Changes in PPS Communications

April 25, 2024

Dear families,

When you get an email and text message from your school leaders or district offices, that communication likely came from one of two platforms: Remind or SchoolMessenger. Both platforms take the email addresses and phone numbers you provide, store those securely, and sync with our student information system to capture any changes.

Most often, we use SchoolMessenger to contact you. In these instances, the sender decides how it will come to you – as a call, text, or email. With Remind, though, the decision sits with the recipient: do you want to read a message as a text or email, or do you want the message in the Remind app on your phone? (This last option would require you to download the app).

As a district, we have been well-served by both platforms, and school communities have adapted each to their needs. However, in a year of budget cuts, continuing both platforms is not sustainable.

If your school does not currently use Remind, we want to reassure you that this will not be an abrupt change. We will communicate when we are beginning to shift and, in the meantime, we would strongly encourage you to set your personal preferences in Remind.

We recognize some schools already use Remind exclusively, and others will prefer to transition more quickly. Schools will choose to make the shift on whatever schedule is most appropriate for them.

However, for messages spanning multiple schools, we will begin sending through both Remind and SchoolMessenger in May, allowing you to note the difference and try out different options for receiving those messages. We also hope this will allow us to work through some issues that might otherwise arise in August, and for you to grow comfortable with the interface.

While this is a technical shift, we know it is a shift that touches on your daily experience with your student’s school. We thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation as we navigate this change.

Sincerely,

Don Wolff, Chief Technology Officer

Will Howell, Communications Director

1. Remind allows us to send messages directly to students in grade 6-12, which will encourage them to play a more-active role in their education.

2. Remind gives families more agency to pick whatever form of communication is best for them: email, text, app, or any combination.

3. Families have increasingly asked us for communications via a smartphone app – Remind affords this opportunity, and SchoolMessenger does not.

4. Once we complete the shift, families will be able to receive all communications from our district in one place.

This shift will also save us tens of thousands of dollars each year – savings that are needed in this tight budget year.