational administration and a commitment to student success for all, Dr. Harris has led impactful initiatives throughout his career. As the Superintendent of Columbia School District since 2017, he has orchestrated remarkable improvements, elevating the district’s rating from C to A. Dr. Harris has completed a $10 million bond issue project, established cutting-edge academic programs, and revitalized athletic facilities, leaving an indelible mark on the educational landscape. Notably, in 2021, he opened the re-designed Payton Field, a $6.5 million football stadium named after NFL legend Walter Payton. This year, the Columbia School District celebrated two newly constructed $3.5 million Columbia High baseball and softball stadiums.

Pete Just is the CoSN Project Director for Generative Artificial Intelligence. Pete also currently serves as the Executive Director of the Indiana CTO Council. He retired in 2022 as CTO and COO MSD of Wayne Township after 24 years leading their IT and facilities efforts. Starting out as a teacher, he began using technology to expand learning and has been deep in digital innovation ever since. His integration efforts focus on developing technical innovations to provide students greater success in life. Pete served on the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) Board from 2014 to 2023 and served as board chair. He chairs the IDOE K12 Cybersecurity Task Force and is CoSN’s AI Subject Matter Expert (SME). Pete’s numerous presentations at the state and national levels promote innovative initiatives and honest lessons learned. He has served as an adjunct professor for Indiana University School of Education grad school and desires to empower EdTech leaders with the resources needed to lead well in their own school systems.

About the Moderator

Ann McMullan is Project Director for the CoSN EmpowerED Superintendents Initiative, created in partnership with AASA, The School Superintendents Association. Ann served as Executive Director for Educational Technology in Klein ISD, near Houston, Texas until September 2013, when she and her family moved to Los Angeles, California. For 16 years, Ann led the district team that provided professional development on technology and 21st century instructional strategies to 4,000 educators serving 50,000 students. She was co-chair of the Texas Education Technology Advisory Committee, which developed the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology.

Today, Ann leads her own consulting firm, Ann McMullan, Education Leadership Consultant. She is a public speaker, writer, and consultant focused on leadership to meet the needs of today’s students. Ann serves on the edWeb.net Advisory Board and is a founding member of ERDI’s Ed Leadership Council. Ann is co-author of Life Lessons in Leadership.