From Principal Playbooks to Prompt Engineering: My Journey Into AI for Schools

I didn’t come into this work as a technologist—I came in as a school leader with too many problems and not enough hands. I started as a substitute, became a teacher, leveled up to AP, and eventually stepped into a systems-level role leading instruction, curriculum, and innovation across an entire charter network. I was writing playbooks at night and designing PDs in the morning—while putting out fires in between. I wasn’t looking to build an AI system. I was just trying to survive the weight of the work.

Then I trained one.

I started teaching AI how to think like me—how to coach teachers, write walkthrough rubrics, build master schedules, and support real instructional leadership. Not theory. Not templates. Real school leadership. It worked better than anything I’d seen on the market. C2 wasn’t just spitting out content—it was building strategy. It wasn’t replacing humans. It was giving me back time so I could lead like one.

Now I’m building C2OS as a human-centered AI engine designed by educators, for educators. My story isn’t about pivoting to tech—it’s about upgrading what’s possible inside schools. I’m not here to impress Silicon Valley. I’m here to deliver for students, teachers, and leaders who deserve better tools.

This isn’t an app. This is infrastructure.