Planning for AI in Education: A PLC Roadmap for 2025–2026
As a school leader, this time of year offers a rare moment to pause. Whether you're closing out the last of your year-end tasks or sitting in the early quiet of summer before your own well-earned break, it's a natural time to reflect and plan for the year ahead. Amid all the priorities vying for attention, one issue is rapidly rising to the top of many leaders’ lists: What do we do about AI in schools?
You’re not alone if this question feels overwhelming. AI is evolving at lightning speed. Teachers are beginning to explore it—or worry about it. Students are already using it, sometimes in ways that challenge existing norms and policies. Some district leaders are encouraging (or requiring) integration, yet few have offered practical guidance for how to do that thoughtfully. You may be wondering: Do I need a policy? A position? A plan?
The answer isn’t necessarily all of the above. What’s most important is having a structured, community-driven process for learning about AI, thinking critically about its role, and making implementation decisions that reflect your school’s values, priorities, and instructional goals. That’s where Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) come in.
AI Isn’t New—But This Moment Is Different
Before jumping into logistics, it's helpful to ground the conversation. Despite the recent surge in visibility, AI itself isn’t new. Many educators and students have been using AI for years—perhaps without realizing it. Virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, predictive text, recommendation engines in apps like Netflix or YouTube, and even weather forecasts powered by machine learning have quietly shaped our daily lives.
What’s new—and what makes this moment feel so urgent—is the rise of generative AI. Tools like ChatGPT, MagicSchool.ai, Diffit, and Eduaide can now create full lesson plans, write student feedback, simulate conversations, and scaffold content instantly. The scale and accessibility of these tools are game changers. They're showing up in classrooms, on assignments, in student conversations, and in the lesson planning habits of teachers. What was once a behind-the-scenes technology is now in the foreground.
This shift presents tremendous opportunities, but also serious questions: How should schools respond? What role should AI play in instruction? What are the risks, and how do we safeguard against them?
The instinct for many leaders may be to act quickly. The pressure is real—AI is moving fast, and so is the messaging around it. Vendors, media, and some districts are framing AI as the next essential skill or innovation. But reacting quickly doesn’t guarantee success. In fact, when it comes to something as complex and consequential as AI, moving fast isn’t the same as moving well.
Go Slow to Go Fast: Why Pace Matters in Leadership
The phrase “go slow to go fast” may feel counterintuitive in the face of technological urgency, but it’s one of the most important leadership mindsets you can adopt right now.
Moving slowly doesn’t mean avoiding action or burying your head in the sand. It means being intentional, inclusive, and instructional in your approach. It means creating the conditions for deep learning and shared ownership before jumping into implementation. When schools skip this step—when they rush to adopt new tools without a clear purpose or without teacher buy-in—they often end up backtracking later, cleaning up confusion, frustration, or inequitable practices.
A deliberate pace allows for authentic exploration, careful vetting, and genuine reflection. It opens the door to professional growth and cultural alignment, rather than compliance and resistance. In other words, going slow now is what will allow your school to go far with AI later.
This is where PLCs are your greatest asset.
PLCs as a Safe Space for AI Exploration
Professional Learning Communities provide the ideal structure for exploring AI at a measured pace. They offer a collaborative environment where teachers can ask questions, try things out, and reflect together. This is especially important with AI, because while many educators are intrigued by its possibilities, many are also uncertain—or even afraid.
It’s important to name that fear. Educators may be wondering if AI will replace them, undermine their expertise, or be used by students to bypass learning. Others may be overwhelmed by the pace of change or unsure how to evaluate the tools. Some may be quietly experimenting already, looking for ways to reclaim planning time or reach struggling students more effectively.
Rather than mandate AI adoption or wait for policy decisions from the top, leaders can create space for exploration. PLCs are the perfect setting to build a culture of inquiry over urgency. You can start small. Invite teams to try one AI tool, read a short article, or watch a demo. Use PLC time to reflect: What worked? What didn’t? What questions are still unanswered?
This type of low-stakes, high-impact inquiry builds teacher trust, knowledge, and agency—long before any schoolwide implementation is necessary.
Identifying Purpose Before Picking Tools
Once your PLCs have started exploring, the next step is to clarify why AI might be useful in your school context. It’s easy to get distracted by what’s new or flashy. But just because a tool can do something doesn’t mean your school needs it.
Instead, encourage PLCs to begin with problems they’re already trying to solve. Where are the pain points in instruction? What repetitive tasks take up valuable teacher time? Where are students struggling to access content or receive timely feedback? Identifying these needs first ensures that any AI integration is rooted in meaningful goals—not tech for tech’s sake.
When your teams are ready to start trying tools, a few educator-focused platforms are worth considering:
MagicSchool.ai helps teachers generate lesson plans, IEP goals, rubrics, parent emails, and more—cutting down on planning time and freeing up energy for instruction.
Diffit allows teachers to take any topic or article and instantly create differentiated reading levels and scaffolding materials, making it easier to support diverse learners.
Eduaide.ai offers customizable instructional content, including assessments, enrichment tasks, and feedback templates, helping teachers align planning with curriculum standards.
Curipod generates engaging interactive lessons and activities that center student voice and discussion, ideal for classrooms focused on active learning and participation.
Rather than rolling out these tools schoolwide, consider selecting one or two to pilot within a single PLC or grade level. Use reflection protocols to gather insights. Have teachers log their experiences, student reactions, alignment with school goals, and any ethical concerns that arise. This process not only helps determine what’s worth expanding—it builds teacher ownership and insight along the way.
Aligning AI with Instructional Goals
As you continue your exploration, it’s critical to ensure that any AI tool or strategy directly supports your existing instructional goals. AI should not be “one more thing.” It should be a tool to deepen what you’re already doing well—whether that’s improving Tier 1 instruction, differentiating content, increasing student engagement, or closing equity gaps.
This alignment must be explicit. How does this tool advance your school improvement plan? How will it help teachers—not replace them? How will you ensure student learning is still centered in the process?
This is a great place for PLCs to do deeper work: mapping AI tools to specific instructional strategies, defining teacher roles alongside technology, and setting clear expectations for ethical, responsible use.
Building Capacity Through Continued Support
Even with clear goals and well-vetted tools, no AI initiative will succeed without ongoing support. One-time PD sessions won’t cut it. Teachers need time to experiment, discuss, troubleshoot, and share best practices. They need to see AI in action and hear from peers who are trying it too.
Use your PLC structures to create space for this reflection. Build time into your calendar for collaborative planning, peer coaching, and tool demos. Create schoolwide norms or guiding principles for AI use to ensure consistency and protect instructional integrity. Identify teacher leaders who can help facilitate this work.
When teachers feel supported—not just trained—they’re far more likely to embrace innovation and use it in ways that benefit students.
A Roadmap for the 2025–2026 School Year
Implementing AI with intentionality doesn’t happen overnight—it requires pacing, planning, and ongoing reflection. The following roadmap outlines how you might structure your school’s AI exploration and implementation over the course of the 2025–2026 school year using your PLC structure. This is not about launching a full-scale initiative immediately. Instead, this roadmap helps schools build awareness, pilot responsibly, and prepare for broader adoption only when ready.
Summer 2025: Set the Foundation
Summer is an ideal time for school leaders and leadership teams to reflect and prepare.
Identify instructional priorities and areas where AI could help (e.g., planning time, differentiation, engagement).
Review and select 1–2 AI tools that align with these priorities.
Establish PLC goals focused on AI exploration and professional inquiry.
Develop a simple vetting rubric (privacy, accuracy, bias, usability).
Create a plan for how pilots will be monitored and reflected upon during PLCs.
This stage is all about preparation, not implementation. Focus on clarity of purpose and creating the conditions for safe, small-scale exploration.
Fall 2025: Begin Pilots and Build Awareness
Fall is your time to introduce tools gradually, with support and reflection.
Launch AI tool pilots in 1–2 PLCs, grade levels, or content areas.
Provide baseline PD to staff around generative AI, ethical use, and boundaries.
Facilitate PLC meetings where teachers reflect on AI tool use and student response.
Collect teacher and student feedback—both qualitative (stories, concerns) and quantitative (time saved, impact).
Offer optional learning sessions or coaching for curious staff.
This is your “toe-in-the-water” phase. Keep stakes low and focus on learning rather than perfection. Normalize curiosity and feedback over outcomes.
Winter 2026: Analyze, Adjust, and Expand Strategically
After a few months of piloting, you’ll begin to see what’s working—and what isn’t.
Use PLCs to analyze the impact of the pilots on instruction, planning, and student learning.
Share early successes and challenges across teams during staff meetings or leadership huddles.
Refine usage expectations or boundaries based on what you’re learning.
Identify additional teachers or PLCs who may be ready to try tools in a second pilot phase.
Begin to draft guiding principles or norms for AI use based on your community’s values.
This is the heart of your reflection phase. Encourage collaboration across PLCs and empower teacher voice in shaping future use.
Spring 2026: Prepare for Broader Implementation
As the year winds down, you can shift from exploration to planning for scale—only if your school is ready.
Finalize recommendations for which AI tools will be used in 2026–2027.
Draft schoolwide norms or expectations for ethical, effective AI use.
Design a professional learning plan for summer/fall, focused on practical implementation.
Identify teacher leaders or early adopters to serve as AI peer coaches.
Continue using PLCs as the primary structure for reflection, professional learning, and iteration.
Think of this as your “decision-making” phase. You’re not locking in a full AI program, but preparing for smart, aligned, community-informed next steps.
By pacing this process across the year and anchoring it in your PLC structure, you create a system for ongoing inquiry, shared responsibility, and teacher-led innovation. AI is not a one-and-done rollout—it’s an evolving conversation. The roadmap ensures that conversation is led thoughtfully, not reactively.
Let VOYAGE Horizons Custom ChatGPT Help You Plan
This work doesn’t have to be done alone. The VOYAGE Horizons Professional Learning Communities custom ChatGPT was built to support school and district leaders like you through every phase of PLC planning and AI integration.
You can use the VOYAGE Horizons ChatGPT to:
Draft PLC agendas focused on AI exploration
Design reflection tools for piloting new tech
Get guidance on aligning tools with instructional goals
Coach yourself or your leadership team through roadmapping
This AI resource is trained to reflect the best practices of professional learning communities and instructional leadership.
Start your planning here: VOYAGE Horizons PLC ChatGPT
Final Thoughts
AI is already present in your school. The question is whether its use will grow intentionally—with alignment, equity, and purpose—or whether it will evolve unevenly, driven by individual experimentation or external pressure.
As a school leader, you don’t need all the answers right now. What you need is a structured process that engages your staff, reflects your values, and supports sustainable change.
That’s what PLCs are built for. And that’s how you “go slow to go fast.”
If you’re ready to begin—but want support creating your roadmap, vetting tools, or structuring your PLC cycle—VOYAGE Horizons is here to help.
