The outgoing director of education for the St. Clair Catholic District School Board (SCCDSB) is encouraging people to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as "it's not going away."
After spending over 30 years in the education sector, Scott Johnson will retire at the end of March.
In an interview with Sarnia News Today, Johnson said moving forward, educators and education systems should understand how AI works so that it can used in a positive manner to support learning.
"How do we teach students to be critical thinkers so they don't become blindsided by some of the negative pieces we hear about AI in society?" he asked. "It's not going away and we absolutely have to teach students why they shouldn't be cheating. We have to come up with relevant tasks that aren't just as simple as copying an answer from AI or Google. We have to come up with assessments that are so deep that the students have to have a role in sharing or making the knowledge visible."
As Johnson prepares to step away from the position, he has been working with Lisa Demers as part of the transition process. Demers will step into the role of director of education on April 1.
"Because [Demers] has been on the senior team for the last eight years, she's highly aware of what are our big issues, what are our small issues, what's on the horizon, and so on," he said. "I'm really confident that with her experience and the team around her, they're going to continue to flourish."
His advice for Demers is to lean on her "incredible" team and leaders across the system.
As Johnson reflects on his time with the SCCDSB, he said he's "extremely proud" of the capital projects completed last year, including the two new school builds in Sarnia and Chatham, as well as the growing student population.
"Our school board has the largest student population we've had since 2011. We continue to grow," he said.
Johnson said he also admires the size of the school board, after previously working in the Greater Toronto Area.
"We're just the perfect size. We have the right number of staff and students that you really get to know everyone's name, everyone's story, everyone's super power," he said. "You live in the community in which you work out here, and so that allows you to see the impact of the things that you and the families are doing."
Johnson said he will continue being involved with the SCCDSB in some capacity during his retirement as he plans to volunteer.
As for other retirement plans, Johnson said he's still trying to figure that out. To start, he wants to take some time and focus on fitness and wellbeing.
"I want to take a little bit of time to step away from everything for at least a few months to figure out what my next chapter is," he said. "I feel grateful, I feel peaceful, and I'm excited about the next chapter."
Johnson's last day will be on Monday, March 31.