News from the South - West Virginia News Feed

Technologists welcome executive order on AI in schools but say more detail is needed

Published

1 day ago

May 2, 2025

westvirginiawatch.com – Paige Gross – 2025-05-02 05:00:00

by Paige Gross, West Virginia Watch
May 2, 2025

Education software experts say they’re cautiously optimistic about a Trump administration drive to incorporate AI into classrooms, but such a program needs clear goals, specific rules — and enough money to fund the costly systems.

“AI is, inherently, really expensive,” said Ryan Trattner, CEO of AI-assisted studying tool Study Fetch. “It’s not something that scales like a normal piece of software where it might be the same price for 1,000 people to use it as 100,000.”

Among a handful of education-related executive orders last week, President Donald Trump released an order to incorporate artificial intelligence education, training and literacy in K-12 schools for both students and teachers.

The move is in line with other actions Trump has taken to promote quick growth of artificial intelligence in the U.S., including rolling back the 2023 Biden administration executive order that aimed to promote competition within the AI industry while creating guidelines for responsible government use of the technology. Introducing AI to grade school children is meant to create an “AI-ready workforce and the next generation of American AI innovators,” the order said.

A task force made up of members from various federal departments — like the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Energy and Labor, as well as the directors of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Science Foundation and other federal agency representatives — will be developing the program over the next 120 days.

Some makers of AI tools for students said they are cautiously optimistic about more widespread use of AI in schools, saying it would better prepare kids for the current workforce. But they say success with this program hinges on the ability to measure outcomes for AI learning, an understanding of how AI plays a role in society and a set of clear federal guidelines around AI, which the U.S. does not currently have.

Many students, parents and teachers are already using AI in some portion of their learning, often through AI-powered tutoring, counseling, training, studying or tracking tools mostly available from private companies.

Bill Salak, chief technology officer at AI learning and studying platform Brainly, said that many AI tools built for education right now aim to fill gaps in schools where teachers are often spread thin. They may be using AI tools to help them make lesson plans, presentations or study guides. Brainly was founded on the idea of simulating student-run study groups, and is a supplement to classroom learning, Salak said.

Salak is happy to see an initiative that will prompt educators to incorporate AI literacy in schools, saying he feels we’re in a “rapidly changing world” that requires much of the workforce to have a baseline understanding of AI. But he says he hopes the task force gets specific about their goals, and develops the ability to measure outcomes.

“I do think there will be further mandates needed, especially one in which we revisit again, like, what are we teaching?” he said. “What are the standards that we’re holding our teachers to in terms of outcomes in the classroom?”

Specific objectives may come after the 120 day research period, but the executive order currently says that the initiative will develop online resources focused on teaching K-12 students foundational AI literacy and critical thinking skills, and identify ways for teachers to reduce time-intensive administrative tasks, improve evaluations and effectively teach AI in computer science and other classes. It also seeks to establish more AI-related apprenticeship programs targeted at young people.

Trattner of Study Fetch said he’s eager to see a green light from the administration for schools to invest in AI education. The Study Fetch platform allows students and teachers to upload course material from a class, and receive customized studying materials. Trattner said that initially many educators were worried that AI would allow students to cheat, or get through classes without actually learning the material.

But he said in the last year or so, teachers are finding specific tasks that AI can help alleviate from their long to-do lists. Generative AI chatbots are probably not the best fit for classrooms, but specific AI tools, like platforms that help students learn their curriculum material in personalized ways, could be.

“Everybody knows this, but teachers are extremely overworked, with multiple classes,” Trattner said. “I think AI can definitely help educators be substantially more productive.”

But cost is something the committee should consider, Trattner said. The executive order calls for the development of public-private partnerships, and said the committee may be able to tap discretionary grant funding earmarked for education, but it didn’t outline a budget for this initiative. AI tools are often more expensive than other software that schools may be used to buying in bulk, Trattner said.

Some AI tools are targeted toward other parts of the school experience, like College Guidance Network’s Eva, an AI counseling assistant that helps users through the college application process, and helps parents with social and emotional dynamics with their children.

Founder and CEO Jon Carson said he’s not sure that this executive order will make a big impact on schools, because schools tend to follow state or local directives. He also feels like the current administration has damaged its authority on K-12 issues by attempting to shut down the Department of Education.

“In another era, we might actually even bring it up if we were talking to a school district,” Carson said. “But I don’t think we would bring this up, because the administration has lost a lot of credibility.”

Carson hopes the committee plans for security and privacy policies around AI in schools, and folds those principles into the curriculum. Federal guidance on AI privacy could help shape everyone’s use, but especially students who are at the beginning of their experience with the technology, he said.

A successful version of this program would teach students not just how to interact with AI tools, but how they’re built, how they process information, and how to think critically about the results they receive, Salak said. Educators have a right to be critical of AI, and the accuracy of information it provides, he said. But critical thinking and validating information is a skill everyone needs, whether the information comes from a textbook or an algorithm.

“In a world where there’s so much information readily accessible and misinformation that is so readily accessible, learning early on how to question what it is that AI is saying isn’t a bad thing,” Salak said. “And so it doesn’t need to be 100% accurate. But we need to develop skills in our students to be able to think critically and question what it’s saying.”

The specific recommendations and programing stemming from the Artificial Intelligence Education Task Force likely won’t come until next school year, but Salak said he feels the U.S. workforce has been behind on AI for a while.

“I really hope that we’re able to overhaul the agility at which the education institution in America changes and adapts,” Salak said. “Because the world is changing and adapting very, very fast, and we can’t afford to have an education system that lags this far behind.”

West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.

The post Technologists welcome executive order on AI in schools but say more detail is needed appeared first on westvirginiawatch.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article provides a neutral, factual report on the executive order introduced by the Trump administration regarding the incorporation of AI in schools. It focuses on the perspectives of technologists, educators, and experts about the potential benefits and challenges of AI in education. The language is measured and descriptive, presenting the views of various stakeholders, including cautious optimism and concerns about cost and implementation. There is no overt endorsement of any political ideology or clear slant toward either side of the political spectrum. While some opinions are expressed about the Trump administration’s actions, these are attributed to the individuals quoted and not presented as the article’s own perspective. The overall tone remains balanced, offering insight into both support and skepticism without pushing a particular agenda.

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Small town library in WV closes after 50 years

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University of Pikeville adding dental school to help address the needs of rural Appalachia

News from the South - West Virginia News Feed

Small town library in WV closes after 50 years

Published

17 hours ago

May 2, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – WCHS Eyewitness News – 2025-05-02 15:00:33

SUMMARY: The Marmmont Library in West Virginia is closing after nearly 50 years, with its last day being Friday. The library operated out of an aging trailer with structural issues, prompting this decision. Despite the closure, plans are underway to develop a new facility with community input, aiming to better serve local needs through a five-year plan. Books and materials will be transferred to other branches in the Canal County Public Library system, and programs will continue at the Marmet Rec Center. Starting May 8, a bookmobile will visit the Marmet location weekly to maintain library services in the area.

MARMET, W.Va. (WCHS) — The Marmet Public Library is opening its doors for the last time on Friday, but how does the future for library services in the town look?

FULL STORY: https://wchstv.com/news/local/marmet-library-closes-after-50-years-plans-for-new-facility-underway#

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News from the South - West Virginia News Feed

University of Pikeville adding dental school to help address the needs of rural Appalachia

Published

2 days ago

May 1, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – WCHS Eyewitness News – 2025-05-01 15:00:30

SUMMARY: The University of Pikeville is constructing a dental school to address the critical shortage of dentists in rural Appalachia, particularly in eastern Kentucky. The program will allow students to complete their studies in three years instead of four, reducing costs and quickly preparing them for the workforce. The school’s location aims to fill the gap created by a decrease in dentists in rural areas, where many patients face long waits or must travel for care. A $2 million donation from Delta Dental of Kentucky will support equipment, scholarships, and tuition assistance. The dental school is set to open in June 2026.

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WCHS) — Construction is underway for a dental school at the University of Pikeville which is expected to have a positive impact on students and rural Appalachian residents.

FULL STORY: https://wchstv.com/news/local/university-of-pikeville-adding-dental-school-to-help-address-the-needs-of-rural-appalachia#

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News from the South - West Virginia News Feed

Trump wants to cut Head Start. In WV, it will eliminate preschool for 8K kids and thousands of jobs.

Published

2 days ago

May 1, 2025

Staff Editor

westvirginiawatch.com – Amelia Ferrell Knisely – 2025-05-01 05:00:00

by Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
May 1, 2025

Samantha Casto, a preschool teacher at Ravenswood Head Start, is making the outdoors her classroom this spring. Her four- and five-year-old students are learning about bug habitats and digging their tiny hands into the dirt.

“It’s not ‘sit down at a desk and learn,’” said Casto, 33. “They get to learn in a fun way.”

Head Start offers free child care, early education, meals and more to thousands of low-income children in West Virginia. There are support services for families, as well.

Under President Donald Trump, the program could be terminated.

The Trump administration is asking Congress to eliminate funding for Head Start, which would shutter programs nationwide.

In West Virginia, it would terminate preschool and services for nearly 8,000 children and cut 3,000 jobs.

“I can’t imagine how West Virginia would fare — our children, families, even our economy … I don’t know how these families would go to work,” said Lori Milam, executive director of the West Virginia Head Start Association. “It would be devastating. It really would.”

Samantha Casto

Casto has worked at Ravenswood Head Start for 11 years. “I’m devastated and upset,” she said.

The Trump administration has already slashed Head Start staff, closed half the program’s regional offices and delayed funding.

Several states, including Pennsylvania, and advocacy groups are suing the Trump administration over the looming Head Start funding cuts. The lawsuit alleges that the actions already taken against the program, including shuttering its regional offices, required congressional approval.

Milam said West Virginia Head Start is waiting on grant money needed May 1 for programs that serve 1,000 children.

“There’s no communication because of closing the [regional] Head Start offices,” she said.

A spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said in an email, “At this point in time, Sen. Capito is continuing to work with [the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] to ensure that West Virginia Head Start centers receive their grant money.”

Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman, R-Ohio

Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., and Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., did not return comments for this story.

West Virginia’s Head Start programs are solely reliant on federal funding and received $83 million in 2024.

State Sen. Laura Chapman, who chairs the Senate Health Committee, said she would see if the state could fund the program should the federal cuts go through.

“A cut to Head Start would be devastating, however, I do support the Trump administration’s goals in reducing bureaucracy and administrative costs,” said Chapman, R-Ohio. “If it does happen, I believe that the state should step up and try to fill in the gaps.”

“I support Head Start and our families,” she added.

Head Start closure would worsen state’s child care shortage

Head Start’s potential closure would worsen the state’s child care shortage. More than 25,000 children in West Virginia don’t have access to child care, and hundreds of child care facilities have closed in the state in the last few years.

Northern Panhandle Head Start serves five counties, including Wetzel County, where there is no licensed child care center. The program partners with five nearby child care centers to provide funds that help pay teachers.

“Our Head Start [programs] are some of the only available centers that children can go to,” said Jackie Bell, executive director of Northern Panhandle Head Start. “I’m very concerned about the proposed budget cuts. It threatens the stability and the future of our early childhood education.”

“We’re more than a preschool program,” she continued. “It allows [families] to go out and get jobs and work during the day and know their child is taking care of and receiving quality programming.”

Bell said 120 staff will lose their jobs if her Head Start program is forced to close.

The National Institute for Early Education Research recently ranked West Virginia as fourth in the nation for preschool for four-year-olds, which was influenced by Head Start access statewide.

Head Start also serves a referral program, connecting young children with free services like speech and physical therapy through the Birth to Three program. Milam worries that children, including children in foster care and those with developmental disabilities, will slip through the cracks without screenings and services before they enter kindergarten.

Program employees also made nearly 44,000 home visits last year to check on children and provide in-home support for parents. The service plays a role in preventing children from entering West Virginia’s overburdened foster care system, Bell said.

“One of the unique pieces of our program is the parent education and training side of it,” Bell said, adding that the organization also makes referrals to Child Protective Services when necessary.

“We’re serving the vulnerable children and families, and that’s what’s really scary about these potential cuts,” she said.

Savannah Shamblin

Milam planned on spending this year celebrating Head Start’s 60th anniversary. Now, she is collecting testimonials and calling elected officials in hopes of saving the program.

“I am still very, very hopeful,” she said.

Savannah Shamblin, 32, is a Head Start teacher at the Fairplain Center in Jackson County. Her students are learning the alphabet, how to spell their names and how to use silverware.

“Whenever that clicks, I get super excited … because I know I’m making a difference, and the kids get excited too,” she said.

Shamblin is worried about her job, but said, “I worry more about the children and families more.”

“We need to continue it for the next 100 years because it’s helping children that really need it,” she said.

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The post Trump wants to cut Head Start. In WV, it will eliminate preschool for 8K kids and thousands of jobs. appeared first on westvirginiawatch.com

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

The article provides a factual overview of proposed cuts to the Head Start program, which would impact thousands of children and workers in West Virginia. While the content largely focuses on the negative consequences of these cuts, including direct quotes from individuals affected by the policy and concerns about its broader social and economic effects, it does not overtly promote an ideological position. The piece tends to present the issue from the perspective of those who would be harmed by the cuts, including educators and advocates for low-income families. The tone, particularly in phrases like “devastating” and “slashing,” suggests a sympathetic view toward the program and those it serves, but it remains largely grounded in reporting on the actions of the Trump administration and its impact on specific communities. The article refrains from offering overt support for political alternatives or opposition, maintaining a focus on human impact rather than explicitly advocating for one policy stance over another.