The National Principals Association is proposing two sessions for the 2027 SXSW EDU Conference & Festival. One of the largest and most well-attended education conferences in the country, SXSW EDU chooses its session agenda based on three elements, one of which is public voting. The polls are only open until August 23, so make your selection today!
At last year’s SXSW EDU, Chris Chism, the superintendent of Pearl Public School District in Pearl, MS, and Derek McCoy, the principal of Havelock Elementary School in Havelock, NC, and a 2014 Digital Principal of the Year, presented a 90-minute workshop entitled, “Tomorrow’s Tools Today: AI Solutions for School Leaders.” Below Chism, the 2018 Mississippi Principal of the Year, the 2025–2026 Mississippi Superintendent of the Year, and a leader in artificial intelligence in education, discusses AI and his experience at SXSW EDU.
Why is connecting with school leaders important to you?
AI can be a scary concept. I get that. I get why schools want to ban AI or stick with traditional programs. But the truth is that AI is no good without human beings in the loop. Connecting with other administrators and education professionals at SXSW EDU gives us a forum to talk about how to move forward with something that’s already been set into motion. Most leaders right now are scared of things they don’t know, which is natural. My passion is showing administrators and teachers that yes, this can be scary, but it’s also really good too, so let’s leverage those benefits for our teachers and students.
How can school leaders successfully integrate AI into their operations?
If we are going to embrace AI—and there is no other choice—then where do we start? Personally, I always start with the choke points. What is something that costs you more time than it’s worth? Where are you frustrated? I use AI for anything that takes me more than 10 minutes.
A great example is the annual budget. You can get 50 or 60 files from each department head, principal, and coach about what they need for the year ahead. You can sift through each one, which may take a few days. Or you can use AI to build a model that can create a working budget for you in less than an hour.
What did attendees walk away with after your session?
We keep asking ourselves how to teach kids to use AI. But that is the wrong question. What we all need to be asking is how do we teach everybody how to live with AI? We are past the point of opting out even if we want to. If teachers aren’t using AI and using it well, students aren’t going to graduate with the skills they need.
I also agree with everyone who says that if you create a lesson plan with ChatGPT it’s going to be a generic lesson plan. For example, let’s create guidelines for using AI to write papers, but students must show us their cognitive process. This can be as simple as saying to students, “Here is the AI prompt I want you to use. I also want you to turn in the prompt that you use in the output and tell me what AI changed for you and how it changed it for you and what made it better.”
Once you start asking those reflective questions, then there is no cognitive offload. You are still engaging your students, but you are just doing it through a different set of questions.
Vote for Our 2027 SXSW EDU Session Proposals
We’re excited to announce that the National Principals Association has submitted two dynamic session proposals for SXSW EDU 2027, taking place March 13–16, 2027, in Austin, TX. These sessions feature nationally recognized school leaders who are transforming schools through student leadership, belonging, and innovative approaches to school culture.
Your vote can help bring these important conversations to the national stage. Support our proposals through the SXSW EDU PanelPicker platform. Voting is open until August 23, 2026. During community voting all you need to do is create a SXSW ID account which is quick, easy, and free. Your sign-up information remains completely confidential.
Session 1: Flipping the Script: Student Voice in Title I Schools
Title I schools are too often defined by what they lack. This panel challenges that narrative by showcasing school leaders who transformed their campuses by launching National Honor Society (NHS), National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS), National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), and National Association of Student Councils (NASC) programs. Discover how student leadership opportunities build belonging, elevate student voice, and demonstrate that excellence is possible in every school community.
Session 2: Radical Care as a Leadership Strategy
What happens when school leaders stop asking, “What’s the policy?” and start asking, “What’s the student impact?” Hear from nationally recognized Principals and Assistant Principals of the Year who have built thriving school cultures by leading with care, prioritizing relationships, and embedding equity into everyday decisions. You’ll leave with practical strategies to strengthen school culture, develop leadership at every level, and create environments where students and staff flourish.
Every vote helps amplify the voices of outstanding school leaders and elevate the innovative work happening in schools across the country. Thank you for supporting the National Principals Association and helping us bring these meaningful conversations to the SXSW EDU stage.