ParentSquare FAQs for Teachers
1. How do I send an announcement to my entire class?
Use a Post when you need to send information to an entire class, team, group, or activity.
How to send a class post:
-
Open ParentSquare.
-
Select New Post.
-
Choose the class or group that should receive the message.
-
Add a subject and your message.
-
Add photos, documents, links, or other information if needed.
-
Select Post Now or schedule it for later.
Teacher Tip: Use Posts for weekly updates, reminders, events, classroom news, and information that everyone needs to receive.
2. How do I send a private message to an individual parent or student?
Use Messages when you need a private conversation with a parent, guardian, student, or small group.
How to send a message:
-
Open ParentSquare.
-
Select Messages.
-
Select New Message.
-
Search for the parent, guardian, student, or staff member.
-
Type your message.
-
Select Send.
Best Practice: Keep school-related communication inside ParentSquare instead of using personal text messages or personal messaging apps.
3. How does ParentSquare help keep communication secure?
ParentSquare provides a district-managed communication environment that helps keep school communication separate from teachers' personal communication channels. Teachers can communicate with families and students without needing to exchange personal mobile numbers.
To communicate securely:
-
Use Posts for classroom-wide communication.
-
Use Messages for individual or small-group communication.
-
Keep school-related conversations inside ParentSquare or StudentSquare.
-
Avoid using personal texting or social-media accounts for school communication.
-
Follow district communication and student-contact policies.
Why this matters: ParentSquare creates a centralized record of school communication and provides greater transparency and accountability.
4. Are ParentSquare and StudentSquare messages saved or archived?
Yes. Communications sent through ParentSquare and StudentSquare can become part of the district's communication record.
What teachers should know:
-
Use ParentSquare or StudentSquare for school-related communication.
-
Messages sent through the platform are logged.
-
Do not assume a message disappears because it is no longer visible on your main screen.
-
Maintain the same professional standards you would use in email or other official district communication.
Important: Archived communication helps protect students, families, teachers, and the district by creating a transparent record of school-related conversations.
5. Can parents see messages between teachers and their children?
When the district uses StudentSquare, parents can have visibility into school communications involving their child, including direct messages.
For teachers:
-
Open ParentSquare or StudentSquare.
-
Select Messages.
-
Select the student or appropriate group.
-
Send the school-related message through the platform.
-
Remember that communications may be visible to parents and authorized district personnel.
Teacher Best Practice: Write student messages as if the student's parent or a school administrator may review them later. Keep communication professional, appropriate, and focused on school-related matters.
6. How do I communicate with families who speak another language?
ParentSquare provides automatic translation so teachers and families can communicate in their preferred languages.
How it works:
-
Write your message in your normal language.
-
Select the parent, class, or group.
-
Send the message through ParentSquare.
-
ParentSquare translates the message based on the family's preferred language.
-
When a parent responds in another language, ParentSquare can translate the response for you.
Teacher Tip: Use clear sentences and avoid slang, abbreviations, and complicated educational jargon whenever possible.
7. What is the difference between using a Group and a Rostered Class in ParentSquare?
A Rostered Class and a Group are designed for different purposes.
| Rostered Class |
Group |
| Connected to your student information system |
Created and managed manually |
| Runs for the current school year/course |
Can remain available from year to year |
| Student enrollment is updated automatically |
Members must be manually added or removed |
| Rostering changes occur automatically, typically through the nightly sync |
Membership does not automatically change with student enrollment |
| Best for regular classroom communication |
Best for clubs, committees, teams, activities, or special groups |
In our district:
-
A Group lives indefinitely until someone manually changes or deletes it.
-
Both additions and removals from a Group are manual.
-
A Class follows the school calendar/course.
-
Class enrollment is automatically rostered nightly based on student enrollment information.
Teacher Tip: If the students are already assigned to you through ProgressBook, use the Rostered Class rather than creating a separate Group. Use Groups when you need a collection of people that is not tied directly to a scheduled class.
8. If I am a teacher, can I edit my ParentSquare class name?
Yes. You can change how the class name appears in ParentSquare, and this does not change the official class name in ProgressBook.
How to change the class name:
-
Open ParentSquare.
-
Select the appropriate Class.
-
Open the class Settings or class information.
-
Locate the option to edit the Class Name.
-
Enter the name you want families to see.
-
Save your changes.
For example, a class imported as:
MAT 5-03 Smith
could be renamed in ParentSquare to something more parent-friendly, such as:
Mr. Smith's 5th Grade Math
The official course information in ProgressBook remains unchanged.
Teacher Tip: Using a clear, parent-friendly class name makes it easier for families with several children or several teachers to immediately recognize which class is communicating with them.
9. Why can’t Teachers create a Group in ParentSquare during the summer?
Teachers, Administrators, Principals, and District Administrators can create Groups during the school year. However, when classes are inactive during the summer, teachers are temporarily listed as School Staff and may not have permission to create Groups until the start of the school year.
If you need to create a Group during the summer:
- Contact your ParentSquare District Administrator.
- The district can assign you a temporary Group Creator role.
- This role provides permission to create Groups without adding other administrative rights.
Teacher Tip: Request the Group Creator role only if you need to create or manage a Group before your rostered classes become active.
