Is AI Ruining Our Schools?

By Alaska Whitney

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Nationwide, administrators and educators have raised concerns about the increased usage of artificial intelligence among high school students’.

The Pew Center states that as of February 2026, more than 57% of high school students in the United States report using AI to complete class assignments, and another 59% report that AI is used frequently to cheat within their high school. Educators claim they feel students are missing out on moments of productive struggle when using AI while educators themselves are left feeling unguided and ill equipped. 

At DHS, educators claim they are able to easily identify when a student has used AI within their work but cite that there has been little to no guidance from administrators on how to respond to the issue.

“I would say it's been pretty inconsistent on how to respond," said Dave Brooks, English teacher at Deering.

DHS psychology teacher Jessica Bean took matters into her own hands, stating she has begun to limit students to only using sources from in class such as textbooks, pre-approved websites, and in class worksheets to combat students' usage of AI. DHS recently changed their school policies to include AI as a means of cheating in order to deter students from using it, however it seems to educators that it has been rather ineffective.

A DHS senior by the initials of S.C. claimed he uses AI within his school work at least once a week, when asked why he does so he stated, “ so I can have a base and make it faster”. S.C. continued, saying has never been caught for using AI within an assignment but that he does feel his usage of AI has affected the way he performs on paper assignments within his classes. 

Halima Noor, a former DHS administrator and current history and global issues teacher, said she has noticed a difference in students' efficacy post-integration of AI in schools. 

“Students are doing less thinking right now, the brain power isn’t being utilized as much as they should," she said. She is concerned about the usage of AI specifically within the younger generations as she feels more and more children in middle school and elementary schools are gravitating toward AI and less toward critical thinking, which in turn will make it extremely difficult for educators to place students in the correct placement levels. “By the time they come to us in high school, we can’t tell what their deficits truly are. Can’t get them an IEP, a 504 plan, we can’t place them in the correct levels,” Noor says, highlighting the long term effects AI may have on children's fundamental learning development. 

Librarian Shana Genre has begun teaching AI info sessions to all grades at DHS as a way to educate students on the ethical issues that surround AI.  

“I think this product is being sold to the public as a tool for efficacy, I think people are busy, I think students are busy, I think students who struggle with literacy will turn to it in desperation,” Genre said. She expressed concern over what AI will do cognitively to the adolescent mind when missing out on moments she calls “productive struggle”.

As AI seems to make its way into every aspect of modern life, it becomes clear that it’s not going anywhere and schools and children everywhere are learning to adapt to a completely new wave of education and learning style.