SRE and Infrastructure Engineer

Apply Here!

POSSIP SUMMARY

Possip is a growing data-driven start-up that uses technology and insights to strengthen schools, students, and communities. Working with 1000+ schools and organizations across 29 states, we have an ambitious mission fueled by our desire to strengthen communities through improved communication. We believe every school can have simplified systems for hearing from parents. We also believe that race, language, and socioeconomic diversity should not be a barrier to communication between parents and schools. We are tech-enabled and people-centered.

Possip is built on Ruby on Rails, and utilizes Heroku, Twilio, AWS, and GCP.

After 5 years in market, Possip has served over 500,000 families collecting large amounts of
quantitative and qualitative data.

Job Description:

Possip is looking for an experienced developer who has meaningfully contributed to infrastructure, architecture, and operations work. As we grow our systems need to grow and we wish to do so in the most thoughtful, methodical, and future facing way as possible. The ideal candidate will help us build a scalable cloud-based infrastructure that will facilitate meaningful deployment, configuration, and monitoring, as well as high availability, efficiency, and performance. The role will include both operations work as well as project work. Time will be devoted to both building and managing infrastructure as well as creating new features, scaling the system, and facilitating automation. Possip is a remote team with current employees working from home or co-working spaces. We communicate frequently through video conference.

We’re looking for experience like:

• Strong systems administration
• Building robust monitoring, logging, and alert management systems
• Building and rolling out tooling to help developers deploy secure software with the least friction
  possible
• Management of an application hosted on Heroku
• Building out architecture on either AWS or GCP
• Securing cloud-based applications infrastructure
• Strong programming foundations

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred)
• 4+ years’ experience in web application development and product roles
• Experience with Ruby and Rails
• Demonstrated experience managing full development lifecycle from requirements, development, testing, deployment
• Professional working experience with Heroku and AWS or GCP
• Experience with SRE best practices (bonus for introducing them to an organization)
• Experience creating CI/CD pipelines with pre/post-deployment checks
• Significant understanding of cloud infrastructure design and optimization
• Experience testing cloud-based infrastructure
• Bonus for any cloud related certifications (GCP or AWS)
• Authorized to work in the United States

You will support a small start-up team working to grow a service and platform that will simplify and enable parent to school feedback loops across a diversity of parents and schools. You must care about integrating parent perspective into schools, and about helping schools learn and grow. You should be able to successfully navigate diverse communities, constituencies and contexts.

Apply Here!

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Full Stack Software Engineer

APPLY HERE

Possip Summary:

Possip is a growing data-driven start-up that uses technology and insights to strengthen schools, students, and communities. Working with 1000+ schools and organizations across 29 states, we have an ambitious mission fueled by our desire to strengthen communities through improved communication.  We believe every school can have simplified systems for hearing from parents.  We also believe that race, language, and socioeconomic diversity should not be a barrier to communication between parents and schools. We are tech-enabled and people-centered.

Possip is built on Ruby on Rails, and utilizes Heroku, Twilio, AWS, and GCP.

After 5 years in market, Possip has served over 500,000 families collecting large amounts of quantitative and qualitative data.

Job Description:
We are looking for a Ruby on Rails developer responsible for building data-driven web products. Your primary focus will be the development of all necessary logic, definition and maintenance of the central database, as well as developer operations as necessary. Maintaining scalability, high performance, and responsiveness for front-end requests will also be part of your domain. You will also be responsible for building and integrating front-end components into the application, so an understanding of front-end technologies is necessary as well. Our team members take strong ownership of every system they touch, prioritize requests while staying flexible and positive, and are passionate about continual learning.

Possip is a remote team with current employees working from home or co-working spaces. We communicate frequently through video conference.

We’re looking for experience like:

• Designing, building, and maintaining efficient, reusable, reliable, and scalable Ruby code
• Identifying opportunities to improve code, data management, and platform usability
• Writing, enhancing, or updating code across the entire technology stack
• Working with a variety of third-party API integrated services
• Reviewing and debugging other developers’ code
• Improving and maintaining applications after deployment
• Management of an application hosted on Heroku
• Building out architecture on either AWS or GCP
• Strong programming foundations

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 4+ years’ experience in web application development and product roles
• Experience with Ruby and Rails
• Demonstrated experience managing full development lifecycle from requirements, development, testing, deployment
• Professional working experience with Heroku and AWS or GCP
• Authorized to work in the United States

You will support a small start-up team working to grow a service and platform that will simplify and
enable parent to school feedback loops across a diversity of parents and schools. You must care about
integrating parent perspective into schools, and about helping schools learn and grow. You should be
able to successfully navigate diverse communities, constituencies and contexts.

APPLY HERE

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Top 10 Feedback Trends from Possip Staff in March

Amanda Richards, Possip’s Reporting Team Lead, analyzed data from our Pulse Checks! The results were able to provide you with the top 10 feedback trends from Possip staff!

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In the month of March, over 5,100 staff members responded through Possip Pulse Checks! 59% of staff members were happy this month. 

What is top of mind for teachers and school staff the past few weeks?

Top 10 Trends

Compensation

Student Discipline and Behavior

Teacher Workloads

School Schedule

Teacher Duties and Requirements

Curriculum

Communication

Facilities and Cleanliness

Professional Development Sessions and Teacher Training

Staff Shortages and Teacher Vacancies

 

Top 10 Trends Breakdown

 

#1: Compensation 

• Staff members are sharing feedback that they need an overall pay raise, teacher incentives and stipends for certain positions. In addition, they want higher pay for school staff like paraprofessionals, substitutes, and bus drivers. We are hearing that due to the amount of work they are taking on that goes above and beyond their normal job duties, along with inflation, it’s fair to adjust compensation accordingly.

#2: Student Discipline and Behavior 

• Teachers are sharing that student behavior is a difficult part of their daily job right now. We are hearing that teachers feel consequences are not being enforced. Plus, teachers are in unsafe situations due to behavior. They don’t feel like there is follow-up from administration when students are referred for discipline situations. Also, teachers are requesting school wide discipline systems, action plans for handling student behavior escalations, and more support through effective restorative practices.

#3: Teacher Workloads 

• Staff members are asking for more manageable amounts of work. Furthermore, Possip data shows that teachers need more time to plan and complete daily tasks. They feel overloaded and continue to get additional work and some also feel micromanaged with the tasks they do complete.

#4: School Schedule 

• Teachers are sharing feedback on different aspects of the school schedule, with the majority of things regarding next year schedule changes. We heard teachers sharing opinions on having longer individual school days versus having a longer school year and asking questions about shortening summer breaks. Teachers were also asking questions about this year’s schedules like end of year events impacting the daily schedule and weather closures impacting the length of the current school year.

#5: Teacher Duties and Requirements 

• Teachers want to ensure their contract time is being followed. Additionally, they are advocating to have planning periods and not take on additional duties like subbing other classes and doing carline late after school hours. Teachers are wanting less duties to focus more on teaching and planning.

#6: Curriculum 

• This month, teachers are discussing the curriculum and giving feedback on new ed-tech platforms that districts are using. We also heard requests for more vertical alignment in the curriculum, less focus on test preparation, and more time for students to enjoy the content of the curriculum. 

#7: Communication 

• Teachers provided feedback on communication from their school and district leadership. They want more transparency in communication, along with clear communication about logistics for the end of this year and next school year. Also, teachers also want their voice and input to be taken into account in decisions instead of just hearing decisions already finalized from leadership.  

#8: Facilities and Cleanliness 

• Staff members shared a variety of feedback on cleanliness and facilities-related requests. In fact, a few examples include turning back on water fountains, cleanliness, fixing restroom and plumbing issues, updating general building facilities, and requests for better supplies and materials in classrooms.

#9: Professional Development Sessions and Teacher Training 

• Teachers shared opinions on the effectiveness of past training and requests for future training that were more content-specific. Moreover, we heard that teachers value more team time to plan and collaborate over trainings that take away their planning periods. 

#10: Staff Shortages and Teacher Vacancies

• We heard staff members share that teacher vacancies are making their day-to-day tasks very difficult by increasing class sizes and putting more duties on their plates. Staff members are advocating that district leaders focus on retention and recruitment. As well as, increasing sub availability, and potentially moving people to fill the most critical positions on campus if there is a vacancy.

If you have questions about these top 10 feedback trends from Possip staff, how to resolve them in your school or have feedback on our trends blog, please reach out to amanda@possip.com!

Click here to read educators’ answers to why they teach!

 

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Possip Live Demo – March 30th, 2022

You need to hear from your families, students and staff.

You are short on time, but value the people in your community.

Join us March 30th, 2022 at 2 PM CT / 3 PM ET for a 30-minute session to learn about how Possip can help you meet your goals.

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Tips to Communicate Academic Progress to Parents

Amanda Richards, Possip’s Reporting Team Lead has generated tips to communicate academic progress to parents!

Parents are interested in how their child is progressing academically. To clarify, many parents feel like their child may not be fully engaged in remote learning or having a hard time transitioning back to in-person learning.  With all the uncertainty that schooling has brought over the past couple of years, parents are looking forward to discussing their child’s current academic standing.

Tips we have on how to communicate academic progress to parents virtually: 

 

1. Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences

Planning for these virtual conferences will be a lot different than when parents and teachers meet in person. Possip wrote a blog all about this topic. We also shared free resources for parent teacher conference agendas. Check it out here to get tips on how to plan logistics and execute strong virtual parent teacher conferences.  

2. Supporting Parent Access to Online Gradebooks or Parent Portals

In this new world of high-tech schooling, not all parents are equally caught up to speed. Learning new skills online isn’t always an easy task, and some parents may not even know how to log-in to a virtual gradebook or parent portal. We recommend first making sure all parents know how to log-in to the gradebook website your campus uses, have their login name and password, and understand where to find their child’s grades.

A few ways to do this include:

• Sending out a parent mailer with information on how to successfully check student’s grades. In that mailer, there could be a phone number to call if parents need their log-in information. 
• Publish a monthly parent newsletter all about the topic of understanding your child’s academic progress and giving tips on what parents could be doing to stay in touch with their child’s academic growth.
• If mailers aren’t a great option for your school due to time and resources, you could also send out a text message, like a Possip Bonus Question, to ask parents if they know how to log-in to the gradebook or if they want a staff member to reach out to assist.

Online gradebooks are such an important resource for parents to understand how their child is doing, but it’s only good if parents know how to access it. 

3. Send Home “Pandemic Progress Reports”

Schooling has been unique this year, and our progress reports should also be adapted to the context of pandemic schooling. Instead of just focusing on grades in a progress report, focus on other important metrics for students during this time. A few topics we think would be beneficial to discuss in a “pandemic progress report” include: 

 

• IEP goals
• Attendance and punctuality
• Motivation and attitude
• Participation in class
• Social-emotional indicators
• Willingness to seek out help when needed
• Work completion

 

If your school has important school cultural values, for example the Learner Profile in an IB school, teachers could comment on the child’s progress in those more qualitative areas of character building. Check out a FREE Possip downloadable of a potential “Pandemic Progress Report” you can use with families. 

4. Offer Flexible Times for Scheduling Parent-Teacher Meetings/Calls

Some of our Possip partners schools had school wide virtual parent teacher conferences this past week. We heard they went well, but also heard that some parents just couldn’t make any of the times that were given by the school.  In fact, Some parents felt disappointed to not get a teacher conference because of scheduling constraints.

This is a pretty simple tip, but just allowing flexibility in the times that parents are able to connect with teachers is important. We know that parents have packed schedules and are taking on extra caretaking duties, work from home chaos, and many other responsibilities. We also know that teachers have to do the same. The flexibility may also help teachers, especially those who are also parents. Maybe post-bedtime for the kids works best for a parent-teacher conference. Maybe early mornings work best. Or maybe another creative solution can be made between parents and teachers. This time in general is unusual (to say the least), so let’s think of unusual (but effective) solutions for how we update parents on their child’s progress.

How Can We Take What COVID Taught Us and Apply it to In-Person Learning?

1. Over-communicate

Transitioning back to in-person learning may cause students, staff, and parents to experience anxiety. So, they have to readjust. Parents who may have been heavily involved with remote learning may feel less involved if communication isn’t constant. Be sure to validate parent concerns through the transition. In addition, provide extra reassurance to students leaving their homes and stepping back into in-person activities with full force. Provide comfort to students, parents, and staff to ensure their thoughts and concerns are top priority.

2. Prioritize Relationships

That feeling of being constantly around others may be overwhelming for students and teachers. Building relationships virtually through a computer was a difficult time for many. With that being said, in-person learning is opening up a new door to creating stronger relationships in the classroom. Create discussions and get to know each and every student. Additionally, create a progression of relationship-building from digital activities to more interactive activities to provide students with plenty of opportunities and time to readjust.

3. Create Routines

Lack of routine was a large factor for students during the pandemic. Students need predictability within routine to help create a sense of normalcy and stability in person. With creating new routines, try implementing practices from remote learning that creates a familiar atmosphere. Also, be flexible with your routine, but ensure the students know what to expect on a daily basis.

4. Alleviate Pressure

You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be present. Many times, your schedule will not go as planned and that is okay. Students, teachers, and communities want life to feel “normal” again, but it takes time and practice. Be realistic in your expectations, and be patient with yourself!

Reach out to amanda@possip.com for more tips on communicate academic progress to parents!

 

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Why We Teach

Savannah, a current Possip reporter and former educator, shares the responses of educators answering the question, “Why I Teach.”

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It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day to-do lists, agendas, and details. As caretakers, educators, school leaders, and community members, we know how consuming some of these things can become. This is why it’s important to also take time to zoom out and spend time reflecting on our why. For some of us, this why is part of our greater life purpose. In addition, for others, it’s a single person or impactful moment. While the day-to-day is important, even just from an operational perspective, our why is what drives us. 

This month, we took time to ask educators about their why. Here are some of their stories, each motivated by their why:

 

I teach to build relationships.

“There are piles of paperwork, never enough hours in the day, and standardized testing that doesn’t make sense. However, there is also another aspect of teaching that continually beckons me to show up. It isn’t data sheets or the achievement of my students. It’s the deep relationships that are formed as my scholars begin to trust me enough to share their stories. 

 

When I think back to the beginning of each school year, there is always a period of natural relationship building that occurs. Through this time, the students’ connections to their learning deepen as well. As they trust me with their hopes, dreams, and fears, they also trust me with their growth. Many begin to fall in love with learning and pushing themselves just as I have. It’s a beautiful process to see. I am grateful to be a supportive adult for them as they walk through life. As well, I am grateful to be a passionate educator who helps them cultivate their unique interests and talents.” -Sarah, Nashville

 

I teach to empower students.

“After graduating from Gonzaga University in 2013, heart and mind rooted in the Jesuit tradition, I joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC). I was hoping to discover how my passions for service and mentoring youth might help me fulfill a greater need in the world. For two years, I had the privilege of teaching, tutoring, and mentoring students who lived in underserved communities at Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School in San Jose, California, and at Nativity Jesuit Academy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My experiences at both these schools have shaped me into a more socially-minded individual. They have entrenched me even more deeply in my desire to see all young people realize and embrace their full potential, regardless of their circumstances.

I wore all kinds of hats over the course of two years whether it was leading a poetry workshop, assisting with homework, or facilitating a dance committee meeting. In all capacities, I always strove to foster a space where students felt safe to be their most authentic selves and freely express their unique personality quirks, passions, and perspectives.  When this type of open and compassionate culture came to fruition, I was able to deeply connect with my students. This ultimately carried over into all areas of my engagement with them.

Since then, I have found so much meaning and joy in having the ability to create a classroom environment where students truly want to learn and intentionally participate in their education because they believe their presence and voices matter.  I can’t help but marvel at what an incredible privilege I have as an educator in cultivating life-affirming spaces where every student feels empowered to take full ownership of their learning, and in turn their future.” –Hannah, Palo Alto

 

I teach because it’s fun.

“My perspective is unique because I started my career in marketing. While I was “successful”, I dreaded Mondays and hated the stare-at-a-computer grind. Now, I spend my days working on human puzzles and getting to know teenagers who give me hope for the future. So, I teach because I truly love the day-to-day job and look forward to my mornings. Education is a mess right now and there are a lot of reasons I see and respect people moving on, but I don’t see that happening for me. The grass isn’t greener for everyone!” –Jessica, Nashville

 

I teach because I enjoy helping students succeed.

“Oftentimes as we approach spring break, it is difficult to reflect on “wins” in the classroom as students and teachers are focused on the upcoming time off from school. Fortunately, this year, it is extremely easy for me as I had a huge win just before leaving on break. One of my students I have been teaching since he was a sophomore, is now a senior. Always a very respectful student who wants to succeed but has difficulty in the classroom. He has a wonderful support team and is striving to improve. 

 

Not knowing the after effects of online instruction from the previous school year, I was concerned about his engagement in my classroom. Teaching a class that is a graduation requirement for seniors elevated my concerns for him. At the beginning of the school year, we had a discussion about the outline of the class, strategies on how he will succeed, options for group or independent work, and the overall workload. He was excited about the class and ready to work. Throughout the year his work product was decent and he has been “average” on his assignments and assessments. 

 

Before the Unit Exam last week, he told me he felt really good about the Unit and asked what he could do to get a better grade on his exam. I informed him to complete the study guide and ask me any questions he may have before leaving. In all my years teaching this student he had never completed a study guide or showed interest in an exam. This time he submitted a study guide and achieved an 85 percent on his exam, a personal best for him! It has been difficult to watch him struggle academically for so many years. Witnessing this transition in his academic drive has been the high point of my year and affirms why I teach.” – Roy, Nashville

 

I teach for the hope of a brighter tomorrow.

“When I think of my “why” the faces of the educators, mentors, students, and loved ones that have empowered me to do this heart-work. My “why” began before I recognized it, the women of color educators who believed in me, taught me, mentored me, were forming me into the educator I am today. Their “why” of empowering students slowly became my why through their shared loved, compassion, and holistic approach to teaching. I am who I am because of these women. I do what I do because of these women. 

 

My why is a guide to my work and I have these women to thank for that. Now in my eighth year as an educator, my “why” is what continues to ground me, particularly in this time of the great resignation. In addition, my “why” continues to be grounded in providing equitable educational opportunities for all students, especially students with minoritized identities. My why continues to be creating educational spaces that welcome, honor, and celebrate the richness of diversity. As well as, cultural wealth and lived experiences our students bring with them into our classrooms and school buildings. Also, my “why” is a hope for a brighter tomorrow for our students where their voices lead us to a re-imagining of what education ought to be. My “why” is healing, forward and backward, past and present, a teaching praxis rooted in love and hope.” –Sofia, Seattle

 

Why Your Why Matters

As we can see in each of these teachers’ voices, their why is what motivates them to continue to do the work. Over the last few years, the role of “teacher” has far surpassed the job description. Teachers have worked harder than ever, which has made their why all the more important to their story. We want to express our gratitude to each of the teachers who shared their stories here today. We also want to thank our partners and all teachers for what they do. 

 

Lastly, we encourage you to spend some time reflecting on your own personal why. Think about what it is that truly motivates you, write it down, and share it!

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What else are we reading?

• Top 10 Feedback Trends from Possip Families in March

• Understanding National SEL Day

• How to Help Students Navigate a Complex World

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read a personal story of teacher impact here!

 

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Top 10 Feedback Trends from Possip Families in March

Amanda Richards, Possip’s Reporting Team Lead, analyzed data from our Pulse Checks! The results were able to provide you with the top 10 feedback trends from Possip families from our parent survey!

 

We wanted to share some trends we are seeing so far in the month of March. Possip has heard from over 14,750 unique family members through Possip Pulse Checks parent survey so far this month! As an average for the year, 69% of families stated they were happy with their school.

Top 10 Trends

What is top of mind for families this month?

1⃣ Covid Safety Measures

2⃣ Increased Teacher Communication

3⃣ Carline Logistics

4⃣ Curriculum Feedback

5⃣ Academic Support

6⃣ Bullying

7⃣ Student Safety and Fighting

8⃣ Student Discipline

9⃣ Extracurricular Activities

Cafeteria Feedback

Top 10 Trends Breakdown

#1: COVID safety measures 

There were opinions, questions, and feedback about current safety procedures and what will change in the future. The largest trend surrounded mask mandates–some wanted to keep the mask mandates and some wanted to drop the mask mandates. There were also questions about the current testing and vaccination protocols because families wanted more clarity. Read this blog on how schools can build confidence in COVID safety measures in their schools!

#2:  Increased teacher communication 

We heard families share a desire for more communication, weekly updates around curriculum and school events, and consistency in communication. In addition, a repeated trend from families was that they were not getting responses from teachers to their messages or calls. Read tips on how to improve teacher-parent communications here!

#3: Carline logistics

Better carline management from staff members, more control of the flow of traffic, and unsafe driving were all discussed from families. We also heard of ideas to improve the efficiency of carline, adding crossing guards to carline, increase the staffing at carline, and ensuring bus drivers don’t move into the carline. Here is a service we have seen schools start using to help with carline logistics!

#4: Curriculum feedback 

We heard families ask for more creativity and real world applications to the curriculum, along with more specials class options, and less emphasis on testing. We also heard a trend around families wanting to hear more about how topics are taught, the speed at which the curriculum moves, and the specific methods teachers are using during class.  

#5:  Academic support

There were request for more after school tutoring options, extra extension and remediation work to do at home, and information on what families can do to support students academically at home. Families also asked questions about information on where students can go on campus if they are struggling and want more support, along with questions about what they should be doing if their student is failing a class. 

#6: Bullying 

Families were sharing both specific and general concerns about students being bullied on campuses. In addition to concerns, we heard families want proactive cultural changes to decrease bullying and more discipline to decrease bullying. Check out some ways schools and parents can partner to prevent bullying here!

#7: Student safety and fighting 

Families are seeing an increase in violent and unsafe behaviors on campus, such as fighting, vape use, and the presence of drugs. We heard families requesting more campus security, an increase in adult supervision around campus, and more information regarding the consequences of fighting and unsafe behaviors. 

#8: Student Discipline 

Families shared feedback about stopping collective whole-class consequences, wanting higher standards for student behavior in class, and how student behavior is negatively impacting their child’s academic experience. We also heard questions about the current processes and behavior systems that schools have to support student behaviors. 

#9: Extracurricular activities 

Families want more clubs, sports, and extracurricular opportunities available for their students.  We heard questions about school funding towards clubs and the extracurricular opportunities available for students next year.

#10: Cafeteria feedback

There was feedback about having better quality food being served to students, enough food for all lunch periods, and keeping the food warm. Families also wanted to be able to see the correct lunch menus posted and for families to be able to come to campus and have lunch with students.

 

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To finish, we wanted to highlight two topics that didn’t make the Top 10, but were particularly interesting parent survey trends:

 

#1. Family Engagement

Comments and feedback about increasing family engagement were made frequently. Parents and family members want to be able to come back on campus, attend family events with the school community, and have more opportunities to volunteer. We also heard families wanting to create a PTO/PTA for schools that don’t currently have one. Overall, families want to feel more connected to the school and increase engagement. 

#2. Homework assignments

Families commented on the amount of homework (some wanted less and some wanted more), questions about how homework aligns with curriculum, and a better understanding of how credit is given for homework.

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What else are we reading?

• Top 10 Trends from Staff in February
• How to Help Students Navigate a Complex World
• Understanding what Social-Emotional Learning Is

If you have questions about these parent survey trends, how to resolve them in your school, or have feedback on our trends blog, please reach out to amanda@possip.com! 

 

The post Top 10 Feedback Trends from Possip Families in March appeared first on Possip | Parent Engagement Platform | School Feedback App.

Top 10 Feedback Trends from Possip Staff in February

Amanda Richards, Possip’s Reporting Team Lead, analyzed data from our Pulse Checks! The results were able to provide you with the top 10 feedback trends from Possip staff!

This past week, we received over 489 responses from staff members through Possip Pulse Checks! 56% of staff members were happy this week. 

Top 10 Trends

What is top of mind for teachers and school staff this week?

1⃣  Student Discipline and Student Behavior

2⃣  Teacher Workload

3⃣  Curriculum

4⃣  Teacher Morale

5⃣  Communication to Teachers

6⃣  School Schedule

7⃣  Facility-related Topics and Cleanliness

8⃣  Teacher Vacancies

9⃣  Teacher Duties/Responsibilities

  Mental Health Support

 

Top 10 Trends Breakdown

#1: Feedback on student discipline and student behavior.

Teachers are requesting more disciplinary support, and stricter consequences. Also, they want guidance on best practices for managing students with repeated disciplinary problems and consistent systems on campus to handle discipline situations. We also heard that teacher turnover and lack of consistent teachers in classrooms is increasing this need for improved behavior systems.

#2:  Comments about teacher workloads and feedback on supporting teachers with sustainability.

Our data shows that teachers don’t have the capacity to sub classes and meet all their IEP requirements for student success. It is also a struggle for teachers to handle behavior in larger classes, attend all the necessary meetings, and complete all the other teacher duties. We also heard that teachers are feeling under appreciated and need more time to get all their work done.

#3: Feedback on the curriculum content and class offerings.

Teachers shared that they don’t feel like their curriculum is matching end-of-year assessment. Or, that the curriculum is not effective, and doesn’t motivate students. Staff members also shared they want to start new course offerings and want more flexibility in changing their current curriculum.

#4: Feedback on improving teacher morale.

We heard that teachers feel their school needs to focus on being more positive, united, and share more positive feedback consistently. Teachers also want team-building activities and more joy factor in schools like spirit days.

#5: Comments about improving communication to teachers.

We heard teachers and staff members share a desire for more proactive weather closure communication.  Furthermore, they want better communication to new teachers on campus specifically. More generally, teachers want information being shared consistently, accurately, and a place to find all the communication in one streamlined location.

#6: Feedback on the school schedule.

Teachers are giving feedback on master schedule changes that are happening. Likewise, they want ideas to make student schedules more effective and requests to keep prep periods consistent during the school day.

#7: Comments about facility-related topics and cleanliness on campus.

Teachers and staff members are asking for the bathrooms to be cleaner, and more cleaning supplies in each classroom available. They also request functioning HVAC systems, specific feedback for custodians, and more space in the cafeteria for students.

#8: Feedback about teacher vacancies on campus.

Staff members are requesting to fill teacher and interventionist vacancies as soon as possible. We also heard teachers sharing ideas on how to fund new teacher positions. In addition, teachers are asking a lot of questions about staffing for next year and wanting a plan for the final months of school.

#9: Comments about decreasing teacher duties/responsibilities.

Teachers had questions about completing morning and afternoon duties, bus and carline duties. Similarly, they also had questions about recess duty, lunch duty, testing duties, and beyond. Teachers are sharing that they are feeling overwhelmed and not feeling valued because of too many additional responsibilities. They are worried that teachers will leave the profession from burnout.

#10: Requests for teacher mental health support and giving staff members additional support to work on their own mental health and support student mental health.

Teachers are asking for more trauma-informed instruction support, and requesting to put less pressure on test scores. They also want more time to have student check-ins and more focus on SEL curriculum. We also heard that teachers are struggling with their own mental health support and feel like they’re failing and can’t meet expectations. There were requests for staff community building to give them a positive outlet. Moreover, they want to take things off their plate, and have administrators check-in with teachers about how they are doing.

To finish, we wanted to highlight two topics that didn’t make the Top 10, but were particularly interesting staff feedback trends:

#11: Next School Year Information

Teachers and staff members are wanting more information on the next school year. We heard teachers wanting more communication on any master schedule changes. Additionally, they want more extracurricular and class offerings for students, and teacher placement for next year. We also heard a trend of teachers wanting district and school leaders to ask teachers for their input leading up to those decisions.

#12: Student academic support

We heard that teachers and staff members want more support in how to best help students academically. We heard teachers wanting information on how teachers can best prepare students. For example, they are asking for next year’s skills students will need to master, and also, they want time to collaborate with other grade levels to make sure all students get the support they need this school year. In addition, there were requests for more time with reading and math intervention daily and more PD on how to support catching up kids in all subjects. 

 

If you have questions about these top 10 feedback trends from Possip staff, how to resolve them in your school or have feedback on our trends blog, please reach out to amanda@possip.com!

Click here to learn more about how Possip generates trends through Parent and Partner feedback!

 

The post Top 10 Feedback Trends from Possip Staff in February appeared first on Possip | Parent Engagement Platform | School Feedback App.

Understanding National SEL Day

Savannah, a current Possip reporter and former educator, discusses understanding National SEL day, how it benefits students and adults, and how to implement SEL in schools.

SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Day is Friday, March 11th! It gives us a good chance to ask – why should parents or teachers care about “social emotional learning” and what is it?

Understanding National SEL day can be difficult. To begin, the words “social emotional learning” are a mouth full.  The big words can sometimes mask the heart of social emotional learning (SEL).  Simply, it is helping kids know, think, and engage with their feelings, emotions, and relationships.  This year’s theme is, “Finding Common Ground, Pursuing Common Good.” 

What is SEL?

More formally, social and emotional learning is the methodology and practice of learning how to recognize and process the human experience through emotion. Additionally, another important part of SEL is learning how to develop empathy for others. So, as our world is becoming more complex to navigate for students and adults alike, SEL grows in importance – for schools and families.

CASEL, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, includes five pillars. These pillars are: 

• Self-awareness
• Self-management
• Responsible decision-making
• Relationship skills
• Social awareness. 

While SEL is important within the classroom, it’s equally important in schools, families, and communities as a whole.

Why does SEL matter?

SEL supports a student’s growth.  It also makes schools better, more fair and equitable says CASEL. When schools put communities and relationships first, education can center the people – students and families. Centering people compares to centering results or data. When we look at policies so all students are treated fairly, everyone wins. When curriculum and school lessons are meaningful and relevant, we help students think more deeply and be more self-aware. 

What does the research say?

According to CASEL: “Results from a landmark meta-analysis that looked across 213 studies involving more than 270,000 students found that:

• SEL interventions that address the five core competencies increased students’ academic performance by 11 percentile points. This is in comparison to students who did not participate.
• Students participating in SEL programs showed improved classroom behavior, and an increased ability to manage stress and depression. Also, they had better attitudes about themselves, others, and school.
• Other data showed the same findings. SEL programs that are well done are good for kids.

What does SEL look like in schools?

The good news about SEL is that there are so many ways to put it in action! However, students get the most out of it when it fits with other programs in school. Here are a few ways to put SEL in action in classrooms:

• Begin the day with a moment of mindfulness or a check-in.
• Hold regular class meetings or restorative circles.
• Model and support student group work.
• Discuss recent news, and create lessons around topics that allow students an opportunity for reflection.
• Build SEL vocabulary by teaching students phrases like “I feel” or “What I heard you say was” or “This makes me feel” or “Is this a good time to share this with you?” Or, “How can we learn from one another?” 
• Choose a space in your classroom where students can go when they need to recharge.
• Give opportunities for personal and reflective writing without a grade.
• Invest in an SEL curriculum.

Truthfully, you’re most likely already engaging in SEL activities in your own classrooms, schools, and communities! 

This March, consider using a tool like Possip to promote SEL by engaging with your school community to make sure everyone’s voices are heard. Or, try to implement just one of the suggestions listed above. If your school already actively uses SEL, consider promoting it through your social media to spread awareness!

Our world is a complex place as it is. For this reason, SEL allows students to better understand themselves, empathize with others, and communicate their experiences. 

Click here to learn more about how Possip help’s improve the education of students everyday!

 

The post Understanding National SEL Day appeared first on Possip | Parent Engagement Platform | School Feedback App.