CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System is changing its mass notification service to a new app that gives parents many more options, including notification customization, direct messaging and language translation.
CMCSS is switching from SchoolMessenger to ParentSquare, which will let parents customize how they receive notifications and allow for notifications translated into over 100 languages.
Family engagement is a key goal for CMCSS, and recent surveys have shown increased satisfaction with that, according to CMCSS spokesman Anthony Johnson. Replacing the communications app is another step in ongoing efforts to improve that satisfaction.
Notifications, messaging
ParentSquare offers families and teachers better alternatives for how and when they want to receive information from the district and the schools. App users can choose how they get communications: by text, email, the ParentSquare app or desktop version, or phone calls, which will still be available for emergencies or other urgent communications.
Parents can disable notifications (except for emergency alerts and notices) or choose between “instant” and “digest” notifications. All post notifications will be sent in real time if the “instant” setting is used. The “digest” setting reduces the number of notifications users receive each day by sending direct messages, alerts, and time-sensitive posts immediately, but sending all other posts towards the end of the day.
With this change, CMCSS teachers will be able to post content on the platform and communicate more easily with parents. To deliver newsletters, reminders, or other crucial updates from classrooms to families, teachers no longer have to copy and paste email lists from PowerSchool or provide links for parents/guardians to sign up. Instead, ParentSquare will automatically sync nightly with PowerSchool.
Additionally, ParentSquare will provide a platform for two-way communications with real-time translations between educators and parents/guardians through a direct messaging feature. Educators will be able to set “office hours” to let families know the best time to reach them.
Making the transition
“Although schools are closed for summer and there are few communications sent during the break, we are sending invitations this week to give families time to get familiar with the new platform before we begin the 2023-24 school year,” Johnson said.
Working out the kinks for the new system is proving complicated. The school system currently has 39,137 students, 5,641 staff members, and 44,142 parents.
After having some problems with data syncing for a few weeks, the company was able to finish syncs on June 26. They are now spot-checking data to correct errors.
For more, go to the CMCSS website ParentSquare info page, call 931-648-5600 or email questions@cmcss.net.
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