About Traffic Lite

I’m Dr. Derek Tranchina, an educator, school leader, AI-in-education consultant, and the founder of Traffic Lite.

I built Traffic Lite after working with educators and school leaders across dozens of school districts on AI literacy, policy, and instructional practice. I kept seeing the same challenge: schools were developing thoughtful AI policies, but teachers still needed a simple way to put those expectations into practice every day. Traffic Lite was created to close that gap by making AI usage guidance clear, consistent, and easy to communicate directly within the tools teachers already use.

My belief is simple: clear expectations are the starting point, not the finish line. Our larger mission is to help schools move toward more thoughtful, AI-forward teaching and learning–where students learn when and how to use AI responsibly while still being challenged to think, create, collaborate, reflect, and solve meaningful problems.

At the same time, we need to be thoughtful about where AI belongs. While I believe AI has the potential to transform education in meaningful ways, it should never undermine the learning goals set forth by the teacher. Finding the right balance between what students should internalize without help from technology and what they can responsibly offload to AI–without compromising meaningful learning–will be critical to ensure we move forward responsibly.

Beyond Traffic Lite, I work with schools and educational organizations on AI policy, literacy, leadership, and instructional practice. For keynote speaking, professional development, or consulting, contact me here or visit DerekTranchina.com to learn more.