Cold Spring School Hosts the AI Summit

Dr. Amy Alzina, superintendent and principal of Cold Spring School Montecito, hosted the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit for educators at the school on July 10-11. With her continued interest in and integration of AI in the classroom and for educators, Dr. Alzina serves as the Chair of the ACSA AI
Task Force.

As the summit was for ACSA members only, I connected with Dr. Alzina afterward for her comments and data points. She said, “It was inspiring to bring together over 100 leaders in education with a shared commitment to ensuring every student in California receives an exceptional, future-ready education. We were honored to be joined by key industry leaders and dedicated public servants, including the CEO from Edapt (edapt.com), Christian Jackson; former State Senator and 2026 State Superintendent candidate, Josh Newman; ACSA Executive Director Dr. Edgar Zazueta and Deputy Executive Director Margarita Cuizon-Armelino; and SSDA Executive Director, Yuri Calderon. We could not have asked for a more energizing, purpose-driven day. Our ACSA Al Task Force will be continuing the momentum from the event to build out AI implementation guidelines and training across our state, all to best prepare our fantastic California students.” 

Adding to Alzina’s comments for our readers is Christian Jackson, who was the Summit’s keynote speaker: “After keynoting ACSA AI and connecting with leaders nationwide, one thing was clear: most AI conversations in education are missing the mark. There’s too much talk about tools, not enough about what the technology is and how to work with it. The ACSA AI Task Force flipped that script, offering a clear roadmap for shifting mindsets and using tools effectively to prepare districts and students for tomorrow, and today. The task force launch, led by Dr. Alzina, succeeded thanks to support from ACSA, SSDA, AI Industry Leader Adam Brotman, former Senator Josh Newman, and the many education leaders pushing progress across California.” 

The AI summit focused on AI innovation in TK–12 plus education. The summit’s more than 100 attendees represented education, school superintendents, principals, teachers, technology experts, industry pioneers, and legislative advocates. Summit events included a presentation on the use of AI in the classroom by teachers, titled From Consumers to Creators, led by Dr. Amy Alzina. Noted summit speakers included Jason Hovey and Chelsea Hatchard from Khan Academy, and Cold Spring School’s Innovation Teacher Ryan Francisco, 2nd Grade Teacher Sarah Shaupeter, 4th Grade Teacher Elizabeth Gomez, and Music & Drama Teacher Sarah DiSalvo using Khanmigo, Adobe Express, and Suno AI. A fireside chat on AI policy and funding was hosted by Zazueta, Calderon, and Capitol AdvisorsPresident Kevin Gordon; and there were breakout sessions on strategies and real-world use cases in schools. Attendees received a signed copy of the book, AI First: The Playbook for Future-Proof Business and Brand by Adam Brotmanand Andy Sack, courtesy of Franklin Covey Education.