What is ParentSquare?
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ParentSquare is a safe and secure platform for all school-to-home communication. The two-way group messaging, private conversations, district-wide alerts and notices, and simple user interface keeps everyone connected, creating a vibrant school community.
In today's ed-tech world, schools need a better communication system than relying on hard-to-track emails, lost flyers, missed robocalls, website updates that are never read, or piggybacking on SIS or LMS tools meant for student communication. ParentSquare brings the power of ed-tech revolution to the parents. It reverses the trend for disparate, one-way communication that keeps parents as 'spectators' to their child's education.
Understanding the need for a whole-school adoption, we strive to keep an easy to use interface for ParentSquare, much like the social tools you are used to in today's online digital world. ParentSquare caters to every parent, including those who rarely use technology.
ParentSquare for iOS
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With ParentSquare for iOS, parents can easily connect with teachers and staff at their children’s school from their iOS device. The app allows parents to:
- View posts, appreciate and comment
- Sign up for wish list items, volunteer, and RSVP and view your sign ups
- Check dates for upcoming school and class events and add them to your device calendar
- Send private messages (with attachments) to staff members (or other ParentSquare users*) in your school
- Participate in group conversations
- View posted pictures and files
- View the directory of your child’s school*
- View notices (attendance, cafeteria, library dues)
- Respond to absences or tardies*
- Purchase for goods and services offered for sale by the school
* If allowed by your school's implementation
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Summary of user reviews
Positive highlights
📢
This app hasEffective communication tool for parents and educators
🗓️
This app hasHelps keep track of school events, schedules, and announcements
💬
This app hasAllows for easy messaging between parents and teachers
📝
This app hasUseful for forms, permission slips, and daily check-ins
🔍
This app hasProvides transparency and keeps parents informed
🤝
This app hasFacilitates better collaboration between school and home
🔔
This app hasTimely notifications and alerts keep parents up-to-date
🗂️
This app hasOrganizes information in one central location
Negative highlights
🔍
This app hasDifficult to navigate and find specific information
🔒
This app hasIssues with user accounts and access management
🔧
This app hasTechnical glitches and bugs in the app
🗓️
This app hasInconsistent notifications and missed updates
🙍♀️
This app hasLack of personalization and customization options
💻
This app hasLimited functionality compared to the web version
🤯
This app hasInformation overload and difficulty filtering relevant posts
🔍
This app hasPoor search and organization of past communications
I feel as if the platform is unnecessarily complex at least the way my district manages it. I use it as a parent, a teacher in one district and as a coach is different district. As a parent I HATE it. The district my son is in waaaaaaaaay overuses it and this tends to shut me down in terms of paying attention to it. The vast majority of what is communicated is just not necessary and very repetitive and in my estimation is not worth the cost. As a high school teacher, I think it’s ok. I don’t send a lot. At times it is useful as a reminder for little things but on the whole it is used to announce things over and over again and as such I think it becomes annoying and people shut it out. As a coach I hate the inflexibility. Home school kids and open enrollment kids make it so that I have to send all messages to all the parents which irritates some of them for reasons above and makes me send less information than I would to the team about changes in practice plans, times, parking restrictions, etc. The athletes don’t like it either and they are hesitant to use it even though they are forced to use it. Overall it reminds me of the cone of silence on Get Smart. It’s overly complicated and I think makes communication worse and not better.
