Newton, Massachusetts — October 25, 2026 — As artificial intelligence continues to influence teaching, learning, and school administration, Dr. Anna Nolin, Superintendent of Newton Public Schools, is emphasizing the importance of human-centered leadership in guiding its responsible use. Her approach focuses on preserving educator expertise, establishing clear expectations, protecting student information, and ensuring that technology supports the educational relationships at the heart of public schools.
In her September 2026 article for School Business Now, “How Can School Business Officials Leverage AI Safely and Effectively? A Superintendent’s Perspective,” Nolin argues that school systems should begin by identifying the work that needs improvement rather than selecting an AI product first. She presents AI as a potential means of reducing repetitive administrative work and giving educators more time for instruction, collaboration, and engagement with students and families.
For school leaders, this distinction places educational priorities ahead of technological novelty. AI tools may assist with drafting assessments, preparing communications, organizing information, and other administrative tasks, but their outputs require review by professionals who understand the context, responsibilities, and needs of their school communities.
Keeping Educators at the Center of Innovation
Nolin’s perspective reflects her broader experience in curriculum development, instructional leadership, technology integration, and district administration. Her professional background includes leading teaching and learning initiatives, supporting educator development, and overseeing educational innovation in both Natick and Newton, Massachusetts.
In her recent writing, she describes an approach in which AI complements rather than replaces professional judgment. Technology can help educators begin a task, examine alternatives, or reduce time spent on repetitive work. Teachers must nevertheless remain responsible for instructional decisions and the learning experiences they design for students.
This principle is particularly important when AI is used in assessment and instruction. Automated outputs may offer a useful starting point, but educators must evaluate their accuracy, relevance, fairness, and alignment with learning objectives before using them in the classroom.
Establishing Clear Expectations for Students
The question of AI use extends beyond administrative efficiency to academic integrity and student learning. In an August 2026 interview with NBC Boston, Nolin discussed the challenge facing schools as students encounter AI in education, higher education, and the workplace.
Newton Public Schools has been revisiting its acceptable-use policy, with Nolin indicating that student participation would be part of the process. She has also emphasized the importance of teachers communicating when AI assistance is appropriate and when students are expected to complete work independently.
Clear expectations help students understand the difference between using a tool to support their thinking and relying on it to do the thinking for them. They also give educators a more consistent foundation for designing assignments, explaining academic expectations, and teaching responsible technology use.
Rather than treating AI as a question with a single answer for every classroom, this approach recognizes that appropriate use depends on the assignment, the learning objective, and the skills students are expected to develop.
Responsible Adoption Requires Governance and Trust
Human-centered AI leadership also involves decisions about privacy, procurement, cybersecurity, and accountability. In her School Business Now article, Nolin encourages school business officials and district leaders to examine how vendors protect student and staff data, use information to train their systems, monitor outputs for bias or inaccuracies, and respond to safety concerns.
These considerations make AI adoption an organizational responsibility rather than simply a technology purchase. School systems need shared expectations, staff training, appropriate human review, and transparent communication with their communities.
Nolin’s emphasis on collaboration is consistent with her wider work in district strategic planning and community engagement. Responsible implementation requires educators, administrators, technology professionals, business officials, students, and families to understand the goals of a proposed tool and the safeguards surrounding its use.
Preparing Schools for a Changing Educational Landscape
As superintendent of Newton Public Schools, Anna Nolin leads a district whose work encompasses teaching and learning, operational management, professional development, and student support. Her career has included curriculum modernization, personalized learning, STEM initiatives, and the development of technology-focused educational programs.
Her perspective on AI builds on that experience while recognizing that successful implementation depends on more than access to new tools. Schools must determine where technology can provide practical value, prepare staff to use it responsibly, and evaluate whether it improves the work of educating students.
The next phase of AI in education will require school leaders to balance experimentation with sound governance and clear educational purpose. For Nolin, the central consideration is how technology can support the people responsible for learning, relationships, and student development.
As schools continue to evaluate emerging AI capabilities, a human-centered approach offers a practical leadership principle: technology should serve educational goals, reinforce professional expertise, and help schools devote their time and resources to students.
About Dr. Anna Nolin
Dr. Anna Nolin, Ed.D., is an educational leader and Superintendent of Newton Public Schools in Newton, Massachusetts. Her career spans classroom teaching, school administration, curriculum and instructional leadership, and district superintendency. Her professional interests include educational innovation, collaborative leadership, responsible technology integration, strategic planning, and educator development.
