GISD News

As you know, GISD transitioned to a newer version of SchoolStatus this summer.  However, this transition from SchoolStatus Classic to SchoolStatus Connect has been less than ideal.  With a long list of integration issues that has not been shortened throughout the last four weeks, we have made the difficult decision to transition back to SchoolStatus Classic for the time being.  

We feel it is in the best interest of our teacher and parents so that you all can effectively communicate with school starting in just a few days.  We will continue to work with SchoolStatus as they work to resolve these widespread issues and will eventually fully transition to Connect and enjoy the benefits it will have to offer.  

In the meantime, if you were one of the families who was able to receive messages via text, email, and mobile app, congratulations!  Unfortunately this was not the case for many. In addition, there were many more issues on the school user side.  You may keep the SchoolStatus Connect app but announcements will be sent the same way they were last year.  

We apologize for this inconvenience and we are confident that we will have all the benefits of the new SchoolStatus Connect platform soon, including the streamlined communication for all students and teachers through the app. 

Here are a few reminders for families of returning students, and important points for those of you who are new to the district and the SchoolStatus communication platform. 

What do you need to know as a parent? Parents do not need to “opt-in”.  If you have a student registered in GISD, then the teachers have your contact information and can open those lines of communication. All of your contact information is pulled from Ascender and updated nightly.  This is the same method of pulling contact information as we currently use for district and campus level communication.  With that being said, our contact information is only as good as what you provide. Please ensure that your phone numbers and email addresses are updated as any changes are made.  On this note, the only way for a parent or guardian to be able to receive messages is for that parent or guardian to be listed as a contact in Ascender. 

How do I receive messages and announcements?  Messages sent from your child’s teacher will come through like a regular text message, phone call, or email to your inbox. For you, the parent, this looks like any other messages.  The difference on the teacher's side is that all communication is sent via the SchoolStatus platform and recorded and a parent communication log is created.

When will I hear from my child’s teacher? Your student(s) teachers will reach out to you via text message to make the initial contact.   He/she will ask you to respond with a Y and then to save that number, which is unique to each teacher for each student and teacher connection. This is NOT their personal cell phone number. This will be the number that you will be able to text or call to reach that teacher regarding your student. Please see the next question regarding initiating a conversation with your child’s teacher.

How do I contact my child’s teacher? Once the teacher sends the initial text or phone call, you can contact the teacher directly as long as you have responded and save the connection.  The teacher has the ability to send messages to individual contacts or the class as a whole. However, when you respond to the message, it will ONLY go directly to the teacher.  We want to ensure that you, the parent, have ample opportunity to engage in two-way communication with your child’s teacher. 

Are there certain times I can send a text or call?  The teacher has the ability to set office hours in which phone calls will actively ring.  However, if you make a call when it is not office hours, then you will be directed to either leave a voicemail or be transferred to the front office.  

How will I get information from Principals and GISD? All campus and district administrators will also continue to use SchoolStatus Classic to send out one-way announcements, newsletters, and important information.  This will also come through to your phone via text message, email inbox, or phone call.  The only difference is this is one-way and you won’t be able to respond.

If you have any questions about SchoolStatus, please email communications@gainesvilleisd.com. If you have questions about your contact information or parent portal, please contact your campus office.