ChatGPT Stays Unblocked as Berkeley Parents Press for AI Moratorium

Berkeley Unified's board heard nearly three hours of pressure from students, parents and a UC Berkeley professor to rein in generative AI. Staff answered that the district has adopted no AI tools for students, but ChatGPT and Claude remain unblocked on school networks. The draft AI policy is with the Policy Subcommittee, which the superintendent expects to meet by late October or early November. The update was informational, so the board took no action on technology. Board Vice President Jennifer Corn presided because Board President Brown was excused.

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• AI moratorium demands dominate both public comment rounds; draft policy BP 0441 has no board date.
• ChatGPT and Claude are not blocked. AI sites top a staged filtering review.
• First phone infractions at King Middle School fell to 56 from 107 a year earlier under the bell-to-bell rule.
• Direct YouTube is off for TK-8 but stays open at Berkeley High.
• Counselor caseloads, aftercare cuts and BTA resource gaps surfaced in public comment.

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AI Policy: Pressure Builds, Timeline Slips

Why it matters: Without a date-certain policy, students can still reach generative AI sites on district networks. The first board reading of the draft policy is unlikely before late November.

Where things stand: An AI working group formed in October 2025 and produced a draft policy, BP 0441, now with the Board Policy Subcommittee. Staff said Gemini is disabled for students. Director of Technology Max Eisler said "the district has not adopted or implemented any AI tools for student use."

Board Vice President Jennifer Corn pressed further: "ChatGPT and Claude, for example, are two really common generative AI websites, those are not currently blocked?"

"They are not currently blocked, that is correct," said Eisler. He said AI sites are the highest priority in a staggered filtering review.

When Director Jennifer Shanoski asked for a timeline, Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel said, "I anticipate a meeting, if not by the end of October, for sure early November." The first reading, and a later second-reading vote, depend on the subcommittee.

An organized push: Students spoke first, including members of the More Dreams Less Screens club and the AI Effects and Consequences Club. Parents followed. Girija Ranade, a UC Berkeley professor of electrical engineering and computer science and a parent, argued that students lose productive struggle: "screens and AI are robbing children of this chance." Parent Rachy Lee challenged the district's equity-access argument: "Our students are not guinea pigs for big tech." Public commenter Steve Tate cited New York City's reversal on AI and the liability risks of student data.

The board's own members added to the pressure. Director Mike Chang pointed to a model: "If you take a look at Berkeley Law's new policy that came out last May, they actually prohibited all use of generative AI in their programming." Student Director Hannah Wilson described AI use already in her classes: "I've had classes where the agenda has been entirely created by AI."

The other side: Not every student wants a ban. Molly Burbank, a Berkeley High senior who served on the AI working group, backed AI use with guidelines and pointed to "a pilot policy called the Traffic Light Framework." Junia Martins, co-founder of the AI Effects and Consequences Club, said her group's goal is awareness, not a total ban.

Late-night frustration: Second-round commenters objected that the subcommittee set no date or direction. One said "BUSD needs to stop abdicating policymaking on AI to individual teachers who want and need district-level guidance and support now." A commenter identified as Scott questioned the delay: "Max mentioned in the previous meeting, it takes 10 minutes." Another public commenter argued the district must reconcile more than 10 existing technology policies before adopting an AI policy. A community member identified as Dan put it bluntly: "If you do nothing else, at least block ChatGPT."

What's next: The Policy Subcommittee meets by late October or early November. A first board reading follows, depending on the committee's work.

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Phone Rule Shows Early Results at King

Why it matters: Early data suggest clear rules and consistent enforcement reduce phone use. Berkeley High, however, still limits phones only during instructional time.

Where things stand: The TK-8 mobile device policy, adopted in November 2024 and amended in 2025, applies bell to bell. At King Middle School, staff counted 56 first infractions compared with 107 on the same day last year, a drop of nearly half. Only 11 students had a second infraction and three had a third. Eighth graders accounted for 59% of confiscations.

The district is finalizing consistent tiered responses across middle schools. It is also exploring whether to go further at the high school, including Yonder pouches, which lock phones away during the school day. Berkeley High now uses phone pockets and "phone spas" with a flexible instructional-time rule.

Director Shanoski stressed follow-through: "We can pass the policy, but if it's not implemented, which is what we saw last year, then it's a useless policy." Parent Ryan Green-Rosel described his son's unlimited video game access at Willard. "I really would like to see a policy where smartphones and video game opportunities are kind of like totally removed from the school day," he said.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Director Chang noted that discipline disparities have historically centered on phone use. He asked that discipline data be tracked by protected classification, and the superintendent agreed. Student Director Wilson noted that students bring personal laptops because Chromebook carts are scarce at the high school, which complicates any device crackdown.

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YouTube, Filtering and Student Privacy

Where things stand: "We have changed to make sure that direct YouTube access is turned off for all students in grades TK-8 via their student accounts," said Superintendent Ford Morthel. Staff cited Oct. 1, 2026, for elementary students and Oct. 15, 2026, for middle schoolers. Younger students can still reach YouTube through Google Classroom links.

At the high school, staff pointed to legitimate classroom uses in music, digital photography, computer science and social studies. They said 18% of teachers have students research on YouTube.

The mechanics: Eisler described two layers of web filtering: Palo Alto network controls and GoGuardian. A review of 75 filtering categories began in July. Changes will roll out in stages after stakeholder validation, including with the Berkeley Federation of Teachers.

Eisler also rejected a stricter approach, in which only pre-approved sites are reachable: "We really aren't aware of any district that is using an allowlist model." Parent Richie pushed back: "Open access to YouTube needs to be eliminated from the high school."

Privacy: Eisler said Google Workspace for Education is contractually barred from mining student data. Every vendor that stores student data must sign the California Student Data Privacy Agreement. Board Vice President Corn asked about a Berkeley High sports-team platform that was ordered to stop. Eisler said the coach had skipped the approval process, adding, "This software was a commercial product that had a privacy agreement that is not compliant with state and federal laws."

The technology acceptable use agreement was retitled and lengthened after legal review. Because state standards prevent opt-outs, families can no longer decline its terms. Commenters questioned whether Google signs the state agreement and objected to language saying students have no expectation of privacy.

Who's affected: High schoolers keep broad access while younger students face new limits. Parents called that split inconsistent with the board's own concerns about phones and AI.

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Beyond Screens: Staffing Gaps Surface

Several speakers raised concerns outside the technology agenda.

• Nick Wortham, an Academic Choice counselor at Berkeley High, said his caseload is about 340 to 1, compared with 186 to 220 in the school's small learning communities. He called the gap a violation of the collective bargaining agreement.
• Romell Lamar L., a math teacher at Berkeley Technology Academy (BTA), said "BTA currently needs RJ-trained staff to mediate and intervene," referring to restorative justice.
• A BTA staff member said the school lost technology instruction: "We had a CS pathway and it was replaced with a Spanish teacher."
• Student Director Avonte Alexander, BTA's representative, said "I have one teacher that has spent over $1,000 of her own money to teach her class."
• Parent Kelly Duggan criticized aftercare cuts and the lack of transportation to alternative programs. She said her son faces bullying in understaffed areas.

Why it matters: These concerns point to resource gaps affecting vulnerable students and working families. None was on the agenda for action.

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Minor Items

• Resolution 27-008, issuing local assignment options for 2026-2027, passed by voice vote without discussion. No tally was announced.
• Consent calendar approved by voice vote. Its contents were not described at the meeting.
• BPACT honorees: The pathway that turns classified staff into credentialed teachers has produced 19 teachers, 12 of them now working in BUSD. It has been awarded more than $400,000, including more than $140,000 from the Berkeley Public Schools Fund since 2020.
• Union endorsements: The Berkeley Council of Classified Employees, with CFT and AFT Local 6192, endorsed three school board and three City Council candidates.
• AC Transit cuts: The agency projects a $200M four-year deficit and could cut service up to 16% beginning June 2027 without sustainable funding by December.

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Looking Ahead

AC Transit holds public hearings Oct. 14, 2026, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at 1600 Franklin St. in Oakland. The district's Kids and Smartphones workshop is Oct. 21, 2026, and a parent technology survey goes out this month. The Policy Subcommittee is expected to take up the draft AI policy by late October or early November.