Make the bug a feature: At Episcopal Academy, the conditions came first

Episcopal Academy (EA) is a PreK-12 independent school outside Philadelphia, founded in 1785. In 2017, a few years before generative AI arrived, EA made a structural bet and built the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). It was built to give teachers personalized support (coaching, professional development, and research on the latest tools and methods) to spark collaboration and inspire innovation in the classroom. When Justin Cerenzia joined as its director three years ago, he brought a phrase that fit the school immediately: make the bug a feature. So often, he argued, a disruptive technology like generative AI feels like a problem. Flip it. Turn it into an opportunity. When EA enrolled in the RAIL endorsement in AI Literacy, Safety, and Ethics, Justin was already a member of its Advisory Board. EA came not just for validation but to pressure test the work they were already doing.