Maria Bennett started as an elementary classroom teacher looking for ways to innovate classroom instruction for her students to provide a personalized experience. As both an assistant principal and school principal, Maria Bennett made schoolwide changes to both the Math and ELA programs to provide an individualized and tiered program for instruction. Most recently, as Director of Technology for Scott County Schools (KY), the district has implemented a sustainable 1:1 program for students and developed Digital Learning Coaches roles to support blended learning practices within the classroom. With an educator background, a heavy focus has been put on rethinking how we, as educators, assess our students' learning and how we prepare our students for life as successful digital citizens outside our school walls. Bennett has been leading district efforts to not restrict the use of AI in the classroom but, rather, to rethink classroom instruction to allow students to safely interact with AI in an attempt to prepare students for their future and to help combat the digital equity gap.