On Board Online • April 27, 2026

By Gary Stern
Special Correspondent

Artificial intelligence can be an effective tool in helping students achieve each of the six competencies outlined by the state's Portrait of a Graduate, according to a New York educator who writes a column on Substack.com that focuses on new forms of educational technology.

"The Portrait of a Graduate is a blueprint for what we want students to achieve; AI gives us tools to support students in developing each competency," said Stephen Karandy, administrator for K-12 instructional technology in the Mohonasen Central School District and author of the Brewing Innovation Substack.

As New York's Regents exams are phased out as a key graduation requirement, starting with the class of 2029-30, students will have to show their readiness to graduate in six areas: academic preparation, critical thinking, problem solving and innovation, effective communication, global citizenship and "future focused" reflection.

In each of these areas, AI can help educators devise curricula and lessons individualized to student needs and can help students conceptualize and pursue their goals, Karandy said.

For instance, AI can help students become better problem-solvers by "offering guided hints, step-by-step explanations, alternate approaches and opportunities to compare solutions," Karandy explained. It can help improve their communications skills by encouraging students to "revise writing, improve clarity, adjust tone for audience, practice presentations and receive feedback on organization and communication."

Karandy first got interested in the potential of educational technology when he was a high school special education teacher in another school district. He's evolved into an ed tech leader and AI advocate. Subscribers to his Substack column (available at no cost) get an email with a link to a free AI Starter Kit for Educators.

What Karandy preaches, he applies in Mohonasen. For instance, students have virtual tutors available to them 24/7. The district uses Google's Gemini Gems, which are AI assistants that can be individualized for student needs.

A Schenectady County district with about 2,850 students, Mohonasen also uses Brisk Teaching, which staff and students can use to organize and streamline their work, among other programs.

Teaching students to use AI makes sense because they'll probably end up using AI after high school, Karandy said. "The companies they'll work for use AI."

While students tend to be eager to use software with AI, teachers can be a little leery. "I tell teachers 'AI will not replace you. It will amplify you - help you do your job better,'" Karandy said. "With each month, I see less opposition."

Ongoing professional development is a must, Karandy said. He presents at faculty meetings, puts out a monthly newsletter and has offered voluntary AI coaching sessions to staff.

For successful implementation, districts must keep parents up to date about AI's impact on their children's education, Karandy said.

"It's crucial," he said. "We're partnering with families; I don't want them to see AI as a threat. We tell them 'AI is here. We want to prepare your kids for the digital world.' We address how we protect (personal information) and how we talk to kids about ethical issues, like plagiarism."

On April 13, the U.S. Department of Education published in the Federal Register a definition for AI literacy that it will use when evaluating applications for grants to improve educational outcomes using AI. The definition includes learners being able to "engage, create with, manage and design AI." For more information, see bit.ly/4txduoa and bit.ly/4vkD4OK .

Editor's note: Karandy will be a presenter at a NYSSBA Live Virtual Policy Workshop on "Keeping Up With Artificial Intelligence" on May 6. He and Laurie Guyon, lead coordinator for instructional technology programs at WSWHE BOCES in Saratoga Springs, will lead a session on "Thoughtfully integrating AI into school district operations." For more information or to register, go to nyssba.org/events .