Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming classrooms everywhere, and at Albuquerque Academy, the conversation is unfolding with the same curiosity and care that define the school’s approach to learning.
“It’s a complicated issue,” says Head of School Julianne Puente. “The world hasn’t rebuked many technological advances. We look for ways to be more efficient, but we get upset that kids want the same thing? The struggle is working out how to incorporate AI in a way that doesn’t prevent them from using their own minds. Kids want to do the right thing, and they want to learn.”
Last summer, Julianne convened a task force, led by Science Chair Stephanie Good, to explore how AI might be used in ways that reflect the Academy’s core values — integrity, creativity, and respect — and its commitment to lifelong learning. Over the course of several months, the group raised concerns, listened to faculty and staff through surveys, and tested practical tools, including a system in Canvas for teachers to clarify when AI may be used on assignments and piloting a system, TrueMark, designed to encourage responsible application.
The task force’s work was less about creating rules and more about understanding how AI can truly serve learning, Stephanie says. “We spent a lot of time identifying our biggest questions — how AI might change the learning process, what it means for academic integrity, and where it can actually help students grow. Through all the conversations and research, what we found most valuable was the process itself — slowing down, listening, and realizing this will need to evolve as we all learn.”
That process included studying how other independent and public schools were approaching AI, connecting with national education leaders, and training faculty members to test new tools. “It’s changing so fast that we can’t just decide once and be done,” Stephanie adds. “We’re taking time to pilot ideas, reflect on what works, and build something grounded in our community’s experience.”
What emerged was a shared framework built not just on rules, but on trust — trust that students want to learn, and that teachers want to guide them in using new tools wisely. The framework underscores three priorities: using AI as a tool to enhance creativity and inquiry, ensuring ethical and equitable access, and helping students and faculty recognize both the possibilities and the limits of the technology.
One early example came from the TrueMark writing pilot, which Stephanie describes as a thought partner. Rather than producing work for students, it engages them in a kind of Socratic dialogue, she says, helping them think through questions and refine their ideas. “When used well, students actually learn more. It pushes them to think deeper before they write.”
Guiding principles now give clarity: AI can assist with communication, learning, and routine tasks, but results should always be reviewed carefully. Confidential information should never be entered into an AI tool, and AI should not replace student work, human judgment, or personal responsibility.
The work is ongoing as AI continues to evolve. “I want students to learn how to use AI well — to make their work stronger without losing their own thinking,” Stephanie said. “That means teachers have to keep experimenting and redesigning, which isn’t easy, but it’s exciting.”
The Academy sees this moment not as a threat to learning but as an opportunity — a chance to teach students how to navigate new technology thoughtfully, responsibly, and with the same curiosity they bring to every subject.
