Earlier this year Nikki Henry resigned her position as chief communications officer in Fresno Unified after it came to light that material she’d assembled about the teachers union using artificial intelligence was riddled with fabricated quotes.

Following her departure, leaders in Fresno Unified decided to give her severance pay in the amount of $162,000.

But what exactly does $162,000 mean in educational terms? How might that amount have made an impact at some FUSD schools?

Not being an expert in such matters, I turned to some AI tools: Perplexity as well as the latest version of ChatGPT.

My Question for AI

I asked each program the same question:

“If the Fresno Unified School District had an extra $162,000 at its disposal, what might it do to improve student learning and school culture at its sites? What might it buy, and which new employees might it hire for maximum results?”

Perplexity’s response was speedy and relatively brief:

“With an extra $162,000, Fresno Unified School District could make targeted investments that are proven to boost student learning and strengthen school culture.” It could, for example, provide more classrooms with high-level technology; offer more funding for school clubs, music programs, and sports; and hire more instructional coaches and classroom aides.

All in all, Perplexity concluded, even such a relatively small sum could translate into substantial improvements.

ChatGPT’s Answer

The newest iteration of ChatGPT first wanted to know about my priorities, and I told it to craft a balanced approach that addressed academic improvement and promoted a more robust school culture.

Chatty suggested targeting three high-need schools so as to attain maximum results and it offered these specific allocations: Elementary school $46,000, middle school $58,000, and high school $58,000 for a total of $162,000.00

ChatGPT justified its numbers this way:

“Rather than splitting the funds equally, the district allocates slightly more to the middle and high schools where both academic gaps and culture/behavior challenges tend to be more pronounced. The elementary school receives a smaller yet powerful investment focused on foundational academic growth and positive classroom climate.”

Regarding the selected elementary school, it made this proposal:

“Primary Need Addressed: Foundational reading/math skills and positive classroom routines

•  Part-time Academic Intervention Teacher (0.4 FTE) → $37,200 Supports Tier 2 reading and math intervention groups (grades 3–6) during the school day.
•  Restorative Practices Training + PBIS Coaching Stipends → $7,500 Provides on-site training sessions and coaching cycles for teachers to strengthen positive classroom management and student relationships.
• Intervention Materials/Licenses → $1,300 Diagnostic tools and evidence-based intervention programs (Lexia/Math 180).”

It followed up with similarly detailed ideas for the other two sites and then provided several reasons why its budget would achieve positive outcomes.

$162K Could Make a Difference in High-Need Schools

All of these remarks look fairly impressive and plausible. It looks as if these programs’ suggestions are worth investigating, given that both assert that the sum of $162,000, mindfully invested, could make substantial changes for the better in high-need schools.

Of course, as journalist Karen Hao and others have reported — not to mention Fresno Unified’s recent experience — AI results sometimes contain “hallucinations” — falsehoods.

The proposals put forward by Perplexity and ChatGPT and their AI brethren would need to be carefully evaluated and assessed.

All in all, though, these precise suggestions provide some exciting prospects, especially in the light of the district’s four core goals to improve student achievement.

Those goals include substantial improvements in early literacy, life skills, and college and career readiness.

In that light, the severance pay decision reflects a substantial — and lamentable — opportunity cost.

One can only hope that, moving forward, the board’s financial decisions will reflect its commitments to the four goals that it purports to hold so dear.

About the Author

Before his retirement, Steven Roesch taught English and German for 30 years in Fresno Unified School District.

Make Your Voice Heard

GV Wire encourages vigorous debate from people and organizations on local, state, and national issues. Submit your op-ed to bmcewen@gvwire.com for consideration.