How a Small Minnesota District Built Its AI Guidance Plan | Superintendent Scott Monson

Minneota Public Schools, a small rural district in Minnesota, partnered with SWWC (Southwest West Central Service Cooperative) to build a comprehensive AI guidance plan from the ground up. In this episode, Superintendent Scott Monson shares how the district pulled together a task force of board members, administrators, and teachers to work through the process together, tackling policy gaps, ethical use, and staff rollout as a team. It's a look at how a regional cooperative model helps small districts do work they couldn't tackle alone, and why getting people from every level of the district in the room made the plan stronger. Scott also touches on what it means to lead a small district in 2026, where everyone wears multiple hats to get the job done. 0:00 – Intro & welcome 1:12 – Scott's 35+ year path through rural education 8:43 – Building a culture of excellence in a small district 21:43 – Building the task force: board members, admins, and teachers 23:59 – Why they didn't just write the plan themselves 55:04 – What they'd do differently, including student voice 57:44 – Lightning round & this-or-that 1:07:07 – Final thoughts and advice for other districts