Artificial intelligence is already in Falls Church City Public Schools classrooms. Teachers are using it to create lesson materials, adjust reading levels and build AI learning partners that give students feedback on their work, according to written responses FCCPS provided to the News-Press this week.
The approved list is short. Teachers can use four tools: Google Gemini, SchoolAI, Diffit and Canva. Students get two. SchoolAI is approved for grades six through 12, and Gemini for grades nine through 12. ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot are not on either list.
The responses give Falls Church families the clearest look yet at how AI is moving into city schools since the School Board adopted Policy II/GF in June. They also leave the biggest questions on the table. What does it cost? What student information do vendors see? Why did some of these tools make the list at all?
FCCPS drew a firm line on what the technology is for. “Teachers are not using AI to replace direct instruction,” the school system said in its written response. At the middle and high schools, teachers create customized AI learning partners that help students review material and get feedback on projects and assignments. Several teachers use SchoolAI to adjust the reading level of instructional materials so every student can access materials at their level. Materials teachers create with AI still require human review, FCCPS said.
Age decides access. Under the School Board’s policy, students in kindergarten through fifth grade do not interact independently with generative AI tools. For secondary students, a system called AI Frontiers helps teachers spell out expectations for AI use on classroom activities and assignments. Teachers do not require AI for any assignment, and the custom AI learning partners are optional for students, FCCPS said.
Student data is where the answers start to thin out. Every approved tool goes through a procurement process that includes a data privacy agreement, and vendors are prohibited from using student information to train their AI models. Vendors must agree to FCCPS’s terms and to Virginia Department of Education requirements. FCCPS put it bluntly: “If the vendor does not agree, we will not make the purchase.”
The harder question is what vendors get in the first place. Asked whether student names, assignments, grades or other identifying information are shared with AI companies, FCCPS pointed only to its procurement process. That distinction matters. A ban on training AI with student data does not mean a vendor never sees student data. The News-Press has asked for clarification.
On the decisions that shape a student’s record, FCCPS said people stay in charge. The school system is not using generative AI to make decisions about grading, discipline, special education or academic placement. All staff were required to complete compliance training on ethical use and data security and privacy, and this year every employee must complete an online course and attend at least two face-to-face sessions. Asked how parents learn about the tools their children may encounter, FCCPS pointed to its recently launched AI at FCCPS webpage.
Then there is Canva. Gemini, SchoolAI and Diffit are built around teaching and learning. Canva is a template-driven design platform, and its AI features, sold as Magic Studio, can write copy, generate images and build entire layouts from a short prompt.
It is also free. Canva for Education costs nothing for eligible K-12 teachers, students and school systems, according to the company, and includes most of the Magic Studio tools that individual users pay $18 a month for through Canva Pro. School systems control which AI features teachers and students can use, and Canva says it does not train its AI on education data.
That raises questions the FCCPS response does not answer. Which Magic Studio features are turned on for Falls Church teachers? Do students use Canva in art, graphics or other classes? Was it chosen through a formal evaluation, or because it was free and already in use? Are students who want to pursue design learning the tools professional designers actually work in, such as Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop or Figma, or a platform built for people who aren’t designers?
A teacher pulling together a handout before third period needs speed. A student learning layout, typography and visual hierarchy needs to build something. When AI generates the design, the user picks a result instead of making one. The News-Press has asked FCCPS those questions.
Canva’s free price tag also points to a question FCCPS has yet to answer: what AI is costing the school system. The News-Press asked what FCCPS has spent on AI software, licensing, training and implementation for fiscal years 2025 through 2027, and what investments are under consideration after budget discussions listed AI implementation among the school system’s unfunded needs. FCCPS has not yet provided those figures. When they arrive, the News-Press will break down how much is being spent and what that money is paying for.
FCCPS has not yet responded to a question about documented incidents involving inappropriate AI use, inaccurate information, academic integrity or student privacy. A pending answer does not mean any such incidents occurred.
Asked for AI’s greatest benefit, FCCPS said intentional AI use supports student growth and the school system’s mission to personalize learning. The response did not identify a greatest concern. The school system has written rules, named its tools and committed to human oversight. The cost figures, the data details and the reasoning behind tools like Canva are the next pieces, and they will help show how well AI is serving Falls Church students. The News-Press will report FCCPS’s answers in a follow-up story.
