At Central Rivers AEA, the work staff does every day is both deeply rewarding and incredibly demanding, which is why the agency’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI) has never been about the technology for its own sake. It is about building staff capacity and clearing the path for the high-impact work they value most. Here is where the agency is on the journey and where it is headed next.
The first step was not a tool. It was a conversation. Through an agency-wide AI needs assessment with every discipline team and department, Central Rivers AEA heard what staff needed, what worried them and where AI could actually lighten their load. That input shaped the agency’s Eight Guiding Principles for AI Use, the foundation for all subsequent steps:
- Staff Well-being and Efficiency
- Student-Centered Impact
- Data Privacy and Security
- Human Responsibility and Oversight
- Transparency and Integrity
- Professional Growth and Empowerment
- Continuous Learning and Adaptation
- Brand Alignment and Relationship-Centered Communication
Underneath all eight is one philosophy: AI is a rough drafting partner, not a replacement for the human touch. Only people can hold the moral accountability for the work, and staff remains fully responsible for the accuracy, tone and fairness of anything AI helps create. The principles, along with companion guidance on disclosing AI use, are available on the Staff AI Intranet.
Next, Central Rivers AEA provided professional learning for these staff groups: Speech-Language Pathologists, Team Representatives and Ed Services/Learning Support Specialists.
Each group followed the same path, built around three pillars: Data Safety and Privacy, Prompt Engineering and Workflow, and Professional Application. The first two pillars were the same for all teams, and the third was individualized to discipline-specific needs. Rather than a tool tour, participants worked through realistic scenarios drawn from their own roles, practiced with fully fictional student data and left with ideas they could use the next day.
The agency also learned from doing. A focus group of staff piloted AI support for report writing, comparing Gemini Notebook with the CRAEA Special Education Writing Assistant, and their findings now open the discipline sessions with real internal data instead of hypotheticals. That kind of feedback, from participants and pilots alike, is what has allowed the learning to be refined into something the agency trusts.
The work with the initial teams produced a tested, refined professional learning experience. Moving forward, the focus is extending that learning to every department. This is a commitment, not a pilot. Whether staff work in Audiology, Creative Services, Early Childhood, the Business Office, IT, Media, Office Support, River Hills or any other team across the agency, there is a place for them in this learning. Sessions will continue to honor the three pillars.
Stay tuned in The Channel
In future editions, look for:
- AI use cases from across the agency: real examples of how Central Rivers AEA staff are using AI to save time, improve accessibility and better serve students and educators. Principle 6 encourages everyone to move from emerging to leading and to share discipline-specific AI wins, and this is where they will be celebrated.
- AI updates: what is new in the tools available on agency accounts and what it means for staff.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey so far. The questions asked in the needs assessment, the ideas tested in pilots and the honest feedback shared in every session are exactly what make this work stronger. Everyone at Central Rivers AEA will have the opportunity to learn about AI, and as the agency grows, it remains committed to staying grounded in what is best for staff. Questions? Contact Dr. Tiffanie Zaugg, Assistive Technology/AI Specialist, at tzaugg@centralriversaea.org.
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