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AI in Teacher Evaluation: What 1,280 Educators Said — and What It Means for School Leaders

[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” row_position_desktop=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” flex_gap_desktop=”10px” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” flex_gap_desktop=”10px” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]AI is already finding its way into teacher evaluation.

Not through policy.
Not through formal rollout plans.
But through day-to-day practice.

In a recent survey of 1,280 educators conducted by veteran educator and Marshall Memo founder Kim Marshall, school leaders shared how they’re actually using AI in evaluation — and where they’re still deeply uncertain.

The results tell a clear story:

AI adoption is accelerating… but trust, clarity, and guardrails are lagging behind.

See the full results.

For district and school leaders, this creates both risk and opportunity.

Let’s break down what the field is saying — and what to do next.

What’s Actually Happening: AI Is Already in the Workflow

Across the survey responses, administrators reported using AI to:

  • Draft observation notes
  • Organize evidence aligned to rubrics
  • Summarize post-observation conversations
  • Capture and clean up walkthrough data

In some cases, leaders are experimenting with more advanced use:

  • Transcribing classroom lessons
  • Generating draft evaluation language
  • Aligning feedback to instructional frameworks

This isn’t theory. It’s happening in real schools, with real teachers, right now.

The Core Tension: Efficiency vs. Trust

While adoption is growing, the open-ended responses revealed a consistent theme:

Educators want the benefits of AI — without losing the human core of evaluation.

One respondent captured it simply:
“Supervision is relational and cannot be automated.”

Another added:
“AI should assist, not replace.”

This is the tension every district is now navigating:

Principals need efficiency → less time on paperwork
Teachers need trust → authentic, human-centered feedback

The mistake many systems make is treating AI as a replacement tool.

The opportunity is to position it as an amplifier of human judgment.

Four Signals School Leaders Can’t Ignore

#1 AI Use Is Largely Unregulated

Most respondents reported:

  • Few (if any) formal policies
  • Minimal training
  • No shared expectations for use

This creates inconsistency — and potential risk.

Leadership implication:
If you don’t define how AI should be used, your staff will define it for you.

#2 Human Judgment Is Non-Negotiable

Educators were clear:

  • Evaluation is built on relationships
  • Context matters
  • Professional judgment cannot be outsourced

Leadership implication:
AI should support reflection and coaching — not determine outcomes.

#3 Transparency Builds (or Breaks) Trust

A recurring concern:
“Teachers should know if AI is involved.”

Without transparency, even helpful tools can erode confidence.

Leadership implication:
Clear communication is just as important as the tool itself.

#4 Privacy Concerns Are Real — and Rising

Educators raised concerns about:

  • Student data
  • Teacher performance data
  • Where and how information is stored

Leadership implication:
Any AI solution must be aligned to your district’s data and privacy standards.

The Opportunity: Reclaiming Time for What Matters Most

Here’s what’s easy to miss in all of this: The real value of AI isn’t better, or less, paperwork.

It’s better conversations between building principals and classroom teachers — and, ultimately, between classroom teachers and students.

When used well, AI can:

  • Reduce time spent writing up observations
  • Organize evidence more efficiently
  • Capture key moments from classroom visits

Which frees up time for:

  • Meaningful coaching conversations
  • Relationship-building with teachers
  • Instructional leadership

That’s the shift:

From documenting teaching → to developing teachers

A Practical Approach for Schools

If you’re a superintendent, principal, or instructional leader, here’s the practical takeaway:

You don’t need to “figure out AI.”

You need to define how it supports your existing priorities:

  • Building trust with staff
  • Improving instructional practice
  • Creating consistency across evaluators
  • Protecting time for real coaching

The districts that get this right won’t be the ones using the most AI.

They’ll be the ones using it most intentionally.

If you want to explore how this shift is already happening in schools, we’ve pulled together a few resources to help you go deeper:

1. Watch the Conversation with Kim Marshall

A practical, real-world discussion on:

  • Mini-observations
  • Coaching conversations
  • Where AI fits — and where it doesn’t

👉 https://rocketpd.com/webinars/from-mini-observations-to-meaningful-debriefs-rethinking-teacher-evaluation-conversations-with-kim-marshall/

2. Read the Guide: Disrupting Teacher Evaluation with AI

A step-by-step look at how to:

  • Save time
  • Build trust
  • Improve feedback quality

👉 https://rocketpd.com/k-12-guides/disrupting-teacher-evaluation-guide-save-time-build-trust/

3. Try the Conversation Summarizer Tool

See how AI can support — not replace — your evaluation process.

  • Upload or demo a sample conversation
  • See summaries aligned to your framework(s)
  • Experience how the process enriches coaching moments

👉 https://rocketpd.com/jesse-schedule/

AI is not the future of teacher evaluation.

Better conversations are.

AI simply gives us a way to get there — faster, more consistently, and with more time for what matters most.

The question isn’t:

“Should we use AI?”

It’s:

“How do we use it to strengthen the human side of teaching and leadership?”

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Why AI in K–12 Will Rise or Fall on Context Engineering

[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” bottom_padding=”2%” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” gradient_type=”default” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Over the past year, RocketPD has spoken with hundreds of superintendents, principals, instructional leaders, and teachers. Across districts of all sizes, one theme keeps emerging:

AI will only be transformative in K–12 if it’s aligned to the real context of schooling — the people, workflows, relationships, and constraints that define everyday practice.

The national conversation tends to focus on tools — which model is best, how to write effective prompts, which features will save time. But in education, the real leverage point isn’t prompt engineering.

It’s context engineering.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” animate=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” bottom_padding=”2%” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” gradient_type=”default” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”What Is Context Engineering?” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Most AI models — including popular tools like ChatGPT — are incredibly powerful. But by default, they operate with generalized context.

They know research.
They know patterns.
They know frameworks.

But they don’t know your district.

They don’t know:

  • Your specific teacher evaluation rubric.
  • Your collective bargaining agreement.
  • Your trust dynamics between principals and teachers.
  • Your feedback norms.
  • Your state compliance requirements.
  • Your limited observation time.
  • Your instructional priorities for the year.

That’s the gap.
And in K–12, that gap is everything.

As AI researcher Philipp Schmid argues, many AI “failures” aren’t about the model at all — they’re context failures. When AI doesn’t understand the environment it’s operating in, it produces output that is generic at best, counterproductive at worst.

In other words:

Better context → Better inputs → Far more useful outputs.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” animate=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” bottom_padding=”2%” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” gradient_type=”default” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”A Visual Look at the Difference” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]The slide illustrates what we’re seeing in real districts:

  • Generalized LLMs know research, data, frameworks.
  • Context engineering layers in the realities of schooling — strategic goals, meeting notes, historical trends, local language, and relationship-based nuance.

The result:
 Highly targeted, district-specific solutions.

This is especially critical in processes that are deeply relational and often administratively overwhelming.

Which brings us to one of education’s most urgent challenges.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” animate=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” bottom_padding=”2%” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” gradient_type=”default” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”Where Context Engineering Matters: Teacher Evaluation
” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Teacher evaluation is one of the most complex workflows in a school system.

It is:

  • Time-intensive.
  • Trust-dependent.
  • Documentation-heavy.
  • Highly variable.
  • Often frustrating for both principals and teachers.

And leaders are right to ask:
How can AI help without undermining relationships?

The answer lies in contextualization — not generic tools.

This is why RocketPD is partnering with Swiftscore, in consultation with Catalyst @ Penn GSE, to launch the National Reimagining Teacher Evaluation Research Cohort.

National Reimagining Teacher Evaluation Research Cohort

This is not a typical professional learning series.

It’s a multi-state, research-driven initiative to explore how contextualized AI can support human-centered educator growth.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” animate=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”What Makes This Initiative Different” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Districts in the cohort will participate in real-world testing of AI solutions that are grounded in their systems — not somebody else’s.

Our shared design principles:

1. Context In First

Districts ingest real rubrics, observation histories, past feedback, and local workflows so the AI understands their environment.

2. Trust at the Center

AI supports clearer, more consistent feedback — but leadership judgment and relationships always stay primary.

3. Human + AI Workflows

Principals and teachers remain at the center of the process. AI accelerates the work; it doesn’t replace it.

4. Continuous Adaptation

The system learns from district input, new trends, and ongoing feedback — evolving over time instead of staying static.

Early partner districts are reporting:

  • .Significant administrative time savings
  • Improved feedback consistency.
  • More meaningful instructional conversations.
  • Stronger transparency.
  • Increased trust.

But only when the AI is aligned to their real context.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” animate=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”Why This Matters for 2025 and Beyond” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]As AI becomes more common in classrooms, district offices, and instructional leadership teams, the question won’t be:

“Which tool is best?”

The question will be:

“Which system understands us well enough to actually help?”

Districts that invest in contextualized AI today will get ahead of the curve — not by automating people out, but by freeing leaders to spend more time on coaching, relationships, and instructional improvement.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” animate=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” bg_color=”#c4c4e5″ scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” gradient_type=”default” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”How Your District Can Get Involved” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]We are building this national cohort with leaders who want to help define what comes next.

► 1. Download the Guide

A practical, research-backed overview of AI’s role in strengthening teacher evaluation.

[Get it here ->]

► 2. Register for our Webinar

A 60-minute conversation featuring district leaders, AI experts, and RocketPD/Swiftscore partners.

[Register now->]

► 3. Apply to Join the National Research Cohort

We’re accepting the first 30 districts for the 2025-2026 launch phase, with events kicking off in the fall and spring.

[Learn more & claim your seat]

► 4. Have a conversation with our team

If you’d like to understand what contextualized AI could look like in your district, we’re always open to a conversation.
Email us directly at info@rocketpd.com; Subject line: “Teacher Evaluation Cohort”[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” animate=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” gradient_type=”default” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”Let’s Build the Future of Educational AI — Together” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]AI in K–12 will succeed or fail on context.

The most impactful systems will be those that can inhabit the real world of schooling, not force everyone into generic workflows.

At RocketPD, we believe the next generation of educational AI must be built with districts, for districts — and in the context that makes each district unique.

If your district wants to help shape that future, we would love for you to join us.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]