Episode 20: AI & Education The Rochester Provocations

Welcome back to SIT & Sip. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Christopher Harris (Genesee Valley BOCES) and Gordy Baxter (Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES) for a thoughtful and honest conversation about artificial intelligence and education—grounded in questions, not quick fixes.

Dr. Harris shares the story behind the AI & Education Summit and introduces a set of Rochester Provocations designed to push educators beyond surface-level debates about cheating and tools, and toward deeper reflection on assessment, agency, instructional design, and systemic change. Together, we unpack what it means to teach, assess, and learn in a world where AI is unavoidable—and why framing AI as the problem may distract us from the real, long-standing challenges in education.

Along the way, we discuss:

• Why “AI-proof” assessments don’t exist

• How educators can be agents of validity rather than victims of cheating

• Why assessments were broken long before AI entered the classroom

• The importance of giving teachers permission to compromise, diverge, and iterate

• What it means to treat AI as a harm-reduction issue rather than something to avoid

And yes—before things get serious, we also settle an important question: ranch or blue cheese for chicken wings?

This episode is an invitation to sit with complexity, embrace uncertainty, and think collectively about how we want education to evolve in the age of AI.

🔗 Link to the full Rochester Provocations referenced in this episode: CLICK HERE