Brooklyn Friends School addresses artificial intelligence as a tool for educational equity rather than a threat to traditional learning. Head of School Crissy Cáceres frames the technology debate within her institution’s broader commitment to providing resources that enhance student capabilities while maintaining values-based decision making.
“Everything that is in service to the students in a way that is values-aligned would be allowed,” Cáceres states regarding technology policies. “So the bigger answer that I will always give you is, in assessing any tool, so long as it is not in violation of the values that we hold as a school, is developmentally minded and guided, and is in service to the growth and development of their learning, then we merit to make way for that to be utilized.”
Brooklyn Friends School, which serves approximately 705 students from ages two through 12th grade, addresses AI integration through the lens of Quaker principles that emphasize integrity, community, and stewardship. Rather than blanket prohibitions or uncritical adoption, the institution develops policies that align with its educational mission and values structure.
Technology as Equalizing Force
Cáceres views artificial intelligence through the perspective of her background as a national debate champion, an experience that shapes her understanding of how tools can level competitive playing fields. “I believe that artificial intelligence used in its best form is about equalizing the playing field,” she explains.
Her perspective reflects Brooklyn Friends School’s commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging—one of the institution’s three foundational pillars. School leadership recognizes that AI tools can provide students with different learning needs and backgrounds access to resources that might otherwise require financial investment or specialized tutoring.
Equalizing potential of AI extends beyond individual student support to broader questions of educational access. Cáceres sees technology as potentially addressing systemic inequities in educational opportunity, consistent with Quaker testimonies of equality and social justice that guide institutional decision-making.
Director of Technology Ray Shay leads Brooklyn Friends School’s AI integration efforts. Shay brings relevant experience as a former national debate champion, sharing with Cáceres an understanding of how tools and resources can enhance rather than replace human capability and critical thinking.
Values-Based Implementation Guidelines
Brooklyn Friends School permits AI use in academic work with explicit requirements for transparency and educational purpose. Students may utilize artificial intelligence tools for research papers provided they document how they employed the technology in their work process.
“We do not bar students from utilizing AI in a research paper so long as they are crediting how they used AI,” Cáceres explains. School leadership distinguishes between appropriate applications—such as expanding thoughts or exploring ideas—and inappropriate uses like generating complete assignments without student intellectual contribution.
Requirements teach students to develop critical thinking about technology use rather than simply following prohibition rules. Brooklyn Friends School guides children to evaluate when AI serves their learning objectives and when it might undermine their educational development.
Transparency requirements reflect Quaker values of integrity that permeate all aspects of school life. Students learn to acknowledge their use of technological assistance just as they would cite human sources or collaborative contributions to their work.
Age-Appropriate Technology Integration
Brooklyn Friends School implements technology policies that respond to developmental considerations across its four divisions: Early Childhood, Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School. Cell phone use in middle school was discontinued nine years ago, well before broader public conversations about smartphone impacts on adolescent development.
Upper School students also face restrictions on cell phone access throughout the school day, though this policy implementation occurred more recently. Decisions reflect the school’s commitment to creating learning environments that prioritize human interaction and community building.
AI policies follow similar developmental structures. Younger students receive more structured guidance about technology use, while older students gradually assume greater responsibility for making values-aligned choices about digital tools.
Cáceres emphasizes that technology policies must serve children’s developmental needs rather than adult convenience or fear. “It is not about yes to this and no to that because there’s a fear-based level of engagement around that. This is not our journey, we had it. It’s theirs. Our job is to learn about how they’re meeting the world tomorrow, not how we met it.”
Student-Centered Technology Learning
Brooklyn Friends School recognizes that children often possess greater familiarity with emerging technologies than their educators. Rather than positioning this knowledge gap as problematic, the institution embraces opportunities for intergenerational learning.
“They know more than we do. So as long as our arrogance is out of the way, educators in particular have the stage on the stage, what is it called? Stereotype of wanting to be a sage on the stage,” Cáceres observes. Her perspective challenges traditional power dynamics between teachers and students regarding technology expertise.
Circular classroom arrangements support collaborative technology learning where students share knowledge with peers and educators. Models encourage lifelong learning practices while honoring the Quaker belief that each person possesses valuable insights and capabilities.
Cáceres actively seeks student guidance about contemporary digital platforms and tools. “I want no more as partners for TikTok than my middle schoolers. I’ve been begging. It is time that I do a TikTok dance,” she shares, illustrating her commitment to learning from student expertise rather than dismissing their technological fluency.
Critical Analysis of AI Systems
Brooklyn Friends School teaches students to examine the societal implications of artificial intelligence rather than simply focusing on individual use applications. Critical perspectives reflect the school’s commitment to global social impact and social justice education.
“Our greatest challenge is the way society is aiming to have AI influence the lives of young people and adults alike. It’s based on algorithms. It’s based on systems of social control. It’s based upon money. It is based upon capitalism. That is why AI exists,” Cáceres explains.
Analysis connects AI education to broader curriculum themes about power, equity, and social responsibility. Students learn to question who benefits from particular technological developments and how digital tools might perpetuate or challenge existing inequalities.
Brooklyn Friends School draws connections between AI and historical examples of how technological advancement can serve various social purposes. Cáceres wrote her college essay on “Education As a System of Social Control,” bringing this analytical perspective to contemporary technology discussions.
Brooklyn Friends School prepares students to engage thoughtfully with AI development throughout their lives rather than simply learning current applications. Educational goals reflect the institution’s commitment to educating children who will contribute to creating more just and equitable technological systems.
Ethical technology use serves as essential preparation for citizenship in an increasingly digital world. Students develop skills to evaluate new tools through values-based approaches that will serve them long after they graduate from Brooklyn Friends School.
