How COVID-19 prepared one leader for AI’s disruption

When Dr. Christopher Meyrick stepped into his first superintendency in 2019, he did not realize he was about to receive a masterclass in crisis management that would define his approach to the next great educational frontier: artificial intelligence.

In the latest episode of the DA Changemakers podcast, Meyrick, the superintendent of New Jersey’s Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District, argues that the COVID-19 pandemic was the ultimate training ground for the disruption now being caused by AI. The episode explores the parallels between the 2020 shutdown and the 2022 release of ChatGPT, focusing on how leaders can navigate periods of extreme uncertainty.

Meyrick reflects on his early days as a leader, noting that the pandemic forced schools to abandon traditional playbooks and rely on their staff’s ingenuity.

“We saw teachers as innovators,” Meyrick says. “We learned that teachers will be successful if we give them the autonomy and trust.” This lesson in trust has become a cornerstone of his district’s “intentional response” to AI integration.

Rather than banning the technology or ignoring its presence, Meyrick’s district has adopted a “living approach” that includes an AI playbook and conversations about how AI can be used in the classroom. The goal, he says, is to maintain academic integrity while ensuring students are prepared for a rapidly shifting workforce.

The conversation also touches on the surprising resistance Meyrick encountered—not just from parents or boards but from students who worried that any use of AI constituted cheating. Meyrick explains how his team worked to redefine these boundaries, noting that “we were learning to fly and building the plane at the same time.”

For leaders who feel behind, Meyrick offers a message of optimism and a call to action, reminding listeners that technology is only becoming more sophisticated.

“Today is the worst AI that you’ll ever use,” Meyrick noted, citing a recent keynote that influenced his thinking.

To hear the full discussion on how Woodstown-Pilesgrove is utilizing AI in everything from agricultural science to administrative tasks, listen to this episode of DA Changemakers.