Maryland public schools will have to abide by new policies governing the use of AI in K-12 education.
Sponsored by Senators Benjamin Brooks, Katie Fry Hester, Kevin M. Harris, Dalya Attar, Brian J. Feldman, and Ron Watson, the Artificial Intelligence Ready Schools Act went into effect on June 1, 2026, according to the state’s website. The bill affects school systems, educators, parents, and students. Under the law, the Maryland State Department of Education must issue statewide guidelines on the use of AI in public schools through an online platform. School systems have 120 days from the guidelines’ release to implement AI policy.
“As a mom, I have just been super concerned about my kids’ interaction with it,” Sen. Hester told WBAL-TV 11 News. “They’re older now, but I know it’s affecting all of the grades, and I think all of our students across Maryland, they’re going to graduate in a world where nearly every career uses AI in some way, and so, I felt like it was our responsibility to make sure that they were prepared to enter the workforce knowing how to use AI.”
The law requires each school system to incorporate AI literacy into workforce preparation and computer science standards for kindergarten through grade 12 by June 1, 2027. In addition, educators and school leaders must receive professional training in AI, and the law calls for the establishment of the Maryland AI Education Collaborative on Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education, which will provide reports and recommendations on AI best practices, per the legislation.
“(The law) embraces (AI) and it also puts the guardrails in place. What we found was that some of the districts across the state were using AI in a pretty aggressive way. Others were banning certain tools, and many of the teachers had, like, little or no training,” Sen. Hester explained, according to WBAL-TV 11 News. “I just didn’t want Maryland students falling behind simply because their system lacked that level of guidance.”
Sen. Hester also said guidance is already being developed by the Maryland State Department of Education.
Some districts, including Howard County, are already teaching students about AI. High school students in Howard County can access education-based Gemini AI accounts, according to WBAL-TV 11 News.
“If we don’t teach kids how to use it, they’re going to learn on their own and not learn well,” said Danielle Dunn, a media specialist at Hammond High School in Columbia, according to the outlet.
