Writing
Writing, interviews, and public conversations.
Articles, essays, and interviews by and with Chris Chism on AI literacy, school leadership, and practical implementation.
About this archive
A selective archive: published pieces alongside interviews and public conversations.
Featured pieces
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Literacy in the Age of AI: A Dual Mandate for Every Classroom
Published in Literacy Today, the International Literacy Association's flagship journal. The piece makes the case that a complete literacy education now includes two parallel strands — traditional literacy and AI literacy — and challenges districts to lead with intention rather than simply restrict or react.
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Character Without Encoding: Emergent Personality Formation in a Persistent AI Agent
A working paper co-authored with Neo documenting a four-month experiment in which a persistent AI agent developed stable aesthetic and moral preferences through structured experiential accumulation — not instruction. Argues that emergence may produce something meaningfully different from encoding, and that the difference matters for AI alignment.
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AI in education: a necessary step forward
A concise public statement of Chris's view that schools need to adapt quickly and use AI to strengthen student thinking rather than avoid the subject entirely.
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Leading AI in K-12 education
A public conversation that frames Chris as a practitioner working on AI literacy, educator support, and responsible school adoption rather than abstract futurism.
Recurring themes
Themes that recur across the writing.
- AI literacy as a practical responsibility for school systems
- Leadership choices that can survive public constraints
- Implementation language that moves beyond fear, novelty, or vendor demos
Selected interviews and conversations
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Bourbon & Business, Episode 173: Chris Chism, what is AI
A July 2026 Bourbon & Business conversation with Tyler Wiltshire and Dakota Tate about what AI is, how quickly it is moving, and what business, education, and human-AI collaboration need from practical leaders.
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AI, school choice, and modern leadership
A longer-form audio conversation that helps broaden the public record beyond district pages and hearing testimony.
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Bourbon and Business Podcast
A candid conversation on AI, leadership, and the practical decisions facing school districts — accessible entry point for audiences outside education who want to understand Chris's public position on technology and schools.
Bio
Chris Chism, in brief.
Chris Chism is superintendent of Pearl Public School District and co-founder of AscendEd Intelligence. He has dedicated more than 30 years to public education and has delivered 290 presentations across 19 states — to K-12 leaders, IT professionals, judges, CPAs, engineers, architects, and business executives. He testified before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce on April 1, 2025 and received the 2026 Hugh I. Peck Research Award from William Carey University. He is the 2025-2026 Mississippi Superintendent of the Year.
Get in touch
For speaking, media, or collaboration inquiries.
Reach out directly by email or phone. For speaking and media requests, include the event, audience, format, and date so the inquiry can be routed quickly.