Sabrina Ball, a Fort Worth ISD parent spoke at a press conference prior to the Board of Managers meeting
Maven Navarro
Incorrect science diagrams, figures with six fingers and unrecognizable animal pictures on AI generated slides were just some of the concerns presented by parents and students who say they are frustrated by how AI is being used in Fort Worth classrooms.
The Fort Worth school district is one of the 55 schools across 20 states partnering with OpenAI to take part in its ChatGPT for Teachers program. Four other Texas school districts are part of the program, though Fort Worth is the only district in Tarrant County participating.
Jordan Grimsley, a junior at Arlington Heights High School, had her first encounter with AI-made materials in her AP environmental science class this year. Her work packet had a “blatantly AI generated” habitat diagram and pictures of animals with tails as wide as their bodies, she said.
When she returned to class the next week, Grimsley said the 80-page slideshow contained information about the water cycle, a topic she said she learned in elementary school. On the same slideshow, Grimsley said there was inaccurate information that would have been marked wrong on an AP test.
“To sit in class and be handed materials that are riddled with mistakes, to be told that this is my rigorous education is infuriating and demoralizing,” Grimsley said. “It is demoralizing to students who strive for excellence and disrespectful to teachers who have spent years perfecting their craft. Our teachers know us and know the content better than any robot. ”
Grimsley was not alone. Around 10 Fort Worth students from various schools spoke during the public comment portion of the Board of Managers meeting on Tuesday.
Margarita Cordova, a sophomore at Eastern Hills High School, said the scripted AI lessons are causing students with ADHD, dyslexia or other learning disabilities to struggle.
“Teachers are responsible for shaping a new generation, and while curriculum standards are important, teachers are professionals who have devoted years to learning how to educate, understand their students, have discussions, and teach them to think critically,” Cordova said. “They should have the ability to use that knowledge instead of having got all wasted by an AI-based script.”
The Board of Managers does not engage in conversation during public comment, except to occasionally provide factual information. Superintendent Peter Licata thanked the students for speaking, but did not offer a response to their concerns. The district did not respond to a request for comment.
A spokesperson for the Fort Worth ISD told the Star-Telegram in August that the district had not yet fully developed how teachers were going to use the OpenAI partnership.
Before the Board of Managers meeting, a dozen parents spoke about concerns they had with the district, ranging from safety to lack of special education resources. Several parents also mentioned their disdain for AI being used in their children’s education.
“We have seen students and teachers demoralized and have seen multiple instances of mistake-riddled curriculum clearly written by AI without any significant response from the district,” Sabrina Ball, a parent and co-leader of the advocacy group Indivisible 12. “What we have seen in the takeover is not an improvement; it is a massive step backward.”
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Maven Navarro is a local news reporter at the Star-Telegram. She covers Fort Worth and Tarrant County.