Effective Monday, August 14, 2023, a new communication tool will be available to schools. The new tool is named Unified Operations Communication and offers schools two-way communication with parents/guardians using text messages and emails. Messages sent to parents/guardians will be automatically translated into the parent’s preferred language and any responses from the parent/guardian back to school staff member(s) will be translated back into English. Parents and guardians do not need to sign in or download an application. All messages are sent directly as a text message or email to the contact information in PowerSchool. Please review this one-page flier showcasing some of the features of Unified Operations Communication.
What Schools Need To Do
- Watch the training videos provided or attend the upcoming training on August 17, 2023.
- Identify a Super Admin user at your school site who will control permissions/access to Unified Operations Communication. Submit a Help Desk ticket to request access for the Super Admin at your school.
- The Super Admin for your school should remove access for any staff/teachers who should not be sending messages to parents/guardians. Please refer to the instructions below.
- Contact parents/guardians and send them the welcome letter provided, to introduce them to this new tool and let them know your school and teachers will be communicating with them.
Training Information
- Training videos for Unified Operations Communication are available on our training and support website. Please share this information with others at your school. There is a training video for admin users and a video for teachers:
- A training will also be offered by PowerSchool on Thursday, August 17, 2023 from 2:00-3:00 PM. Visit Professional Learning and search for course 34727 to register.
- A few Office Hour sessions will also be offered in mid-September, to assist with answering any questions as schools begin using this new tool.
- A welcome letter is available for parents/guardians, to provide a brief overview and explain they may receive text messages and/or email messages from your school. The welcome letter is available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese, and will also be provided in Tagalog when available. Please feel free to share a link to the welcome letter with parents/guardians at your school.
Accessing Unified Operations Communication
Effective Monday, August 14, 2023 links to access Unified Operations Communication will be available for schools in both PowerSchool Administrator and PowerTeacher. To access Unified Operations Communication, please follow the instructions below:
- Select the Application Tray icon, in the upper, right-hand corner of the screen
- Select Unified Operations Communication
Identify a Super Admin
As a reminder, each school should designate at least one Super Admin. We recommend one or two people at your school should be identified as Super Admin users. Please submit a Help Desk ticket to let us know who you would like to have Super Admin access at your school.
Once your school identifies a Super Admin, we recommend that they review the staff and teachers at your school in Unified Operations Communication, using the Staff Members page. Remove access for any staff or teachers who should not have access to send messages to parents/guardians at your school.
Please do not remove access for any staff who have Super Admin access. There are a few of us in the IT Division and other district offices which will appear on your list of staff members.