PA Cyber Leader Helps Shape National AI Guidelines for ELA Classrooms

March 27, 2026

Assistant Director of Curriculum Amy Nyeholt joined 35 thought leaders from across the country to discuss best practices for using AI in the English Language Arts (ELA) classroom in late February. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) invited her to attend the kickoff meetings in Los Angeles. “It was an honor to be there,” Nyeholt said.

Funded by Google.org, NCTE’s AI initiative aims to develop a framework for responsible AI use in ELA classes (grades 6-12) for its 25,000 members nationwide. Throughout the weekend, participants focused on identifying the most important questions for NCTE committees to explore throughout the year.

Participants at the Los Angeles convening spoke about their values as educators. ELA class is where students practice reading, critical thinking, and developing their voice through writing. However, some students use AI to skip steps in the writing process and jump to a generated answer that doesn’t sound like them.

The thought leaders looked at many case studies to see what works for different teachers and why. Texas educator Chanea Bond spoke to the group about how she created an analog classroom where her students handwrite on paper for most assignments, unless they have a disability that requires accommodation.

“A lot of people say to me: ‘Aren't you afraid that they're going to get behind?’” Bond previously told NPR. “And my response is: ‘I know that when my students leave my class that they know how to think and they know how to write.’”

At the Los Angeles meeting, Nyeholt and other educators said that eliminating technology wouldn’t work for their schools where online learning takes place. Having spent 15 years working at PA Cyber, Nyeholt is used to being different from most educators. “I have to do the job most times of taking what I'm learning and adapting it to my model,” she said, “the same way I think [PA Cyber] students do, too, right?”

More Teachers Are Using AI in Class

Teachers of all subjects and grade levels are learning as they go—all while technology rapidly evolves and usage increases. July 2025 survey data from the EdWeek Research Center shows that 61% of teachers are using AI in their classrooms at least a little, compared with 34% who said the same in December 2023. Last year, PA Cyber implemented a traffic light protocol for AI use in class, where teachers advise students on whether red, yellow, or green usage is appropriate for an assignment.

Nyeholt believes NCTE invited her to join the initiative because she has a pulse on the unique needs of classrooms across the country through her role as Chair for the Committee on Affiliates. In this role, she gives voice to state-run organizations that fall under the NCTE umbrella. When it comes to AI, she asks questions like, “How do we construct something like professional development that’s for every teacher? It’s very complex.”

As for the next steps, NCTE committees will meet over the year to develop responsible guidance around ELA teaching and learning in the age of AI.

Besides her involvement in NCTE, Nyeholt is also a seasoned member of the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts (PCTELA). In her role as Advocacy Chair, she stays up to date on Pennsylvania education legislation. She is also their past president.

Participating in these professional organizations for 15 years has both energized and inspired her. “I have friends all around the country,” she says—connections that will continue shaping how educators navigate emerging technology together.