Parents' Guide to

ParentSquare

By Stephanie Trautman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Helpful communication tool for schools, parents, not kids.

Website https://www.parentsquare.com/
ParentSquare Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this website.

Community Reviews

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age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

Paulanz
Paulanz Adult
September 9, 2022
age 2+
ParentSquare is a platform that schools and district use - all the content is generated and communicated and posted by school staff and educators. ParentSquare doesn't message or provide content for parents directly, apart from blog posts and materials on how to use the app, platform, etc. I have used it for probably 8 years across elementary, middle and high schools (I have seniors this year). It makes my life easier as I have one place to go to find school stuff. I don't have to spend hours trying to search email for something that came in a few weeks ago, and since I use the app and text, the messages don't get noised out by other things. I love the sign ups for volunteering, parent-teacher conferences, and the calendar integration (when school users actually use it).
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What’s It About?

Parents, teachers, and administrators can communicate in PARENTSQUARE through posting events, photos, files, and updates. Administrators can see how many parents viewed the post, ask for items, or request volunteers or ask for an RSVP to an event. The events are integrated in a school calendar. Photos and files can be shared easily, and parents can even download photos from the site, post comments (if they're enabled), and, if schools choose, have parents upload photos into albums for others to view. The site also boasts a directory of staff and families (if this feature is enabled), and parents can directly message educators and administrators through the site.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This site boasts many useful tools including an engaging and straightforward design that allows consistent communication. There's an app available for parents, along with other add-ons including public social fund drives, polls, archives, a registration app, volunteer hours, an alumni database, and smart voice alerts (which carries an additional cost). The site is social in its nature, allowing parents to connect with teachers and administrators through direct messages, polls, posts, photos, and files. It's great for connecting and communicating with parents as well, but it's biggest strike is that it leaves kids completely out of the equation. Kids may be talked about through discussions on the site, but they don't have any way to provide their take on a discussion. ParentSquare is meant for parent engagement, and, overall, it does a good job, but the lack of kid interaction, especially for matters pertaining to their school activities, could make information a tad bit one-sided and biased.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about sharing and privacy with their kids. When is it OK to post photos of others online, and when is it not? Should you identify kids online? Why, or why not?

  • Talk about expectations from a teacher. How can a child meet those expectations, and how can parents help kids achieve those goals?

Website Details

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