Streamlining Educational Partnerships Through AI

When you spend your days managing partnerships with 30 different universities, you learn to appreciate any tool that makes life easier. As PSD’s Director of Talent, Recruitment, and Retention, I’ve discovered that AI isn’t just making life easier — it’s transforming how we support the next generation of educators.

From Drowning in Documents to Swimming in Success

Let’s be real; Coordinating student teacher placements used to be overwhelming. Each university partnership comes with its own unique agreement, requirements, and expectations. Imagine trying to keep track of hundreds of pages of documentation while ensuring every mentor teacher, student teacher, and administrator knows exactly what they need to do.

It was like trying to conduct an orchestra when every musician was given a different piece of music. That’s when Google Notebook LM entered my work.

When our district decided to embrace AI tools districtwide, I was skeptical. After all, managing future educators seems like a deeply human task. But Notebook LM has proved to be the assistant I desperately needed.

Here’s what the process with Notebook LM looks like;

1. I upload university agreements to Notebook LM.
2. I ask for specific requirements using natural language in my prompts.
3. Notebook LM provides me with organized summaries for each stakeholder group.
4. I draft personalized communications using accurate, consistent information.

What used to take hours now takes minutes. But more importantly, it’s allowed me to be more responsive and supportive of my team and everyone involved in the process.

What This Means for Our Educational Community

The efficiency gains are great, but the real impact goes deeper. Every minute saved on paperwork is a minute I can spend on meaningful conversations with potential mentor teachers; supporting student teachers through their journey; building stronger relationships with our university partners; identifying and developing future talent for our district.

As someone who’s spent years in talent development, I’ve seen plenty of “revolutionary” tools come and go. What makes this different is how it enhances rather than replaces the human element of our work. AI handles the heavy lifting of document analysis, letting us focus on what really matters — building relationships and supporting educators. And this is just the beginning. With these tools streamlining our administrative processes, we’re exploring new ways to enhance our student teacher program. Our AI-enhanced processes means we can focus on what matters most, helping develop the next generation of great teachers.

Dan Dizon leads talent recruitment and retention for Peninsula School District, bringing a blend of educational expertise and talent development experience to support our staff. Connect with him to learn more about mentorship opportunities, partnerships, or about current career opportunities.