The 2025 AWSP / WASA Conference
By Erica Crane, EdD
TL;DR:
We attended the AWSP/WASA Annual Conference 2025 and spoke with rural, urban, elementary, secondary educators from all over Washington.
Some schools are already experimenting with AI tools; others are still figuring out where to start. Everyone’s moving at a different pace.
We saw how much energy is going into professional development. Leaders are creating space for teachers to try, learn, and collaborate around AI.
Many districts are also asking big-picture questions, not just “how do we use this tool,” but “how do we rethink learning with AI in the mix?”
We’re creating programs to support this . From pilots to national educator communities, we’re here to help schools make better, human-centered choices around AI.
We boothed, we met up with sideby community members in person, we learned from education leaders across the state of Washington who spoke with us about AI in their schools. We'll outline some trends below from the conversations we had. Many of these same insights and grapples are reflected across what we’re seeing in our online sideby community every day.
Insights:
Washington has educators engaging with AI across contexts, from rural to urban, elementary to high school. There was no single trend for who wanted to check in about AI.
Leaders are trying to empower their teams with PD, support, and spaces where they can really learn how AI can work for them and their students.
Leaders are looking at how AI can enhance and accelerate innovation, not just preserve what is, but look at what can be.
Washington education agencies work hard to bring strong leadership around emerging technology, with an AI and Innovation Summit for educators earlier this year and locally grown AI tools like colleague.ai.
Grapples:
Leaders are being tasked with supporting staff and teachers to learn about AI as well as with developing program-wide policies, all while this emerging tech is constantly changing.
There seem to be specific folks in schools or districts who are helping lead this work. Some teams feel very prepared and supported, often thanks to one awesome person who “really knows AI and is helping us figure it out.” Shout out to all those awesome people out there.
Individuals across teams are all in different places along their AI learning journey. This means leaders are consistently navigating individualized learning strengths and opportunities with AI.
It was great to hang out at the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP) / Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) Annual Conference in Spokane. We have our open community for educators across the country AND a pilot program specifically for members of the AWSP. We've said it before and we'll say it again, we know the importance of listening as we learn and centering the people closest to the innovation. We’re here to support educators and position them as the leaders shaping the future of how AI will or won’t impact education moving forward. When we say educators, we mean teachers, principals, professors, assistant principals, deans, superintendents, curriculum coordinators....And we have all these kinds of folks in our community here at sideby. Special shout out to Scott Friedman from the AWSP, for being a great local host and an engaged sideby community member.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
1. Why are school leaders paying so much attention to AI right now?
AI is already showing up in student work and staff workflows. School leaders are paying attention because they want to guide its use, rather than react to it later. They’re focused on clarity, consistency, and long-term learning goals.
2. Is AI only being talked about in large or well-funded districts?
Not at all. At the conference, we spoke with leaders from small, rural districts who are just as interested. Many see AI as a chance to level the playing field and give students broader learning support.
3. What kind of questions did educators ask at the sideby booth?
Most questions were practical. People asked how to get started, how to bring staff on board, and how to keep learning student-centered. There was a significant focus on doing this thoughtfully, not just fast.
4. How are districts balancing curiosity and caution with AI?
They’re encouraging teachers to explore while also building guardrails. Leaders want creativity, but they also want consistency. The balance showed up in conversations about policy, training, and classroom use.
5. What role does sideby play beyond just offering tools?
We help educators think through use cases, connect with peers, and build confidence so AI feels like a helpful partner, not one more thing to figure out alone.