Sarasota School Board approves legislative priorities, AI policy as Rose absent again
The Sarasota School Board took steps to implement a new artificial intelligence policy and approved new legislative priorities at its meeting Tuesday evening.
The meeting, which only lasted about an hour in contrast to the board's previous lengthy proceedings, saw only about 10 public commenters. Board Chairwoman Karen Rose was also absent from the meeting — opting instead to call in over Zoom.
The approved legislative priorities for the district include extending the prekindergarten school year from 540 to 720 hours, advocating for deregulation, increasing salaries for teachers and staff, increasing funding for mental health and school safety, and establishing a separate “district” in the state's budget for scholarship organizations.
The advertised AI policy sets expectations for the district's students, teachers and staff for acceptable use of the technology in classrooms. For students, AI should not be used as "a substitute for human creativity, judgment, and creation" and students should not use AI as a substitute for their own work, according to the policy. Teachers must approve the use of AI in their classrooms, and students must understand that AI programs can present incorrect information, the policy states.
Superintendent Terry Connor also announced that the district would release a 12-minute podcast on Wednesday with more explanation behind the recent increases in school meal prices. Board member Tom Edwards urged the public to listen to the podcast.
"If we could give (meals) away, we would," Edwards said.
Karen Rose absent
Chairwoman Rose, who lost her re-election on Aug. 20 to Liz Barker, has not attended a school board meeting in person since her defeat. Despite her absence, several people addressed their public comments to Rose's empty chair.
"Karen, you should stay wherever you are, and they should cut the phone," said India Miller, a transgender woman who speaks regularly at meetings.
It's unclear where Rose was or why she didn't attend. Rose deleted her public social media profiles and campaign website on election night.
Barker attended the board meeting but did not speak during public comment.
Follow Herald-Tribune Education Reporter Steven Walker on Twitter at @swalker_7. He can be reached at sbwalker@gannett.com.