Djeneba DJ Cherif
Teach Blue Fellow
Education can transform not only individual lives but entire communities. As a system leader and first-generation college graduate, I carry both the urgency and the responsibility to build systems that recognize and amplify the brilliance that exists in every child.
Problem of Practice
Generative AI is rapidly entering K–12 classrooms, creating both opportunities and risks. Without clear guidance of implementation, its use may undermine academic integrity, critical thinking, and instructional rigor. There is a need to integrate AI in ways that enhance teaching and learning while upholding equity, ethics, and professional standards.
About Djeneba DJ Cherif
DJ Cherif is the Chief Academic Officer at University Prep Schools, Detroit’s largest charter network, where she leads the academic vision and strategy across all campuses. Her professional interests include math education and education technology, with a particular focus on the integration of artificial intelligence in K–12 settings.
She previously served as Executive Director of K–12 Academics and Senior Director of Curriculum and Instruction for K–12 Math. She has held school leadership roles at Jalen Rose Leadership Academy and Ypsilanti Community Schools.
DJ was recognized by Corp! Magazine as one of Michigan’s 2021 Most Valuable Millennials and received the Overall Most Valuable Millennial Award. She is an inaugural 2023 Google GSV Education Fellow and a 2023 TeachMichigan Systems Leader Fellow.
A graduate of Hampton University, DJ holds a Master of Arts in Educational Studies and Urban Pedagogy from the University of Michigan Marsal School of Education.
Accounts from Djeneba DJ Cherif
Schools everywhere are struggling to deal with AI. Thoughtful administrative leadership, deliberative planning, and collaboration can help schools lead instead of being led by the new tech.
Vertically aligning skill work is no easy task, but by continually studying sources and thinking through the possibilities, a viable plan can emerge.
Generative AI is rapidly entering K–12 classrooms, creating both opportunities and risks. The challenge is to integrate AI in ways that enhance teaching and learning while upholding equity, ethics, and professional standards.