The voting phase that followed was so much fun. We were treated to so many heartwarming stories of compassion, leadership and wonder in the classroom performed by our rockstar teachers. The stories range from teaching a kindergarten class to read to engaging young minds to a debate on political theory; from transforming shy students into becoming confident young adults to helping young kids to discover the joy of learning again; and everything in between!

The voting phase ended last Friday and boy, was there a flurry of last minute votes. We finally got everything published and tallied the votes. I’m happy to announce that the QuickSchools Teacher of the Year 2012 award goes to Franklin Burns of Saint Tower Academy. Congratulations Franklin and the Saint Tower team!

Thank you to everyone who participated with your Facebook shares, tweets, comments, articles and videos. We apologize if at any point during the award period things didn’t go so smoothly. We will totally learn and do better next year in typical QuickSchools fashion.

And to all our rockstar teachers, we just want to thank you for your gracious participation and above all, we thank you for being such great teachers and role models.

Happy Friday!

Azreen & the QuickSchools team.

Are you ready for this… here are the letters. Check it out!

The first video we have is from Rawan A & Hadiya.

The second video is from 6th graders Malik, Sameer and Ahmed.

Here’s one from the 4th and 3rd grades.

This one is from the 6th graders.

And from the 5th graders.

This one’s from Rawan.

And here’s the final 7th video form the 3rd graders.

I’m a father that loves his daughter dearly and is willing to do anything to see her smile.  I wanted her to succeed this is the reason my wife and I pulled her out of public school.  The public school system works for eighty percent of the students but leaves behind the other twenty percent.  My daughter was one of the students in the twenty percent.  She was very smart but was struggling because the public school system could not meet her needs.  We have an epidemic of bullies in the public school system and my child has special needs.  This left her open to being picked on and made fun of in middle school.   The teachers at her middle school did not protect my daughter from the bullies and this hurt her self-esteem.  I’m sure any father can feel their heart break when they see their daughter crying.  The family decided to look for a private school that could meet her needs.  The problem is most of the special needs schools are located in Houston and not around our neighborhood.  We saw an advertisement in a small newspaper for a private needs school called Saint Tower Academy.  I still remember meeting Franklin Burns for the first time and discussing the different ways he could accommodate my daughter learning differences.  I could feel the stress leave my chest as I shook his hand goodbye.  My daughter started at Saint Tower Academy after the Christmas break.  The whole family could see a difference in one day.  My daughter was excited about going to school and learning again.  I have seen several private special needs schools around the Houston area but none of the schools have Mr. Burns.  He has a way with the students that other teacher do not possess.  One of the parents at the school call him the “Child Whisper” because he can change the way a student feels about themselves and education.  He is able to motivate them to learn like no other teacher that I have seen.  From a father perspective, Franklin L. Burns should be teacher of the year for all the hard work that he done in the community and the lives he is changing every day.
Sincerely,

Jon Hall

I cannot thank Mr. Burns and the staff at Saint Tower Academy enough.  I have a daughter that is extremely smart and gifted but she is visual impaired and has been diagnosed with ADHD.  Our daughter started the year in public school but she was constantly was being called names and harassed by her classmates.  She would come home every day crying and frustrated.  My husband and I had to respond immediately because her self-esteem was being torn down.  One day we saw an advertisement in a newspaper for a private school for students with special needs.  My daughter and I went and visited the open house and my daughter instantly fell in love with the school.  She was able to relate to Mr. Burns and his staff.  We enrolled our daughter and she started after the Christmas break.  The husband and I could see a difference in our daughter in the first week.  She was coming home with smiles on her face and she was going to school with a smile on her face.  I knew the school’s unorthodox approach to education was the perfect place for my daughter.  Mr. Burns relates to the students extremely well.  He likes to teach to the student’s interest and creates an education plan that is fun, interactive, and addresses the needs of the student.  My daughter has never read the Harry Potter series but Mr. Burns was teaching the Harry Potter series at his school.  How many public schools teachers are teaching the writing patterns of J.K Rowling, reading a 750 page book, looking for 10 different vocabulary words per reading section, creating power points for each section, creating the worksheets, and the tests from his lap top?  Mr. Burns believes the teachers understand the student’s strengths better than a workbook.  This is reason for creating everything from scratch.  My daughter currently has A’s in all her classes and this because Mr. Burns teaches at the student strengths rather than teaching one learning method.    I believe Mr. Burns deserves teach of the year because of his hard work, dedication, and creating a school from nothing.
Sincerely,

Tania Hall

I have a daughter that has ADHD and she has always struggle with school especially with reading.  I was taking my daughter to a tutoring company and I saw very little progress.  The company would give her worksheets and then they would check on her during the allotted time. I wanted something different that would help my daughter read with more accuracy and fluency.  In addition, my daughter was receiving tutoring in the morning at school and she was still receiving very low grades on her report card on reading and language arts.  I heard on my son’s football team there was a coach that had his own tutoring company.  I did not know Frank had his own tutoring services and we talked after practice one evening.  We sat down and discuss the issues of my daughter’s reading and after speaking with Frank I felt confident that he could get my daughter on level.  I observed the first five tutoring sessions and I was very impressed with his teaching methods.  My daughter started to slowly learning phonics, dissecting words, and reading with fluency.  My daughter was beginning to gain confidence in reading.  One day at the grocery store and riding in the car my daughter was reading all the signs.  I was so happy that my daughter was using her reading skills outside of school.  During the summer sessions my daughter skipped soccer practice to attend her tutoring sessions with Frank.  Once the school year began the teachers could see a difference in my daughters reading ability.  She has won a reward for most improve reader and most improved writer this year.  Her self-esteem has improved greatly in academics.  Currently, my daughter is receiving B’s in reading and language arts and this has never happen in the previous school years.  I am very thankful for the hard work that Frank does in every tutoring session.  I believe he should be teacher of the year because of his hard work and dedication towards his students.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Fry

My name is Thomas Fry and I would like to nominate Franklin Burns for teacher of the year.  I have a daughter that is different and before I met Frank she was struggling with reading, spelling, and writing.  My wife and I have tried several different tutoring companies and we did not see any progress.  I felt as if we were throwing money out the window.  I was an active parent for the Cyfair little league football team.  I was speaking with Imre Szenttornyay and told me about Frank and his different teaching methods that he uses to improve reading.  He told me that he taught his son to read even though most doctors told him his son would never read.  I know my daughter is very rough around the edges but I want my daughter to succeed. I worked in the shop that was near Frank’s tutoring office and I would drop her off and I would go to work.  The first thing I noticed was her confidence in reading was improving.  I saw her reading signs and attempting to read books at home. As the school year moved forward Frank’s office moved into his school and I would wait in the other room.  I could hear my daughter having fun and learning to read at the same time.  I was filled with happiness to see my daughter improve so fast.  Frank tends to make everything with his hands and his imagination.  He needed a projector screen and I had an extra one sitting in the garage.  I was more than willing to donate the item to his school.  The school year has moved on and my daughter has passed the STARR test and has earned several awards for most improved reader and writer.  I believe Frank should be teacher of the year because he is able to make learning fun and adaptable outside the school environment.

Thomas Fry

I have a daughter with autism and she struggles with comprehension and understanding text. When she reads a sentence I would take the book away immediately and I would ask her a question. For example she would read a sentence very similar to this one, The cat crossed the road. I would ask her who crossed the road and my daughter would look at me and tell me “I don’t know.” I was very concerned because the point of reading is to learn and if words are just words then there is not a point in reading. I met with Frank at the open house in December of 2011. We spoke about different teaching methods and the ways he could improve my daughters reading. I wasn’t ready to pull my daughter out of the private school that she is attending but I felt good about the school. My husband and I wrote a nice donation to the school. Three months had past and I still remember our conversation during the open house. I hired Frank as my daughter’s tutor once a week. From the first session he was able to engage my daughter in the learning process. He was able to connect with my daughter. I heard my daughter laughing and having fun. The nice thing about Frank is he is open to new ideas and methods. I bought him a reading program for students with dyslexia and he was happy to implement the new reading program during the tutoring sessions. Frank is able to pick out a book at my daughter reading level and create a fun lesson that is engaging for my daughter. Since my daughter has autism  and she is a visual learner. He is able to make lessons with visuals that assist my daughter with her comprehension. I have seen a great improvement with my daughter answering “WH” questions over the past month. I am able to read her a passage and then ask her a question and she is able to answer me. I believe Mr. Burns should be teacher of the year because he is a wonderful teacher that goes the extra mile for his students.

Lyn Harduin

This first one is from Sharwars Dad, Mr Sakar.

My name is Mona Timko and I’m 77 years old.  I have been in the teaching field for over fifty years and I have had the pleasure of working with Franklin when he started the school.  I have been depressed since retiring from the Cyfair school district and I could not make myself happy.  I wanted to be wanted again.  I missed the fame of being an extremely important teacher in my former school district.  I was talking to a lady and she knew that Frank needed some help in starting a school.  She placed me in contact and I called him immediately.  Frank was very open in me coming to the school and creating a role for me.  We spoke for an hour and then we had a productive meeting at Luby’s.  When I came into the school I was surprised by how the school was being run and the behaviors of the students.  The students all loved Frank because his demeanor.  His teaching showed that as well that he cared for his students.  I enjoyed my first day so much that I came back the next day and had another productive observation and meeting.  I’m a woman that does not hold back words and explain to Frank his next step in growing the school.  He was very open to my suggestions and he was able to implement my ideas into the school.  Frank was having trouble with his staff because his methods are so different it takes a special person to implement his methods completely.  After two months, Frank hired me to be the staff’s trainers.  I was able to feel important again and my depression was slowly subsiding.  I was able to train the staff and the parents of the school.  Franklin and I were able to create a nice bond together.  I wasn’t able to complete my job because of a bad back and my husband’s heart surgery.  I’m very proud of the job that Franklin has done over the past sixteen months.  I truly believe he deserves this award of teacher of the year.

With Love and Kisses,

Mona Gayle Timko

Kindergarten class votes!

1st graders want Tr Krystal to win.

Lamis from 8th grade votes for her Tr Krystal.

Nabihah from 8th grade votes for her Tr Krystal.

Mariam from 8th grade votes for her Tr Krystal.

The 1st grade class votes for Teacher Krystal Watson.

Listen to Laith vote for Krystal Watson.

Now from Khalid and Amin’s turn to support their teacher.

Here’s Tanisha from 1st grade with her vote!

Kindergarten class showing their support.

More from the Kindergarten class.

Fatma from the 8th grade votes for Krystal Watson.

It’s the 5th and 3rd graders turn to vote!

Students at Annoor showing support for Teacher Krystal.

And the last one in this group of videos is from the Kindergarten class.

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Mr. Franklin Burns and his knowledge in special education helped out my daughter, Han. When we first moved here from Vietnam, my daughter who 10 years old and was in a special behavior class. The ARD committee was not answering my questions. We looked at Mr. Burns’ school, Saint Tower Academy, but it was too unstructured for her at the time as Mr. Burns too the time to explain to use why his school would not be the ideal place for her at the time. We asked Mr. Burns to review her IEPs from the campus and explained to us the type of program she needed. He attended the next ARD meeting with us as we were still scared for the safety of our daughter and we were not informed on how the campus was going to handle Han not speaking any English at all.

We spent many ARDs talking to the campus about how they were going to address her needs instead of simply “speech language therapy.” They could not tell us how she was going to be taught to understand English let alone understand what she needs to learn to read her environment. We came to the United States to give our daughter a better education than what she was receiving.

Mr. Burns took his time communicated wit the ARD committee what we wanted and what the school needed. Mr. Burns understands student needs and knows how to speak to parents very well about articulating what they need. He is willing to give up his time to sit with the parents even to determine if Saint Tower Academy is not the school for our daughter.

My husband and I were very grateful when we found Mr. Burns through another parent and he helped guide us and understand the special education law and what all the assessments determined. If Han ever reaches a level where she can attend Saint Tower Academy and be able to be taught by Mr. Burns, I will gladly do have her attend.

This first card is from Diane.

The second one is from Sarah.

The third card is from Yamin.

This one’s from Naheed.

And there are some cute drawings too from Sama, Aya, Matthew, Sara and Jibreal. So sweet.

Ms Keri Fernandez, you have an army of fans!

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Here are videos 21 to 40.

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I had initially uploaded all 100 in one mega post but the page just wouldn’t load! So, I’ll have to break this post to 5 separate posts, each containing 20 videos. Enjoy!

And Ms Fernandez, you are famous!

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The first video is from Bethany and Jamie.

This one’s from Dave Gagne.

Next video is from Keith Alexander.

This one’s from Jen Alexander.

Here’s Holly Emerson voting for Mr Johnson.

Grace Dean wants Mr Johnson to win the award!

Becky Gagne votes for Mr Johnson.

And the final video in this collection is from Katryel. Enjoy!

This first one comes from the Middle School students at Annoor.

This next video is from the kids at Kindergarten.

This one’s from Zubair in Kindergarten

Next if from Malik and Riad also from Kindergarten.

Next is from Teacher Kendra and her Kindergarten students.

Here’s a video from Alanna in first grade.

Layla & Raiyann from the first grade says vote for Tr Krystal!

Husam, Husun, and Aliyah in first grade want you to vote for Krystal Watson!

One from 4th graders Fatma and Eva

And one from Kaliyah in 5th grade.

Jafer from the 4th grade votes for Krystal!

Adam A from the 5th grade casts his vote.

This one’s from Sarah and Hannah.

One from Riham, Eman and Hibah from the 5th grade.

This one’s from Kenza.

This one’s from Sajaya

One from the 7th graders!

And here’s one to round it off from the AAK family. Vote Krystal Watson today!

There is no quick and easy way
To talk about our Mr. J.
Yet I must try my best to say
Why he deserves your vote today.

If a poem could summarize
Why Mr. J should get the prize
Then I would gladly volunteer
To write down what you need to hear.

The problem is – he’s just too great!
A team of poets, working late
Would struggle to enumerate
And finish by the deadline date!

Where to begin? How does one start?
His epic-ness is off the chart!
No one else could play his part-
He leads us with a lion’s heart!

He teaches Bible, history, lit.-
But no- that’s not the half of it!
The shoes he wears -who else could fit?
He’s a man of steel and grit!

He’ll trim the hedge and shovel snow.
Before and after school you know
You’ll find him working long and late
The man has so much on his plate!

Here’s something you would never think -
He can fix the bathroom sink
And paint the walls from gray to pink.
From no job will this great man shrink!

Counselor to one and all,
In our eyes he’s ten feet tall!
We know that we can always call
On Mr. J so we won’t fall!

Overwhelmed and want to quit?
Mr. J won’t hear of it!
His encouragement will fit
And help you climb out of the pit.

A humble man with standards high
Let’s write his name across the sky!
And even though this poem is lame,
He still deserves a bit of fame.

So put a sticker on his wall-
Make it enormous – after all
You know that no one can be found
To match our hero the whole world ’round!

I’m sure you’ve read a lot of stuff
About this man, but not enough
Can e’er be said to fully list
His qualities – you get the gist!

It’s obvious why I recommend -
His accolades just have no end.
And so the message that I send
Is “Vote for Mr. J” – the end!

The first video is from Sharwar.

First up is Chloe.

My name is Brando Verbeek and I would like to nominate Franklin L. Burns for teacher of the year for the many years of teaching service with special needs students.  From another perspective I would like to nominate Mr. Burns for changing my life.  I first met Mr. Burns at the young age of 9.  I still remember the day vividly.  I was at Hickman Park yelling and cursing at a teenager named Nick.  Mr. Burns was nineteen at the time stopped playing basketball and walked over and asked if I was ok.  I wasn’t happy because the teenager was picking on me.  Mr. Burns ask the teenager to leave me alone and he walked me home and from that day Mr. Burns became my big brother.  Mr. Burns left for college that September but he did not forget about me.  He would come and visit me every Friday night.  He would stop by my house and see how I was doing in school.  He would wake up early Saturday morning to play football and basketball at my house.  My whole family loved him.  As I became older my sisters and I would stay the weekend with Mr. Burns and his wife.  We would play video games, eat pizza, and go play basketball.  When I was fourteen years old Mr. Burns invited me to his bachelor party and he made sure there wasn’t anything inappropriate during the party.  He even let me record his wedding and I caught the garter belt when he threw it over his shoulder.  When I was in high school, I was sent to an alternative school because of my choices.  Mr. Burns would come and visit me at school and bring lunch from McDonalds or Burger King.  I felt so special after he left because all my friends would tell me that I was lucky to have him as a brother.  Today I strived to be like Mr. Burns.  I’m twenty-five years old now and I have a little baby boy.  I reminisce the fun times I had with Mr. Burns and I try my best to emulate him.  I believe Mr. Burns is one of the greatest individuals that have ever lived on earth and he has changed my life.  I hope he wins teacher of the year and I hope my heart felt story is the reason why he wins.

Sincerely,
Brandon Verbeek

Saint Tower Academy was founded when the local school district Mr. Burns was teaching at had changed their instructional models for the self-contained students. Mr. Burns is a strong advocate for his students’ education and his expertise as the students’ teacher was being disregarded and students’ potentials were not being met. In addition to that, parents of Mr. Burns’ students’ were asking him to challenge their child more in the classroom. Being limited in what he could do in the self-contained classroom, Mr. Burns decided it was finally time to begin the school he was already working towards. The goal of the school is to give an education to students that need additional modification or accommodations to be successful in the classroom.

Mr. Burns has always been a very dedicated and passionate teacher even before he started teaching in the classroom. When I first met Mr. Burns, he was a coaching student in basketball as well as being a mentor to his neighbors’ son and daughters, always giving them the chance to work towards their goals and guiding them in the most positive way he knew. Mr. Burns has always had a lifetime goal to educate students and provide them with as much support and dedication he received as a special education student himself.  Once he completed his degree at the University of Houston-Downtown, he began his plan of opening his own school. Since beginning teaching in 2003, he has taught a variety of students with disabilities and concerns. The one trait that made Mr. Burns stand out from other teachers I have seen, was his focus on what the students were able to do, their strengths, and build their education from there.  When Mr. Burns finished his master’s degree in Special Education, he was very excited to open his own private school and have the opportunity to truly let his passion and dedication shine. He teaches students beginning at their strengths and learning modalities focusing on the positive and working out the negatives. I have seen students grow tremendously in not only their learning but in their behavior as well and taking responsibility for their actions and behaviors. He truly deserves to be teacher of the year!

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure…than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

This statement captures the essence of Franklin Burns, a man with the vision, passion and talent to start his own school, The Saint Tower Academy, dedicated to the betterment of special needs students.   Drawing from his own personal experiences, Franklin was able to create an environment where children with special needs could receive the individual attention they need in which to achieve their maximum potential.  This was not accomplished without an extreme measure of self- sacrifice as is generally required when a bold vision is set in motion.   Through a diligent work ethic and by taking very little in the way of compensation, Franklin was able to establish his goal of creating his school dedicated to educating students who need additional modifications or accommodations to be successful in the classroom.

Seeing a need for change when his school district altered their placement for students in the self-contained classroom (life skills and adaptive behavior) in which Franklin worked forced him into action.  One disturbing change was the use of paraprofessionals rather than certified special education teachers in the classroom.   Additionally, emphasis on TAKS testing was having a negative effect on special needs students receiving proper classroom instruction and drawing access to needed resources.   Rather than simply accepting a continued deterioration in the classroom environment, Franklin made a choice to strike out on his own.   As a result, in conjunction with a local church, The Saint Thomas Academy was established.

Today, The Saint Tower Academy is the academic home to seven special needs students who now receive the attention and proper education geared toward producing success in life.  In Franklin’s words, “I chose to change education by creating a school for students with special needs.  Saint Tower Academy accesses the learning modalities of the student and creates an academic program for the student.”  Franklin’s tireless dedication to the betterment of others is worthy not only of nomination, but of securing the title of “Teacher of the Year.”  The spirit of the entrepreneur, as well as the relentless drive of Roosevelt, resides within the mind and heart of Franklin Burns.

Brian Henris

Dear Mr. Burns,

I first met Mr. Burns back in 2007.  My brother started the year in Mr. Burns’s life skills classroom but reschedule into another life skills teacher classroom due to amount of students in his classroom.  My brother’s education started in 2008 at the age of 10.  At first it was difficult for Mr. Burns to educate my brother because he would refuse to do his work and he used foul language during class to avoid work.  Mr. Burns was able to motivate my brother by listening to his interests and implementing those interests in the classroom.  My brother’s behavior improved greatly after four months and he was able to recognize the alphabet letters.  Since my brother wanted to learn more about the presidents of the United States, Mr. Burns used this to motivate my brother to read.  During the beginning of the 2009 school year my brother was able to read basic texts and spell simple words.  He was able to count money and spend money very well.  He was able to count up to thousand dollars by a variety of different bills and coins.  After my brother graduated from elementary my dad hired Mr. Burns to be my brother’s tutor during the summer.  He greatly improved my brother’s math, reading, and writing.  Then Mr. Burns started his own school and wanted my brother to come.  The only problem was my family could not afford the tuition of the school.  Mr. Burns told us not worry because he has it covered.  My brother has been enrolled at Saint Tower Academy for the past 1 ½ years and I have seen so much improvement in all areas of academics.  I’m very thankful that Mr. Burns loves my brother so much that he did not forget him after he graduated.  We even named a spare room called the Mr. Burns room because he tutors my brother in that room during the summer.  I believe Mr. Burns should be the teacher of the year because of his hard dedication and passion for education.

Video 1 – Two budding journalists with breaking news on the QuickSchools Teacher of the Year  2012 award.

Video post – Vote Krystal Watson for QuickSchools Teacher of the Year 2012!

Video 2 – Sarah & Katie, personal cheerleading for Team Krystal!

And I think there’s going to be at least another one coming soon! Stay tuned…

Here’s a special poem dedicated to you:

Tr. Krystal,

I’m happy that you’re my teacher;

I enjoy each lesson you teach.

As my role model you inspire me

To dream and to work and to reach.

With your kindness you get my attention;

Every day you are planting a seed

Of curiosity and motivation

To know and to grow and succeed.

You help me fulfill my potential;

I’m thankful for all that you’ve done.

I admire you each day, and I just want to say, As a teacher, you’re number one!

Are littleBits the 21st Century Lego Blocks? (by Erin Klein)

littleBits are the next hot thing to get your students thinking deeper about the design process that goes into creating everyday objects. Each color-coded “bit” snaps together with tiny magnets and has a different function, from dimmer and pulse to LED and vibration, creating a tiny circuit board. Although the bits aren’t cheap (the starter kit retails at $89), the idea certainly gives you food for thought. What if your student turned out to be a budding engineer?

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (by Allison Tran)

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. So to encourage diversity in our literature and curriculum, I thought I would share this great booklist from Allison, a teen services librarian who wrote this guest blog for the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). The titles are both realistic and dramatic and work to offset Asian stereotypes. I actually finished reading American Born Chinese (shown here) earlier this week, and it is perfect for both middle and high school discussions. The graphic novel grapples with the topic of being discriminated against in school due to your ethnicity, but it also includes common rituals of growing up, like asking a girl out for the first time and fighting among best friends.

Horse Labeling Activity by Babbling Abby

Derby Days! Horses! (by Dabbling Amy)

Isn’t this labeling activity just adorable? The Kentucky Derby is this Saturday, May 5, so this post is a little too late to capture the timeliness of the event. But you can use Amy’s unit anytime, really, because who doesn’t like horses? The activity is designed for first graders and pushes students to flex their research and artistic skills.

Not sure if something is protected by copyright? Consult this handy slider tool created by Michael Brewer and the American Library Association Office for Information Technology Policy (via Darin Johnston and Kathy Kaldenberg).

Lastly, Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you – and while you’re at it, battle it out with some sheep jedi. Have a great weekend

From Mr Imre Szenttornyay

This one’s from Benny on his cute bike.

From Elek

From Cindy

From Sebestyen

And last but not least, from Gyorgi

Mr Burns, you are so lucky!

Check out the video here. 

Vote Krystal Watson for QuickSchools Teacher of the Year

Paula Randall: Teacher, Colleague, Friend

Technology teacher at Regional Learning Academy in Rockford Illinois shows what true devotion to teaching should look like. Paula Randall goes above and beyond her job description, putting extra effort in helping her students find progress in the program. Where many teachers may fall short of what is expected due to lack of motivation, Mrs. Randall searches deep within to teach with love and compassion. 

It is easy so be inspired by Mrs. Randall’s dedication. She works long hours while taking care of her family as well. Her individualized attention to her students provides her with the insight needed to help each one reach their full potential. Even when everything around has an air for negativity, Mrs. Randall makes sure that her classroom is a safe, positive outlet for everyone who comes in. She always has time for her students, time to help a colleague and time to be a great friend.

Mrs. Randall has been a true example of the love for teaching, by adapting, growing and always putting the needs of others before her own. Her dedication will continue to motivate, inspire and bring smiles to the faces of people whose lives she touches.
Cindy Terre

I believe Mrs. Randall deserves the honor of teacher of the year because of her comprehensive work with expelled students throughout the school year, as well as her passion and love for imparting knowledge.  Mrs. Randall thoroughly enjoys learning new material to continually enhance her students’ learning, while growing professionally as well.  She has always made her students’ success her number one priority and continues to persevere forward, so that her students may achieve at the highest level.

Mrs. Randall brings a great deal of enthusiasm to her classroom when she teaches and always tries to impart that enthusiasm for learning towards her students.  She makes learning fun and enjoyable for all learners, while maintaining focus on the state standards as well as her objectives for each class.  She brings a new light to learning that encourages her students to try their best.

Mrs. Randall continually strives to take a leadership role within the school and community in hopes to better her students’ overall education.

She makes every child her priority and does her best to pinpoint how that particular child will learn best.  She wants all of her students to succeed in her classroom and in life.  I believe Mrs. Randall deserves the honor of teacher of the year, not only because she is a hard worker, but because she strives for the best for her students.

Silvia Terre-Rivas

Regional Learning Academy

Mrs. Randall was our Teacher of the Year for The Regional Learning Academy as voted on by her peers. We are a small alternative school serving children who have made mistakes and have been expelled from public school. These children need great role models and teachers that are committed to helping them get back on track. Mrs. Randall provides this mentoring support for our children and does what it takes to help them be successful.

Paula has broken new ground on a technology curriculum that has captivated the students and prepared them for their future careers with technological tools. She uses Quickschools to seamlessly communicate with parents about events in her classroom and the academic progress of her students. Mrs. Randall is a consummate professional who is organized and a self starter. She is an asset to The Regional Learning Academy who changes the lives of those she serves.

Brent Johnson
Assistant Principal
Regional Learning Academy

It is so hard to put into words what Saint Tower Academy has done for my family.  My son and daughter both attend this school and have loved every minute.  They both tell me daily that the teachers are fair, loving and they care about me.  My son told me that for the first time in years that he is interested in writing again because when he first started at Saint Tower Mr. Burns encouraged him again.  Mr. Burns also showed my son to believe in himself again. The love and compassion and respect that Mr. Burns and his staff have shown my children have even changed the dynamics of our family life because the children are so much happier. 

Mr. Franklin L. Burns is one of the hardest working teachers that I have ever met. He always open to dialogue and answer any questions that I have.  He is flexible when it comes to education and discipline.  He looks at the student and sees the good and potential in them.  We seem to have the same philosophy and understanding of education.   My son acted out one day at school and instead of being severally punished Mr. Burns took a different approach and praised him for the improvement in his behavior at school.  My son’s self-esteemed improved immensely.  He used to come to school wearing a hoodie and would not talk to anyone but want to play video games.  By the time the school year ended he no longer was wearing his hoodie and he was very open at school.

We had experienced so many negative things with the public school that our children were in, and we have seen nothing but positive at Saint Tower Academy.  It feels like a second home for my children where they can learn, and love learning at the same time.  I can’t say enough positive things about this school, and I would highly recommend this school to anyone who is looking for a positive learning environment with people who really do care about your kids.

Dana Dennison

Our son was diagnosed at age 4 with Autism in Tennessee, he‘s now 7 yrs old. My husband and I actually moved from Tennessee to Texas in May 2010 to find our son a better education. We moved into Cy-Fair school district and found that they were simply not set up for our Autistic child with Aspergers. 

Our son is in second grade and could not read, knew less then five sight words and was scared to go to school. He could not function in a regular classroom, and was overwhelmed by the many students and the daily changes in the public school. The gym echoed, and the lunchroom hurt his ears. He was bullied.
He has anxiety, difficulty in verbal and emotional expression/ communication, as well as sensory integration disorder. I was being called daily to pick him up at public school due to his meltdowns. I was told that he probably would never learn to read or write.
As a parent with Autism, I knew my son could do more if only he was given a chance.
Since entering St. Towers Academy in Cypress, Texas at the beginning of January 2011, our son has made leaps and bounds. Within the few months he has been there (3 months) he is reading on grade level and doing great. He has not been restraint, and he says, “That is his favorite thing about his new school.” He is very excited about going to school now and loves to learn. The one thing as parents that was most difficult for us was the back and fourth communication we did not have with our son. He was not very responsive and could not hold a conversation. He hated to be asked questions. Now, we are shocked because now our son asks questions. He will say things now like, “so mom, how was your day playing tennis?”
Mr. Franklin Burns, the Director/ Teacher is an exceptional teacher who has a unique way of teaching those with special needs. He has such an Impression on his students. He “gets it “when it comes to our son. He had the keys to unlocking the doors that kept our child from learning and for Autistic children… that is a rare gem. I believe that with our son, the biggest part that Mr. Burns played in his education was allowing our child time and space and building much trust in their relationship. There is also visual learning, laptops, small group, one on one learning, and many fun educational fieldtrips. It is a very fun loving atmosphere.
For our son, writing is very hard for him, but with Mr. Burns and his staff, they focus on our son’s strengths and not his weakness. This thought process has not only built up our son’s confidence but his self-esteem as well, and to the point that he is not afraid to try new things now, this is a very important roll in ones life and a huge accomplishment for our son. Still our son likes Blue, but as far as changes go, he has more adaptability to change without meltdowns.
We had looked into many private schools around Houston, but they just did not seem like a good fit for our son. Finding St. Towers Academy was a Godsend to our family, not only have they made extraordinary progress with our son, they have given us (parents) much support on the home front and have provide our son a stability educational opportunity.
St. Towers Academy truly understands and validates our parental concerns and input into our child’s education welfare.

St. Towers Academy has been everything we wanted and excels in our expectations—an excellent education in small classes, individual attention to our son’s needs, opportunities to try new things in a safe, calm environment, and a community of parents who believe in the school’s mission

David and Jana Crowder

What an awesome group of nominees we have for this inaugural QuickSchools Teacher of the Year award. Each and everyone is a true Rockstar Teacher and would be a totally deserved winner of the title (and the cool and sleek iPad3 that comes with it!). Thank goodness we have the voting because I wouldn’t know where to start in order to pick a winner!

As we had set out at the beginning of the TotY award, we think teachers don’t get appreciated enough. We reckon it’d be great if our community can get to know our teachers better and the great work they do, day in day out in educating the students under their care. We hope that will spur everyone to show their appreciation and celebrate these fine heroes in our midst.

The voting phase has  started and wow, what an amazing response we’ve had so far. We are so privileged to be a part of this. To read the stories of achievement and how these teachers have touched the lives of so many is simply awe-inspiring. Teachers – you guys are awesome!

Check out our nominees for the first QuickSchools Teacher of the Year 2012. Vote in abundance! They all deserve your love!

It is my privilege to present you the awesome nominees for the first QuickSchools Teacher of the Year award.

(In alphabetical order)

1. Ms Emma Brown of The Dragon Academy, Toronto, ON, Canada

2. Mr Franklin Burns of Saint Tower Academy, Cypress, TX

3. Mr Thomas Cha from Lumen Veritatis in Toronto, Canada

4. Ms Stacia Cox from Daarul Uloom, Peoria, Il

5. Ms Keri Fernandez from Smith Prepatory Academy, Longwood, Fl

6. Mr Chris Johnson of Cornerstone Christian Academy, Brockport, NY

7. Ms Ramona Porter of Lakeside Christian Academy, Morehead, KY

8. Ms Paula Randall of Regional Learning Academy, Rockford, IL

9. Ms Krystal Watson from Annoor Academy, Knoxville, TN

their family and still maintain sight of the end goal and their relationship with God? Well,

Mrs. Fernandez does just that as she teaches science to middle and high schoolers at Smith

Preparatory Academy. She has been teaching for 14 years, all over Florida, and has spent

her past 8 years here at Smith Prep. She is the best teacher for three main reasons: her love,

vision, and hard work.

She is full of love for God, her family, and her students. Each class she prays with us

before we begin and gives credit to God. She firmly believes in God as the creator of the

universe, and is a dedicated Christian who would not miss an opportunity to witness for her

savior and lord. She also dearly loves her husband and three children, and constantly mentions

them in class; if their sick, or when something funny happened at home. She takes care of her

family by teaching at Smith Prep, and loves them with all her heart. I haven’t been to her house

yet, but I can imagine it is a joyful home where she is able to comfort and care for her family.

She also loves her students. I have experienced firsthand the way she cares for each and every

one of us and helps us understand something that might be troubling us, even if it has nothing

to do with science. She truly is full and overflowing with love for God, her family, and her

students.

The second thing that makes her so amazing is her vision. She is not simply focused on

the present, she is making sure that we prepare for the future. Although she is pushing towards

jobs with science, she is helping us develop life skills that we might put into practice later in life.

She also realizes that this life is not everything. Eventually we will die and either go to heaven or

hell. Now, most of my classmates and I are, in fact, Christians. She reminds us to live our lives

for God and does the same thing herself. She wants us to realize the impact of God’s love and

be able to implement that in our everyday lives. She has an amazing and sincere, godly vision

that inspires her and her students to live for the days ahead and ultimately the final day.

Mrs. Fernandez is also an extremely hard worker. Although she doesn’t teach every

single day of the week, when she does teach it is with skill and preparation. She takes time and

effort to create interesting lesson plans and get us involved and interested in the material being

presented. Throughout the class, she is constantly helping those who don’t understand, drawing

pictures of what we are learning to help us out even though drawing is not her forte. Not only

does she take time to prepare for class, she also prepares and cares for her family. Even

though she is not at home all the time, she cares for them, doing all the duties of a mother and

teaching at the same time. I’m sure this takes a huge amount of energy, but she handles all the

overwhelming demands with patience and strength. She continues to work each and every day

to help her students and take care of her children, working overtime to care for everyone. I

admire her great strength and hardworking ethic, and she is the best teacher because of it.

Mrs. Fernandez is dear to the heart of all her students, and we love with so much. She is

set apart because of her love for God, her family, and her students. She continues to inspire

those around to live for the kingdom of God, and to set their priorities straight. She also works

unceasingly, making sure that not only is her family is cared for as of first importance, but she

also cares for her students with the same love and fervor. She is the best teacher ever, and is

fully worthy of any award that can be given.

Kurk Pyros

You can vote for Keri Fernandez here:

http://blog.quickschools.com/2012/04/24/vote-keri-fernandez-for-quickschools-teacher-of-the-year-2012/

You can vote for Franklin Burns here:

http://blog.quickschools.com/2012/04/24/vote-franklin-burns-for-quickschools-teacher-of-the-year-2012/

    A Former Student Remembers Life With “Mr. J”

It’s 9:00am on a Monday morning. I’m walking into the classroom of Mr. Chris Johnson when a little foam dart hits me in the chest. I look up and see “Mr. J” sitting at his desk, brandishing his Nerf dart gun with a smile.

“Didn’t hurt,” I say.

He smiles again. “I’ll have to get a paintball gun, then.”

I laugh and then find my desk.

“Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich?” I ask.

“Chris Christie!” He shoots back.

“That’s just because you like his name!” a student from the back of the room chimes in.

This little exchange leads to a 20-minute discussion on politics, sports, Charlie Sheen, and whether or not Osama bin Laden was busy watching the Royal Wedding on TV when the Navy Seals stormed his house. Mr. J can be very opinionated (“Joe Biden is demented”), but he always listens to both sides of an issue, usually concluding that “you’re all entitled to your own wrong opinion.” By the time that the lively discussion is over and class begins, all of the students are wide awake and ready to participate.

As Mr. J begins teaching, it’s obvious to all of us students that he was born to be a teacher. He teaches in a pleasant, interesting way, and he is a brilliant thinker. When he smiles, his face lights up and his eyes squeeze shut, and most of the girls in class think that he’s very cute.

During chapel, I can’t help but notice how dedicated he is to his Savior as he lifts his voice in praise to God. He puts his whole heart into his chapel sermons, and they are always timely and thought-provoking, without being heavy.

I go to my next class pondering what I just learned. I notice that the atmosphere of the school is very light and cheerful, as Mr. J always tries to insert humor and wit into his teaching. Whenever I try to trick him into giving me less homework, he jokes, “I’m not as dumb as you look.” When discussing New York State taxes, he plays the Beatles hit, “The Taxman” as background music. He also knows how to take a joke without getting angry (like the time when we filled his desk with toilet paper).

Now it’s time for gym class. I change clothes quickly and run to the gym. Mr. J is already there, dribbling a basketball and sinking three-point shots like a pro. I hope that I can be on his team, because I know what a formidable foe he can be. Everyone knows not to get in his way when he charges for the net, because he won’t hesitate to run right through you! Throughout the class, Mr. J emphasizes the importance of good sportsmanship and teamwork, and gives every student equal chances to prove himself.

The day has flown by. The buses are arriving as I gather my books and prepare to leave. I know that, after everyone leaves, Mr. J will still be here, cleaning the building and taking care of general maintenance. I marvel at what a great example and role model he is.

I get a smile and a firm handshake from Mr. J and then walk outside to my bus. I’ve learned more in one day than I would have in a whole week at a public school. Mr. J has done more than just numbers and figures, he’s taught me how to live. And the funny thing is, I’m looking forward to school tomorrow.

Jonathan Quatro, a former student at CCA

You can vote for Chris Johnson here:

http://blog.quickschools.com/2012/04/24/vote-chris-johnson-for-quickschools-teacher-of-the-year-2012/

I don’t even know the extent to which Mr. J. has influenced my life. There’s no way to see what my life would look like if he hadn’t been a part of it, but I know it would be extremely different. Not only was he my coach and my teacher for five subjects, but he was also the cornerstone for my conservative world-view. If it wasn’t for him, maybe I would even think that socialism is good and that guns are evil (instead of people).

He constantly took history classes and applied them to current political situations. That made the material relevant instead of just ancient. Bible classes and Chapel were not just about him teaching us the Bible. Once when the class was divided on a current topic, he had us search the Bible and write what God had to say about it. In two other Bible classes, he told us to write down characteristics that we wanted in a future spouse, and to analyze where we were with God. Those were two very practical assignments that I still remember four years later.

Mr. J. occasionally remarked that his days could not go right if he didn’t start them out alone in his big, comfy chair with God. His strength to wear so many hats, and to keep Cornerstone going couldn’t come from anyone but God. One Chapel class was so pointed that it convicted me to take actions that have changed the course of my life. I’d say that’s proof of the Holy Spirit working in his life.

I really appreciate how he has always been willing to answer my many questions about course work, life, politics, God, etc. His willingness to write recommendations, and even give me advice on a college paper once, is proof that he cares about his students before and after graduation.
Thanks for everything Mr. J!

Lisa G., former student at CCA

PS: I was always touched by the meaningful, encouraging comments he wrote in my yearbooks.

You can vote for Chris Johnson here:

http://blog.quickschools.com/2012/04/24/vote-chris-johnson-for-quickschools-teacher-of-the-year-2012/

This is where a service called Firebase comes in. They offer a fantastic service that allows developers like us to have access to a secure & scalable real-time backend. But before we roll it out in our main QuickSchools product, we tried it out in our internal Zendesk customer service portal. Like many customer-service oriented companies, we use Zendesk internally to manage customer tickets.

We decided to build a chat widget in Zendesk that would allow our customer service agents to chat with each other in real-time. This way they wouldn’t need to use a separate instant messenger (IM) product, and can focus more on the customer issues at hand.

So how was our experience building this chat widget? In short, it was excellent. It took only half-an-hour to build the chat widget! <– I threw in an exclamation mark in there because that’s how I felt – pretty amazed. Of course we can improve it as we go on, and Firebase still has authentication features pending, but it was a great start.

Here’s a screen-shot of our simple chat widget embedded in Zendesk:

Here’s the HTML code for the chat widget. Feel free to use it if you wish. But of course you’ll need to head over to Firebase and get a beta invite to get going.

{{current_user.name}}, we now have chat.
<p>
<textarea id="taWidget" style="height:100px;"></textarea>
<p>
<input class="inputWidget" type="text" />
<input class="updateButton" type="button" value="Send" />
<script>
loadJs = function(jsFile, successFunction) {
 jQuery.ajax({
 url: jsFile,
 success: successFunction,
 dataType: "script",
 cache: true // Cache whenever possible
 });
}
var fb;
loadJs("http://static.firebase.com/v0/firebase.js", function() {
 console.log("Loaded firebase!");
 fb = new Firebase('http://gamma.firebase.com/arissamadyahaya/zenchat');
 fb.remove(); // Clear the old messages.
fb.on("child_added", function(snapshot) {
 var newChild = snapshot.val();
var ta = jQuery("#taWidget");
ta.text(ta.text() + newChild.user + ": " + newChild.msg + "\n");
 });
});
jQuery(".updateButton").click(function() {
 var inputText = jQuery(".inputWidget");
 fb.push({"user": "{{current_user.name}}", "msg": inputText.val()});
 inputText.val("");
});
</script>

Keri Fernandez is a Rockstar Teacher!

Ms Fernandez teaches Science to the 7th and 8th graders at Smith Preparatory Academy in Longwood, Florida. Her nomination came from a fellow student at the school, Tyler. Here’s what Tyler had to say about Ms Fernandez.

She makes science fun, she is hands on, and very funny and entertaining to have as a teacher, I remember everything she has taught me this year.

Do you know of a teacher who can do that? Amazing!

We then asked Ms Fernandez a few questions…

How did you get into teaching?

I always loved Science – you can never know everything there is to know. I’m amazed at how detailed and intricate God has made all life – from protozoans to plants to animals.

I think teaching is such an exciting job. No two days are ever the same and kids are the funniest people in the world. Being able to help shape their lives is a very high honor for me.

What do you hope for your students?

I want my students to love learning.  If they graduate from my class and love to learn, they will be successful in life.  I also try to pass on to them the need for living for something bigger than yourself.

Anything you’d like to share with us? e.g. favorite moments, etc.

This year, some of our students and teachers were able to go on a camping trip to the Peace River.  After we camped, we went canoeing the next morning and looked for fossils in the river.  We swung on rope swings, saw alligators and had such a fun time.  I am blessed to have a job like this!

(I wish I was on that trip too! )

Help Ms Fernandez win an iPad3. Vote for her by:

1. Sharing the link of this blog post on Facebook (counts as 4 votes)
2. Sharing the link of this blog post on Twitter (counts as 4 votes)
3. Commenting on this article to give your support to Ms Fernandez (counts as 6 votes)
4. Writing an article or creating a quick video testimonial in support of Ms Fernandez (counts as 20 votes! Woot!!!)

Yes, you can do all four!

Voting ends at 11.59 pm on Friday May 18, 2012. Winner will be announced on May 25, 2012.

Emma Brown is a Rockstar Teacher!

Ms Brown teaches English & History at The Dragon Academy in Toronto, Canada. Her nomination came from a fellow parent at the school, Camille. Here’s what Camille had to say about Ms Brown.

Ms. Brown makes learning interesting, exciting and the right amount of challenging to bring out the best in every student. She really cares about each student as an individual and gives attention to their individual interests and needs. And she’s nice and patient all of the time.

Now that’s simply fantastic!

We then asked Ms Brown a few questions…

How did you get into teaching?

I have wanted to be a teacher since I was a teenager. I was always interested in sexual health education so I pursued a degree is sexual diversity studies and then went into teachers college to complete my bachelor of education. I was so grateful for the amazing teachers in my life, I wanted to have the same impact on students in the future as a teacher myself. Its been my life long dream, and the career I was meant to have.

What do you hope for your students?

I hope my students will be strong and brave critical thinkers. I hope that they will question everything they see and hear, and most importantly gain confidence in themselves to make their voice heard in this world. I hope my students will go out into the world and remember that knowledge and education are the best tools we have to change this world.

Anything you’d like to share with us? e.g. favorite moments, etc.

More than anything else, I believe in comprehensive, honest and open sexual health education and I am thankful for the Dragon Academy for giving me the chance to implement this program of sexual education into the physical education program.

Help Ms Brown win an iPad3. Vote for her by:

1. Sharing the link of this blog post on Facebook (counts as 4 votes)
2. Sharing the link of this blog post on Twitter (counts as 4 votes)
3. Commenting on this article to give your support to Ms Brown (counts as 6 votes)
4. Writing an article or creating a quick video testimonial in support of Ms Brown (counts as 20 votes! Woot!!!)

Yes, you can do all four!

Voting ends at 11.59 pm on Friday May 18, 2012. Winner will be announced on May 25, 2012.

Krystal Watson is a Rockstar Teacher!

Ms Watson teaches Middle School Reading at Annoor Academy in Knoxville, TN. Here’s what Elisha had to say about Ms Watson in her nomination entry.

This teacher not only teaches her class, but also gives up many of her planning periods to help students who are struggling in lower grades. She handles all the special programs at the school ESL, standardized testing, Acclerated Reader, IXL, and enrichment classes. She is also on the Accreditation committee that is working toward getting our school accredited.

Ms Watson – you are awesome!

We then asked Ms Watson a few questions…

How did you get into teaching?

From the time I was a little girl I knew I would someday be a teacher.  In elementary school when someone asked what I wanted to be I said a teacher and that followed me to the present.  I had some really great teachers who made such an impact on me that I knew I wanted to be like them and follow in their footsteps.  Those teachers to this day are still my role models and I credit them with my decision to become a teacher.  In addition, to the fact my parents have always emphasized the value of education and expressed the extremely valuable role of a teacher in a student’s life.

What do you hope for your students?

My hope for my 8th grade students is that they become confident and well-rounded individuals as they proceed on to high school.  I hope that my students are well grounded and able to withstand the adversity which faces them as minorities and hold strong to their faith.  I hope they leave Annoor Academy with their head held high and are able to recognize that the future is filled with endless possibilities.  I devote my heart and soul to my students but the struggling learners have a special place there.  I spend countless hours working with these students in hopes of making a difference.  For these special students I hope they become confident and understand that they have as much potential as any other student.  It is important that these students believe in themselves and never fall victim to the put downs.  The sky’s the limit!!!

Anything you’d like to share with us? e.g. favorite moments, etc.

I would like to share that although I work hard and go the extra mile for my students so do my colleagues.  I have an excellent team of teachers and administrators that I am blessed to work with.  As a team, we do whatever it takes to ensure the students are successful and receive exactly what they need.  My colleagues have supported me through it all and without them it would be impossible to commit the time needed to each and every student I work with. I feel incredibly lucky to work and be part of an excellent and ever-changing school.

Help Ms Watson win an iPad3. Vote for her by:

1. Sharing the link of this blog post on Facebook (counts as 4 votes)
2. Sharing the link of this blog post on Twitter (counts as 4 votes)
3. Commenting on this article to give your support to Ms Watson (counts as 6 votes)
4. Writing an article or creating a quick video testimonial in support of Ms Watson (counts as 20 votes! Woot!!!)

Yes, you can do all four!

Voting ends at 11.59 pm on Friday May 18, 2012. Winner will be announced on May 25, 2012.

Paula Randall is a Rockstar Teacher!

Ms Randall teaches Multimedia Technology at the Regional Learning Academy in Rockford, Illinois. Ms Randall was nominated by a fellow colleague, Silvia, who had this to say…

She always goes above and beyond. She has great classroom management and really connects with the students. She helps other teachers when they are struggling.

Above and beyond – isn’t that awesome? We certainly think so!

We then asked Ms Randall a few questions…

How did you get into teaching?

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a teacher.  The joy of imparting knowledge to children is a real blessing that only a teacher can bring to the classroom.  It is delightful to see a child’s eyes when they finally get a concept of when they are excited about learning.  I have always loved and have had a passion for helping, as well as working with children; naturally teaching became my career choice.  Throughout my years, I have found a love for continuing my own education that has enriched my students’ classroom experience exponentially.

What do you hope for your students?

I hope that my students will never forget the confidence I have imparted in them as well as their ability to know that they can achieve anything they want, go after anything they want, if they set their minds to it.  I want my students to go through life with the knowledge that their dreams and aspirations can come true, as well as knowing that they have the ability to make those around them feel good about themselves and feel successful too.

Anything you’d like to share with us? e.g. favorite moments, etc.

My thorough belief is that teachers shape our growing world. I believe everyone is who they are because one particular teacher shaped their life in a unique way. I would be truly honored if at least one of my students could walk away from my class with that feeling.
It is and has always been my personal goal to shape our youth and prepare them for their own futures. I continually try to gain knowledge on the most up to date teaching techniques as well as technologies available to our students, to help prepare them and give them each the best education possible.

Help Ms Randall win an iPad3. Vote for her by:

1. Sharing the link of this blog post on Facebook (counts as 4 votes)
2. Sharing the link of this blog post on Twitter (counts as 4 votes)
3. Commenting on this article to give your support to Ms Randall (counts as 6 votes)
4. Writing an article or creating a quick video testimonial in support of Ms Randall (counts as 20 votes! Woot!!!)

Yes, you can do all four!

Voting ends at 11.59 pm on Friday May 18, 2012. Winner will be announced on May 25, 2012.

Stacia Cox is a Rockstar Teacher!

Ms Stacia Cox is the first grade teacher at Daarul Uloom School in Peoria, Il.

Here’s what her colleague, Ms Nermeen had to say about her.

Very dedicated and skilled teacher who is able to deliver content in a meaningful and engaging manner that is age appropriate. Displays exemplary interpersonal skills in communicating with students, parents, administrators, and professional colleagues. Participates in peer coaching and mentoring activities.

Way to go Ms Cox!

We then asked Ms Cox a few questions…

How did you get into teaching?

When I made the decision to become a teacher, I asked myself, “Why didn’t you make this career choice years ago?” The reason for the “self-questioning” is due to the fact that precisely 20 years ago my dear, wise mother, who was a teacher, suggested that I choose teaching as a major as I headed off to college. Even though I knew she was probably right (in the back of my mind, never to admit to my mom), I had my sights set on studying child psychology. I had a strong desire to help young people and make a positive difference in their lives. I have worked with children of varying ages, in many different capacities and settings over the past 25 years. Whether it was babysitting as a teenager, facilitating groups of children who had been witness to domestic abuse, teaching preschoolers, or serving as a daycare director, I had the pleasure of daily interaction with children. I have been continuously motivated by the infectious laughter and endless enthusiasm of children and couldn’t imagine choosing a career where children were not involved. Entering the field of teaching, after so many years of working with children, seemed like a very natural step to take.

What do you hope for your students?

My hope, for my wonderful class of first grade students, is that they will go forward with the self confidence needed to continue being the best they can be. They have amazed me this year with their academic ability and enthusiasm towards learning. All of my first grade students this year have shown incredible inquisitiveness, persistence and determination. I hope that they continue towards a life-long love of learning.

Anything you’d like to share with us? e.g. favorite moments, etc.

I look forward to going to school each morning to spend the day with my group of first grade children, which is a reward in itself. I am honored by this nomination!

Help Ms Cox win an iPad3. Vote for her by:

1. Sharing the link of this blog post on Facebook (counts as 4 votes)
2. Sharing the link of this blog post on Twitter (counts as 4 votes)
3. Commenting on this article to give your support to Ms Cox (counts as 6 votes)
4. Writing an article or creating a quick video testimonial in support of Ms Cox (counts as 20 votes! Woot!!!)

Yes, you can do all four!

Voting ends at 11.59 pm on Friday May 18, 2012. Winner will be announced on May 25, 2012.

Franklin Burns is a Rockstar Teacher!

Here’s what Cindy, a colleague of Mr Burns at Saint Tower Academy had to say about him. Truly amazing!

Franklin L. Burns is an exceptional teacher and person. He opened up his own school in 2007 to aid the community and those families in need. He did not even take a paycheck the first 12 months because he believed in the cause and saw the vision of the school. He is dubbed the “child whisperer” by his peers because he can take a child that every other person has had difficulty disciplining and educating and make that child thrive in all academia. He holds seminars regarding child behavior and positive discipline in the community. He has undoubtedly the most positive attitude and has done many hours of community service. He deserves Quickschools Teacher of the Year Award.

Mr Burns – you rock!

We then asked Mr Burns a few questions…

How did you get into teaching?

When I was in high school, I was in a special education class for my behavior. I was a very smart child but the typical teacher was not able to help me reach my potential. Due to the circumstances, this lead to a lot of frustration and very low grades in high school. Once I was placed in the special education classroom I had a teacher named Mrs. Cross that saw the potential in me. She was able to help me improve my grades and my behavior. I always wanted to pay this forward to other students and instill her passion that she gave me for education into students with special needs. I finished my degree through University of Houston Downtown and went through the alternative certification process to become a teacher in special education. After my second year of teaching, I wanted to improve my teaching skills and went back to college to obtain a master’s degree in special education. When I received my master’s degree in special education, I opened a school for students with special needs. The goal of the school is to give the students with special needs the educational experiences that they would not receive in the self-contained classroom. I have learned a lot since opening the school such as leadership skills, chemistry, astronomy, biology, and the hardships of opening a school. I have truly enjoyed working with all the students and parents at the school.

What do you hope for your students?

The educational goal for my students is for them to no longer have the intellectual disability label. Many of the students have intelligence quotient (IQ) below 70 and I would like the students to become more educationally intelligent. I would love to see my students improve in all subject areas but especially in reading. I believe reading is the most important subject and teaching the students to have reading as recreation is an important skill for learning. Another goal for my students is for them to become contributors to the community and society.

Anything you’d like to share with us? e.g. favorite moments, etc.

I have five dogs, four cats, two goats, two ducks, one amazon parrot, and one horse. I have a tutoring and a health and beauty business that helps fund the school. I am currently being tutored by the founder of Morning Glory Ranch, a hippo-therapy facility for students with autism. I’m also in the process on working on my second master’s degree in Board Certified & Behavior Analyst (BCBA). My wife is the preschool programs for children’s with disabilities (PPCD) curriculum coach for a large school district near Houston Texas. During my free time I like to ride my bicycle, weight lift, and read books.

Help Mr Burns win an iPad3. Vote for him by:

1. Sharing the link of this blog post on Facebook (counts as 4 votes)
2. Sharing the link of this blog post on Twitter (counts as 4 votes)
3. Commenting on this article to give your support to Mr Burns (counts as 6 votes)
4. Writing an article or creating a quick video testimonial in support of Mr Burns (counts as 20 votes! Woot!!!)

Yes, you can do all four!

Voting ends at 11.59 pm on Friday May 18, 2012. Winner will be announced on May 25, 2012.

Ramona Porter is a Rockstar Teacher!

Ms Porter is adored by her students at Lakeside Christian Academy. This nomination came from a parent at the school who shared with us that Ms Porter is a truly wonderful teacher!

We then asked Ms Porter a few questions…

How did you get into teaching?

As a child I did not have a positive school experience until third grade. My third grade teacher was wonderful. She inspired me to become a teacher.  One of the goals that I set for myself when I became a teacher was to make school a fun and lovable environment for all the children that I would teach.

What do you hope for your students?

My hope for all of my students is to instill in them a love for learning. Each child is special and unique in their own way and I want them to know that they are special. Learning isn’t just something you do at school or the classroom but something you do for the rest of your life.

Anything you’d like to share with us? e.g. favorite moments, etc.

I have taught at a small Christian school for about 20 years. I have had the pleasure to watch children read their first words and write their own name. Each success came with struggles and a few tears as things didn’t always come easily. I want all my students to realize that they are unique and special in my eyes as well as God’s. As they grow things may come easily but some things will be a struggle but stay positive and work hard and you can achieve all your dreams!!!

Help Ms Porter win an iPad3. Vote for her by:

1. Sharing the link of this blog post on Facebook (counts as 4 votes)
2. Sharing the link of this blog post on Twitter (counts as 4 votes)
3. Commenting on this article to give your support to Ms Porter (counts as 6 votes)
4. Writing an article or creating a quick video testimonial in support of Ms Porter (counts as 20 votes! Woot!!!)

Yes, you can do all four!

Voting ends at 11.59 pm on Friday May 18, 2012. Winner will be announced on May 25, 2012.

Chris Johnson is a Rockstar Teacher!

Mr Johnson teaches high school History, English, Bible,  PE and K-12 Chapel. Here’s a beautiful profile crafted by the Cornerstone team.

Mr. J., as the students call him, is indeed a teacher, a remarkable one at that, but it goes far beyond that. Chris Johnson founded the school in 1983. He has worn many hats since that day, and continues to wear them today. As well as the subjects mentioned, he also is the Principal, Counselor, Soccer Coach, Business Manager and Man for any maintenance in the century and a half old building. After 29 years he still arrives early and is the last to turn out the lights at night. When the average tenure for private school teachers and administrators is 3 years, he has been on the job since day one and never taken a sick day.

Whether it is the kindergartners who wait daily at his door for him to arrive after calling buses, just to engage him in play, or the high school students who want him on their basketball team, they all respect, admire and love him. He is a disciplinarian, but so approachable as well when they need him.

Salary certainly is not the motivating factor for Mr. Johnson, who could have easily made much,much more in a different setting. This is not a job to him, but an extention of his faith. He wants to give the students a safe place to grow in their academic and spiritual life. His philosophy is to teach the students how to learn, rather than from the textbooks alone. This will open up a world of opportunities for them in the future. He has seen multiple success stories in the students over the 29 years and now it their kids as well, as they enter CCA.

Words from some of the parents at CCA…

Mr. J is more than a teacher, he is a life coach.

He is a great moral example for the kids.

He is the teacher who also mows the lawn so the school doesn’t have to pay a landscaper.

Whether it be for a fund raiser, school project, or school work day, he is there before, during and the last to leave. Saturdays you will often find him and his family painting, cleaning, or catching up on his Administrative duties.

He can be stopped to answer questions, and takes suggestions so well. He sets an example that we, the parents ,want to achieve. That’s just it, it’s living by example and not having to always say what someone should do.

As Mr. Johnson soon will begin his 30th anniversary year, the CCA family would love to see Mr. J receiver the recognition he never asks for but has been long overdue in coming.

Thank you for your consideration of such a worthy candidate.

A few words from Mr Johnson himself..

How did you get into teaching?

I was always involved in sports as a student and wanted to become a physical education teacher to help others enjoy sports. I didn’t enjoy some of the teachers I had as they only catered to the athletes. I wanted to teach in a way that kept winning in perspective and the joy of participation as most important. After receiving my B.S. Degree and teacher certification I ended up working at a church, leading their education department for ages 2 – college. After a few years, the we began to discuss the possiblity of opening a K-12 Christian school. That was 29 years ago, and the school has continued since. I could use more time to work at the administration end but the joy of teaching cannot be replaced.

What do you hope for your students?

I hope that each student will gain a clear, Christian world view that informs their actions in all they do. We want them to have a top level college prepratory education but gaining knowledge, without the integrity that can only come from one committed to God, will be wasted in selfish pursuits. I hope they become leaders in their chosen careers without compartmentalizing their faith. I hope their lives are filled with peace, joy and love. I also hope they will pass that love on to others. My hope for them is that they exemplify the love of Christ without hypocrisy.

Anything you’d like to share with us?

Teaching has many ups and downs. There are times that teachers see very little fruit in the lives of their students. If we don’t give up, we will have the joy of seeing our students as adults and knowing that we had some part in molding those lives. I am also a pastor so I have had the honor and Joy of performing weddings for a number of our graduates. That is an extra blessing. One of the most memorable moments I have experienced came at a graduation ceremony. The parents of a student who came to us in high school had watched in horror as their child got involved with the wrong crowd, with substance abuse and other poor choices. The student was with us for 3 years. At that ceremony the parents simply said, “Thank you for giving us our child back.” A few years later that student married another of our graduates and I performed the ceremony. Cant’ beat those experiences. It makes the struggles well worth it. Persevere.

Help Mr Johnson win an iPad3. Vote for him by:

1. Sharing the link of this blog post on Facebook (4 votes)
2. Sharing the link of this blog post on Twitter (4 votes)
3. Commenting on this article to give your support to Mr Johnson (6 votes)
4. Writing an article or creating a video testimonial in support of Mr Johnson (20 votes!)

Voting ends 11.59 pm on Friday May 18, 2012. Winner will be announced on May 25, 2012.

Thomas Cha is a Rockstar Teacher!

Here’s what a parent at Lumen Veritatis School had to say about Mr Cha:

He is awesome as teacher! His kindness, understanding, support, really has helped my son from being a sad boy, because unfortunately he was victim of bullying from another school, and then when we changed him to Lumen Veritatis Academy and met Mr. Cha everything changed! Now he has self-confidence and is again the happy boy he always was, we as parents are so happy and thankful with Mr. Cha. We thank God for having Mr. Cha as teacher!

Wow – you rock Mr Cha! We then asked Mr Cha a few questions…

How did you get into teaching?

My story probably isn’t as interesting as those of others. I never had an ah-ha moment that I was supposed to be a teacher and I never dreamed of being a teacher as a kid.

It all started with some private music tutoring, church summer school, and youth group. After finishing university, I desperately needed a meaningful direction for my life.

I always knew that my strengths were: the ability to teach, empathize, patience, and love of people (especially children and young people) so teaching seemed to fit the bill, but because I never thought of myself as a teacher (the kind I grew up with), I entered Teacher’s College hesitantly and with some reservations on whether I could be a teacher and whether or not I would enjoy being one.

Even after I received my degree, I have had chance to try few other lines of work, but I have to say that nothing gives me the same kind of joy as teaching does when done in the right kind of environment.

There is nothing more satisfying for me personally, when I see a shy student getting up in front of the class and making a solid presentation and receiving a standing ovation from the class, or when an aggressive student becomes caring and gentle, or when a sad student gets life and joy back in his/her steps

What do you hope for your students?

I have always been a big believer that the knowledges students gain are important, but not as important as the experiences he/she gains from school.

It’s a bit hard to express my thoughts and feelings on this topic, but basically, I am a huge believer in trying to better the person rather than bettering the amount of knowledge a student retains when leaving my classroom.

At the end of the day, does it really impact the students’ lives if they remember obtuse angles or acute angles?

But I believe that their perception of themselves and the ability to see the world with a wider scope WILL change and shape them.

So even being a teacher in a classroom and having curriculum to follow, I will always opt to teach them life skills, thought processes, or show them new/better ways of thinking and being if I had to make a choice.

In the end, my greatest hope for my students is for them to become the people who I believe they were all meant to become; people who are thoughtful and caring of others and as agents of positive change in the world in their own way.

Anything you’d like to share with us? e.g. favorite moments, etc.

There are too many favourite moments… Some that stand out are when:

• a class-clown changed his behaviour completely around after a 40 minute lunch recess talk and became one of the model students, and when…
• a super shy student became so comfortable in the classroom that he could smile, laugh, learn, answer questions, take huge risks, and even misbehave a little that I occasionally have to ask him to settle down and be quiet  :) (I would rather have this than him be too shy and become immobilized as he was initially)

Help Mr Cha win an iPad3. Vote for him by:

1. Sharing the link of this blog post on Facebook (counts as 4 votes)
2. Sharing the link of this blog post on Twitter (counts as 4 votes)
3. Commenting on this article to give your support for Mr Cha (counts as 6 votes)
4. Write an article on Mr Cha or a create a quick video testimonial in support of Mr Cha (counts as 20 votes! Woot!!!)

Yes, you can do all four!

Voting ends at 11.59 pm on Friday May 18, 2012. Winner will be announced on May 25, 2012.

We’re reaching out to the nominees this week to get each candidate’s confirmation of their respective nomination. We’ll be posting their profiles on our blog soon so watch this space!

The Songket boxes from Malaysia proved to be a great hit amongst the visitors. And people seemed to really enjoy the surprise we had inside.

We were also able to showcase the new HTML5 interface to some of our visitors. It looks great on the New iPad you see here.

We’re giving away this New iPad as part of the 2012 Teacher of the Year Award. So be sure to put in your nominations. We’ll be rolling out the private beta for HTML5 very soon as well, to the selected individuals who have indicated interest in testing it.

Finally, a special thanks to some of our current ISNA subscribers, who were very gracious as to support our growth by recommending us to others. Here we are presenting Sr. Sarah from the Al-Noor Sunday School in Bossier City LA with a special thank you from us at QuickSchools.

And here we are presenting a special thank you gift to Sr. Mona from Daarul Uloom Islamic School in Peoria IL. Both schools provided written testimonials for the ISNA Education Forum.

Thank you again to everyone for coming to our booth at the conference. We look forward to seeing you guys again next year.

As always, if anyone has suggestions for other conferences we should attend, please email it to info@quickschools.com. Maybe we’ll see you there!

Here’s the link to the nomination form:

http://blog.quickschools.com/2012/03/28/quickschools-teacher-of-the-year-award-details/

Daarul Uloom Islamic School, Peoria IL

Website: dupeoria.org

“The Quickschools program has made computation of grades, generating report cards, and communication among teachers much easier.  The program is user friendly and the customer support is always quick to answer our questions and very helpful.  We have seen great benefits from using Quickschools this year, Alhamdulillah.” – Principal, Daarul Uloom, Peoria, IL

Al-Noor Sunday School, Bossier City LA

Quotes from staff:

“Amazing and very friendly customer support taking us step by step on any task we get stuck on. Their almost constant availability online and rapid responses have saved the day for us on many occasions “

“Since we started using Quickschools secretary work became much more efficient and creative too:)”

“Very honest, patient and straightforward people masha’Allah, thank you very much!!!”

Other references:

1. School: Annoor Academy, Knoxville TX
   • Website: annooracademy.net
2. School: Foundation for Knowledge and Development, Hollis NY
   • Website:  foundationforknowledge.com
3. School: Wellspring Elementary, Queens NY
   • Website: wellspringelementary.com

Come visit our QuickSchools booth for a special discount on new subscriptions! Current subscribers will get special gift.

So you sign up for a free 30-day trial, and by the end of it, you decide “Hey, this is great! I want to subscribe”. But at the same time, you don’t want to start paying now while school is not in session (by the way, we do require payment every month to keep your account active).

However, there is an alternative, which many of our schools take advantage of:

Even if school does not start for several months, you don’t need to wait. You can simply subscribe with a subset of your students (the minimum is 2), and start using QuickSchools right away. Some benefits to starting an early over-the-summer subscription:

• You can start inviting all your staff to QuickSchools, so you can ensure that everyone has access to QuickSchools well before the start of the school year.
• You can start configuring elements within your account, like access to specific modules, setting up subjects for the new school year, and configuring / customizing the report cards.
• You and all your staff can start getting acquainted with the software, by using the various modules that you have. So that when school starts, your teachers will be QuickSchools experts
• You can secure your QuickSchools URL, so that you can use the link for your website (if you have your own website, that is)
• If you’re planning to use our Automated Scheduling, it would certainly help to prepare all the subjects and all the schedules before school starts. Same can be said for the Lesson Plans and the Admissions modules too.
• It doesn’t cost you much. Just enter in a subset of your students into your account, and pay for these students only.

So the bottom line is you don’t have to wait. You may have 300 students in your school, but to subscribe, you just need a minimum of 2. So subscribe now, and reap the benefits of your very own school management system. And add on the additional students later when required.

We look forward to seeing you online!

We’re excited to announce the launch of the inaugural QuickSchools Teacher of the Year award. We’ve designed this ‘contest’ so that it can be fun and open for everyone to join in easily. We hope this will be as much fun for you as it is for us.

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The nomination phase has just ended, so we’ve taken off the nomination form to avoid confusion.

Search for your candidate on our blog and vote!

*Updated on April 10, 2012. Here’s a shortcut to the nomination form. Nominations close on April 15, 2012 so hurry and make sure your favorite teacher gets a shot at the iPad3 that comes along with the award…

I was on the Live Chat the other night and helped a teacher with her gradebook question. It amazes me every time I see so many teachers who are logged in to QuickSchools, updating their gradebooks, fixing up report cards and whatnot late into the night and during the weekends. I said to the teacher that since we started QuickSchools, I have developed a whole new level of appreciation for my own teachers as I went through school. I wonder what went through their minds when they had to deal with all the mischief from yours truly. I did get a good caning once though but I am digressing way off course there…

I think people in general do have a sense of respect for teachers. That said, I personally think society in general underestimate how tough being a teacher really is. And since we at QuickSchools get to see this every day, we think people should know that teaching is certainly hard work!

And on that note, I am thrilled that we’re going to get the QuickSchools Teacher of the Year award off the ground this year.

The QuickSchools Teacher of the Year award is an award that although goes to one person eventually, is also meant to celebrate the teaching community in general.  For a start, we want to bring out the wonderful stories of the teachers within our growing QuickSchools community. Stories that often go unnoticed in our classrooms and schools. It’s an award that we hope will help shed light to the great work that teachers do. And if this can inspire more teachers to become better teachers and great leaders or get more people interested in teaching, that’ll be a nice bonus!

We look forward to receiving your nominations. Let’s celebrate our teachers.

For more info on the nitty gritty of the QuickSchools Teacher of the Year award check out this post.

Thanks for reading!

azreen

p/s – I should mention that the award does come with a cool iPad3. =)

• Users who’d like to access QuickSchools via the iPhone / iPad (and other mobile devices).
• Users who know Spanish, and would like to try out the Spanish version.
• Users outside the US who have a less-than-stellar internet connection speed.
• Users who are curious about the HTML5 upgrade in general.

We’ll keep you updated of the upcoming release. When the HTML5 upgrade is released, users will still have the option of using the older Flash version as-is. But keep in mind that we’ll eventually phase out the Flash version in favour of the more feature-rich HTML5.

Here’s a summary of the Fee Tracking capabilities:

• You can keep track of Fees and Payments for each student, and the system will keep track of outstanding balances.
• You can create Standard Charges that can be applied in bulk to all students, or to a sub-set of students (based on grade level and other criteria).
• All Fee Tracking transactions are dated based on date of entry. The date of the transaction cannot be changed. You can however indicate the date in the transaction description.
• The fee tracking module does not generate invoices or receipts. For that, we recommend using QuickBooks Online. Instead, the Fee Tracking module can generate statements for each student, detailing an opening balance, transactions since the last statement, and an ending balance (like a credit card statement).
• Transactions in the fee tracking module can be categorized for reporting purposes. So you could track “Tuition Fees” separately from “Administrative Fees” for example, if categorized accordingly.
• All transactions and summary information can be exported to Excel for offline manipulation, or for import into an external program.
• Statements that are generated are in PDF format, and can be printed or emailed to parents as attachments.
• If you’d like the PDF statement to be formatted a certain way (to include payment instructions, for example), let us know, and we can customize that for you.

Here is a list of videos that we have:

• For a simple overview, the following video is about 6 minutes long: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnORgCucxm4
• For details on how to use the Student Billing sub-menu, check out this 2-minute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmVy6DQvo4M
• Here’s another 2-minute video about the Standard Charges sub-menu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBz1Fkr5A_U
• Finally, if you’re looking to categorize your fees and payments for reporting purposes, check out this video as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5fMF3PHh8k

As always, contact us if you have further questions about the Fee Tracking module. Let us know your feedback as well. We can’t improve the module effectively without feedback from all our schools.

To request a demo, you can simply do so over Live Chat, or send us an email at support@quickschools.com. We’ll suggest a few times for a meeting. We’ll then send you a link to GoToMeeting, which is what we use for screen sharing. And we’ll then run through the application on your computer and over the phone. It’s as simple as that.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up for a trial today.

At QuickSchools, you have the ability to choose from a variety of available report card templates. Once a template is selected, you can then configure what to display, including fields and subject-specific criteria. And if you can’t find a template that works for you right off the bat, send us your template, and we can recommend one or put one together for you; all this at no additional cost.

What’s more, you can do all this during your free 30-day trial, so you know exactly how the report cards will look like (and how they work) before you start a subscription. That takes the guess work out of starting a new school management system.

Sign up for a free 30-day trial today. And if you have questions, come chat with us, or send us an email at support@quickschools.com. We’d be delighted to assist you.

That's me at Chris after setting up the QuickSchools booth

And that’s Azreen and Chris (I was taking the picture this time)

Give us a shout out, if you met us at NAIS!

When using these report card templates, the system does it’s best to figure out which columns to fill for any particular marking period. It does this by sorting the existing report card marking periods by date. So the first marking period will fill the first column, the second marking period will fill the second, and so forth. However, if you have several marking periods per academic term (like a mid-term and a final-term marking period), that may throw the system off, and you have to explicitly tell the system which columns to fills for the particular grading session.

So here’s how it works. Go to the “Report Cards” > “Setup Report Cards” menu, and click on the “Manage” link. This will display a list of report card grading sessions in your account:

List of report sessions after clicking on “Manage”

Then click on “Edit” for any particular grading session.

Pop Up window to edit the report session, and set the “Sequence”

On this pop-up window, you can use the “Sequence” field to define which column to fill in the report card template. So for the first column, enter “1”. For the second column, enter “2”, and so on. And that’s pretty much it.

As always, come chat with us if you require further assistance.

QuickSchools will be exhibiting at the 13th Annual ISNA-CISNA Education Forum at the Westin O’Hare Hotel from April 6 to April 8, 2012. Come drop by our booth if you’re there. We may have some free stuff for you

Here’s a link to the event:

http://www.isna.net/Conferences/pages/Education-Forum.aspx

Option 1: Report the problem to our support staff

As the school admin, you can send a list of effected parents to support@quickschools.com, and our support staff will manually send out an email invitation to the parents affected. You can also send out a mass parent email informing parents to send an email to us, if they have not received an email invitation. We can reset passwords for specific users as well, as long as the email request is from the correct user. Please allow 1-2 days to process your request.

Option 2: Manually reset and resend the Parent Portal password

If you’d like to reset the password yourself, school administrators have the ability to do so. Simply go to the “Students” screen, find and click on the student record, and then go to the “Parents” tab. The screen should look like the following:

Reset Parent Portal Password

If the parent has already been invited, you will see a “Reset password” link below the parents email address. Simply click on this link. A pop-up will appear asking to confirm the password reset. Click on “Confirm” to complete the password reset. Once you do this, another pop-up will appear that displays the parent’s newly generated 4-digit password. Here’s what it might look like:

Parent Portal New Login Credentials

You can now send the parent an email with the new password. Please come chat with us if you have any questions about this process. For more information about the QuickSchools Parent Portal, you can check out this link below:

http://blog.quickschools.com/2011/12/14/the-quickschools-parent-portal/

Basically, it comes down to enrolment. QuickSchools uses the subject enrolment information to display students in the various modules, like the Gradebook, the Report Cards, the Transcripts, and even Subject-Based Attendance. However, each subject can only be linked to a single grade level. So in the example above, we would pick either the 7^th grade or the 8^th grade as the base/reference for the class. In the example below, we’ve created a 7^th Grade English class called “English 7-8”:

Using the “Enroll student from another grade” section, you can then enroll the 8^th grade students (or students from any other grade) into the subjects listed. And then use the checkboxes to further refine which students are enrolled into which subjects that you are teaching.

Once the subject enrolment is set up properly, the other connected modules will be updated accordingly. Here are some example screens, based on the example we discussed:

The Gradebook for a Combined Class

The Report Cards for a Combined Class

Subject-Based Attendance for a Combined Class

As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, come chat with us on Live Chat, or leave us a comment. Here a short video tutorial on Subject Enrollment:

Mention this article at the conference, and get a QuickSchools flash light / key chain (pictured above) for free. Hope to see you guys there!

As always, please send us your suggestions for conferences you attend. We’d love to meet you and other schools like yourself.

One of the main improvements is being able to see what your report card looks like as you’re editing it. The screenshot below shows the report card screen. You would simply click on the areas that you want to edit (most of these are pre-filled based on the Gradebook and Attendance modules), and then type in what you want.

Report Card Features

The report card above was configured using the Three Four Galore template. There are multiple templates to choose from, each with it’s unique set of configuration elements. Each template is designed to suit a particular kind of style / purpose. Find the one that’s best for you. Here are some other features not highlighted in the screenshot above:

• Subjects can be hidden or sorted
• You can have different templates / configurations for different grades within the same marking period
• You can grade by student (as seen above) or by subject (where all students are listed together)
• Parents do not see report cards until report cards are published/locked
• After report cards are published/locked, you can still hide/withhold specific report cards from parents

If for some reason, after looking over all the various templates, and tinkering with the configuration elements, you still can’t get the report cards looking exactly like how you’d like it, come chat with us. Send us a sample report card, and we’ll see if we can do something for you.

Start Taking Attendance

After that, a list of all your students will appear. From there, you can change the attendance record for a student, enter remarks, or if it’s not a school day and you want to remove the attendance record for all students, simply click on “Not a school day”.

Taking Attendance

If you’re on the “Subject-based” screen, and the “Start taking attendance” button is greyed out, that means that you don’t have any subjects scheduled today. If that is a mistake, you’ll need to speak with your school administrator to fix it.

Cannot Take Attendance because not Subjects are Scheduled

If you are the school administrator, or an administrator for the attendance module, you’ll need access to the “Attendance Settings” screen to edit the attendance schedule. Here’s what it looks like:

Setting up Subject-Based Attendance

By default, all attendance is homeroom-based and taken daily (D is for daily). P is for Period-based, which is still homeroom-based but with multiple periods. S is for Subject-based, and if you select this option for a particular grade, a “Configure” link will appear. Clicking on the link will allow you to setup periods, and assign subjects to each period. The subject teacher would then take attendance based on students who are enrolled into that subject.

Setting up the Attendance Schedule for a particular class

You can use the boxes on top to set up the number of periods that day. Then click on a cell, and select the subjects from the dropdown. You can select multiple subjects if they are concurrent that period.

Adding Subjects to the Attendance Schedule

If you need more info, check out this video about the Subject-Based Attendance module on QuickSchoools:

Alvin DeSilva's Report Card with Subject Specific Criteria

In the example above, we’ve created a report card for Alvin DeSilva using the “Three Four Galore” Report Card template. Alvin is taking English and Math. And under English, you’ll notice that he also received evaluations for Reading, Writing and Speaking. You can configure your own criteria for specific subjects, as this article describes.

The first step is to select a Report Card template that has a section for “Subject-Specific Criteria”. If you go to the “Report Cards” > “Setup Report Cards” menu, you can click on “Change Template” to select a different report card template. The selected template will appear on the left, with configuration elements on the right. Look for the “Subject-Specific Criteria” section on the report card.

Choose a Report Card Template with a Subject-Specific Criteria section

The next step is to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the “Setup Report Cards” screen, and make sure the Subject-Specific Criteria module is turned on. Just click on the “Turn it on” link.

Turning on Subject-Specific Criteria

Once the module is turned on, you will see a new “Setup Subject-Specific Criteria” sub-menu appear next to “Setup Report Cards”. Clicking on it will show the screen below. You’ll notice that this module has 2 sections. The top section shows all the subject templates, while the bottom section shows all subjects, and the subject templates assigned to those subjects.

Screen for Setup Subject-Specific Criteria

To create a new template, just click on “Add Subject Template”. On the pop-up, you can create additional text fields or dropdowns. Here’s what it might look like:

Creating a Subject Template for the Subject-Specific Criteria

Once you have created a few subject templates, you can then use the table below to assign these templates to specific subjects. Just click on the third column next to the subject name. A dropdown will appear. Then select a subject template from the dropdown, or click on “—CLEAR TEMPLATE –“ to clear the template.

Select a Subject-Template for a Subject

And that’s pretty much it. Come chat with us if you need help with anything

Reset your Zoom

Often times, you may have your browser zoom turned on and you wouldn’t even know it. One of the symptoms is that the screen is cut off to the side. A quick remedy to reset your zoom is to hold down the CTRL key and press 0 (the number zero). That will reset the zoom for you.

Reload the Module

In some cases, if you lose your internet connection momentarily, a screen may not have completely loaded, leaving it blank. A quick remedy for this is to reload the module by holding down the SHIFT key and then clicking on the menu item. This will reload the Flash files from the server again

Clear Your Browser Cache

If you’re still having problems despite the fixes above, or if your Live Chat window is missing, you should try clearing your browser cache. Clearing your cache forces the browser to reload web pages again, including the Live Chat widget. The steps to clear your browser cache will differ slightly based on the actual browser. Check out this link for the exact steps:

http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-Your-Browser’s-Cache

Try another browser

If all else fails, try another browser. We highly recommend Google Chrome. Mozilla Firefox is a good alternative as well. And if that still doesn’t work, send us an email at support@quickschools.com, or chat with us, and we’ll do the best we can to assist.

We’re hopeful that a lot of these problems will go away once we upgrade to HTML5. Rest assured our engineers and our support staff will continue to strive to make your experience with QuickSchools a pleasant one.

Is the software secure?

Yes, we employ standard SSL Encryption, which is what banks use for their online portals. All passwords are encrypted, even in the database. We consistently monitor for external attacks, and employ standard protocols for network and server protection.

Will my data be safe?

We use database replication to keep a real-time backup of all accounts. Each account is also backed up nightly to a separate location. You can read more about it here.

Who owns the data?

The data is owned by the respective schools. We have no right to the data. You can request that your data be deleted at anytime. Data from expired / cancelled accounts are also deleted automatically after 60 days.

Will my data be shared with others?

No, your data will absolutely not be shared with others. All software maintenance and support is done in house, so your data will not be accessed by third party vendors.

What if I want to leave?

There are no cancellation fees. You can cancel at any time. You can also download an XML backup of your data before ending your subscription.

Is there a contract?

No, there is no contract. You can start or end your subscription at any time. We do require payment every month to keep your account active.

Will you charge me more later?

We have held the same price since our official launch in 2009. And we have no plans, immediate or long-term, to change our pricing. This is our way of staying competitive in the market place.

Is this a stable company?

Our company was established in 2003. We originally built custom solutions for large supply chains, which allowed us to develop and test our own software platform using J2EE as our core technology. We branched into education in 2007, and officially launched QuickSchools in August 2009 after receiving VC funding earlier that year. Since launching QuickSchools, we’ve removed ourselves from the custom software development market and are focused completely on the smaller school market. We’re now expanding aggressively into North America.

Made for smaller schools

We’ve peeled away at the complexities that make larger systems difficult to use, and we’re left with a simple and easy-to-use school management system. With our focus on simplicity, we can ensure that everything works well.

Start with a basic version that works off the bat (even produce report cards within minutes of signing up), and slowly customize specific modules to fit your needs. Most schools don’t need a lot of configuration, and can start using the system right away. You can also start using certain modules first, and roll out the other modules later as you get more comfortable.

Even though we’re designed for K-12 schools, our subscribers include language schools, after school programs, small colleges, and vocational/training institutes. If you’re a small school, or if you like a simple system that’s easy-to-use, you have to try us out!

Exceptional Service / Support

You won’t know it until you try it. Our Live Chat support agents are amazing, and they’re available to all users, all the time. Don’t believe us? Come chat with us. We’ll help you get started. And if there’s a feature that you want that we don’t have, our Live Chat agents will send your feedback to our engineers for consideration into a future release. We prioritize new features and enhancements based on demand, and we don’t charge anything extra for it. It’s all part of your subscription.

We hope you’ll give us a try. To sign up for a free 30-Day trial, select a plan from the Pricing Page at the link below:

http://www.quickschools.com/quickschools/pricing

As a SaaS vendor, our value proposition is very different from traditional installed software. If you don’t already have a school administration system, or are thinking of changing from a traditional installed system, here are some advantages for using a SaaS-based school administration system such as QuickSchools:

Software that grows with your organization

If you’re going with traditional installed software, one of the first things you need to think about is the hardware: What kind of servers do you need, and how many? If you only have 50 students, does that justify buying a large server? And what happens as you grow? Will you need to buy better machines? With a SaaS-based solution, we take care of all that for you. You pay based on the number of students in your account, and we’ll grow the infrastructure as demand for our service grows.

Software that is available anytime anywhere

SaaS-based software is almost always web-based. So as long as you have an internet connection, you have access to your schools information. You don’t have to worry about setting up a network for multiple users to access your system. And for students and parents who want access to grades and report cards, this is a critical feature.

Software that evolves

When buying traditional installed software, you’re usually locked in to the version that you originally purchased. And when a new version comes out, you don’t get it unless you pay for it. And even when you do, the upgrade process is not necessarily an easy one. Upgrades when done improperly can be painful. With a SaaS-based solution, upgrades are automatically included in your subscription. It is part of our service to keep the software current and competitive within the market place. And our technical staff will make sure that all accounts are upgraded smoothly and painlessly.

Software that keeps your data safe

One very important feature of SaaS is that we keep your data safe from harm. What happens if there’s a fire? What if the server hard drive gets corrupt? At QuickSchools, we keep a real-time backup of the database in a separate server using a process called replication. If our main servers fail, a back-up server can be brought back up in a short period of time. We also run nightly backups of all accounts, which are stored at a separate location. This is all done automatically of course. So your data is always safe in the event of catastrophic failure.

Software that is well supported

Another high cost item that needs to be factored into traditional installed software is IT personnel. Software applications need to be maintained. What if something fails in the middle of the night? You’ll need to call your IT guy to fix it. And depending on the complexity of the software, you’ll need an equally qualified and equally expensive IT person to help you maintain it. SaaS vendors employ IT experts to make sure everything runs smoothly. Our IT experts will tend to not only basic support and maintenance issues, but to other important areas, such as security and new feature development.

These points speak to the SaaS vs. Traditional software aspect of school administration system. We’ll discuss what makes QuickSchools unique in another article later this month. Please stay tuned. Please feel free to comment on other advantages (or disadvantages) of using a SaaS-based solution.

One major improvement slated for 2012 is HTML5. Yup, you heard it right! QuickSchools is moving from a Flash-based front-end to HTML5. Soon you will be able to run QuickSchools from an iPhone or iPad. With new advances in web technology, we feel it’s time to make this upgrade.

This is a tremendous change; one which we hope will benefit all of our customers. There are many other benefits to using HTML5, and we’ll announce more about it as we get closer to the release date.

In the meantime, on behalf of everyone here at QuickSchools, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Thank you for supporting us. And we look forward to an even more productive and prosperous 2012.

Watch more videos on our YouTube channel

If you already have your data in Excel format, you can already import your data by mapping the columns in your Excel file with fields in the database. However, if you want to save time with the mappings, you can rename the column headers, or use one of our sample files below:

• SampleStudentImport.xls
• SampleTeacherImport.xls

One thing to note:

If you notice extra fields in the mapping dropdown, which you do not see on screen (like “EPF”, and “SOCSO”), most of these are actually deprecated (i.e. old) fields which we no longer support. These fields currently still exists in the database, but they will be removed in a future release. Other fields like “Race” and “Religion” are hidden fields, which we can activate if needed. For the complete list of active/valid fields for import, please refer to the sample files above.

Here’s an example:

We recently posted a rather lengthy article on how to set up a QuickSchools account if you don’t have academic terms. Non-overlapping academic terms make it easy for schools to control which information (grades, subjects, enrolment, schedules, etc) is active, and which is archived. But this method of doing things impedes on the flexibility for QuickSchools to cater to schools that don’t have academic terms.

So how would we make the system both flexible enough to cater to schools that do not have academic terms, while still allowing the control for the term-based schools to easily move between academic terms?

This is one of the many challenges we face as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) vendor, where all customers work off the same code base. Rest assured, our engineers are continually looking for improvements that will work well for everyone.

We welcome suggestions to improve our product and services. If you’re not sure about something, come chat with us, or send us an email at support@quickschools.com.

QuickSchools is always looking for new conferences to attend, especially conferences that are attended by our subscribers. Send your suggestions to info@quickschools.com, or write in the comments below.

No more submission flow

Report cards no longer need to be submitted by teachers and principals before they get finalized. Instead, report cards can be edited by all parties involved. At the end of the marking period, the report cards can be published all at once, making it accessible to students and parents immediately via their respective portals.

Also, to make changes to a completed report card, you simply need to unlock the marking period, and make changes directly to the report card. You no longer need to revert the report card, and then resubmit it.

Customize your own Report Cards

The new Report Cards module comes with a number of report card templates that you can choose from. After selecting a report card template, you can then further configure elements within the report card module. You can even hide or rename fields. This means that schools can start producing meaningful report cards minutes after sign-up, instead of having to wait for our technical staff to customize it for you.

New WYSIWYG Interface

When you edit the report card, you get to see what it looks like as you edit it. You don’t need to wait until the report card is finalized before you can see it. Also, this means that you can print out empty report cards if needed.

Control what subjects are shown in the Report Cards

The report cards will automatically display subjects based on what the student is enrolled in. However, you have the option of hiding specific subjects from the report cards. Say you have a “Homeroom” subject that you’ve created for attendance purposes, or a “Physics Lab” for scheduling purposes, you can now hide these from the report cards on your own, if you need to.

Deactivate specific report cards

You can now deactivate specific report cards from the marking period; making them inaccessible even after all the report cards are published. This would help schools that want to withhold grades from specific parents who have not paid their dues.

Report Card Screen

In summary, the new module is designed to give you more control over the report cards. It’s simpler and easier to use. If you have further questions, please feel free to chat with us.

http://<schoolcode>.quickschools.com

If you do not have a username and password, you should contact the school, so that they can email you an invitation.

If the school has already sent you an invitation, but you did not receive it, check your SPAM folder. If you still have not received it, come chat with our live chat personnel, or send us an email at support@quickschools.com. We can manually reset your password for you.

If you have logged in before, and know your username and password, but have forgotten the log in page, you can try chatting with us again, or send an email to support@quickschools.com.

We’ll see you online.

• Upcoming Events
• Student details and contact and info
• Student Attendance
• Subject Enrollment Info
• Current Grades (from the Gradebook) and Report Cards
• Disciplinary Incidents
• Homework Assignments
• Outstanding/Unpaid Fees and other charges

If you’re wondering what the parent portal looks like, or if you want a quick tutorial about how to use the Parent Portal, check out the video below:

Right now, the communication via the Parent Portal is mostly one-way, from the school to the parent. We will be developing ways for parents to interact with the school in a future version of QuickSchools. In the meantime, please let us know what sorts of features you’d like to see in the Parent Portal via the Live Chat window on the lower right corner of your QuickSchools screen.

All Gradebook Categories are now available in the Gradebook Calculation

Note however, that the gradebook calculation will show an “I” for incomplete, unless your administrator has setup the gradebooks to renormalize the gradebook calculation if there are categories that are not used. Please check out the following article on how to remove the “Incomplete” grade from the gradebook:

http://blog.quickschools.com/2011/11/01/say-goodbye-to-gradebook-incompletes/

If you’re comfortable putting together your own video, you can simply upload it to youtube and send us a link. Or you can send us your video footage, and we can either post it for you, or make some edits (if the footage is raw). In any case, we’d love to hear from you.

If you need help putting together a video, here are some tips:

1. Get a video camera, of course. And if you have them, get a tripod and microphone for the camera too.
2. When you’re setting up the camera, make sure the interviewee takes up most of the screen, say a third of the screen (we have some example videos below, so you know what we’re talking about). The interviewee should also be off centre (it’s a little more artistic that way). The interviewee should basically appear up close and personal.
3. You should have someone sit/stand behind the camera, asking you questions. As the interviewee, you should simply face/talk to the interviewer. You do not need to look at the camera. In fact, you should simply ignore the camera, and focus on the interviewer.
4. Take your time speaking to the interviewer. Try to avoid simply answering the questions with “yes” or “no”. We usually like to take the question out. So you should provide as much context as possible. Use examples or anecdotes, if possible.
5. Finally, stay calm, and don’t worry about making mistakes. If you do make a mistake, just start over (we can edit out the mistakes). Also, try not to read out a prepared answer. You can have an answer prepared in mind, but use your own words when conveying it to the interviewer.

Here are some sample questions that you can have your interviewer ask you. The questions are designed to provoke your thoughts, and not necessarily for you to answer them directly. And of course, you are not limited to these. Please feel free to share your thoughts openly and freely (without any questions, if you so choose):

1. Introduce yourself (your name, your school and your role at your school). Briefly describe your school as well (as if to prospective parents).
2. Tell us about the challenges you faced before you started using QuickSchools.
3. Tell us what struck you about QuickSchools. What were you hoping to gain with a program like QuickSchools? Were there other programs you tried prior to QuickSchools?
4. Tell us about your transition into QuickSchools. How was the 30-day trial period? What was your first impression?
5. Tell us how things are going right now. Do the teachers like it? How about the parents? Do you have any stories you can share?
6. In your opinion, what makes QuickSchools different? What do you like about QuickSchools? Why subscribe to QuickSchools?
7. Would you recommend QuickSchools to others? Who would you recommend QuickSchools to? What would you say to a school considering QuickSchools?
8. Is there anything else you’d like to share about QuickSchools, or anything you’d like to say to the QuickSchools staff?

Here are some sample videos put together by some of our schools:

Jason Yarbrough shares his views on why he chose QuickSchools.

Mr. Abel McClennon speaks about QuickSchools

For more testimonials, check out our Testimonials Playlist on YouTube.

One of the frequent questions we get is with regards to backups. How safe is your data, really?

As a software service provider, one of our main priorities is the safety and security of your data. This is one of our core expertises. And we provide this service so that schools can concentrate on their core expertise – teaching our youth. But just to elaborate on some of our data backup features:

As with most enterprise-level applications, our database is replicated. What that means is when you interact with your account, and data is saved to our database, that same data is replicated to another database on another server. So if our main database server ever fails, we can easily fail over to our secondary server with minimal loss of data.

In addition to this, each account is also backed up on a daily basis. Back-up files are again stored in an alternate server location to protect against failure on our main servers. This will also protect against data loss for specific accounts.

These are amongst the automatic backup procedures that are run by our technical staff. In addition to these, schools can opt to perform their own back ups as outlined below:

One method of backing up your data is to simply run reports for the individual modules. Data from each module can be exported into an Excel file, and stored offline. The data backed up in this method is readable, but a little tedious to perform, depending on the number of modules you have activated in your account.

Reports can be exported to Excel

The second method is to turn on the “Advanced backup control” feature (under “Features” and click on “Or click here to edit overall settings”). Users with this access can create an XML file of the entire account. The XML file retains the relationships between the various elements in your account. You will need to have the know-how to interpret the data, but the XML format itself pretty standard.

Advanced Backup Control

Please note that data that schools back up on their own cannot be used to restore a QuickSchools account. Account restorations would only be performed by our technical personnel, if required.

And that’s a brief run down of how your data is/can be backed up. We are always looking for ways to improve our product and services, so please feel free to let us know your comments and suggestions.

This article aims to answer the following question:

How do we best structure classes/courses if we don’t have academic terms?

QuickSchools relies on the concept of academic terms in order to archive grades. When an academic term is archived, it becomes read-only, and safeguards your data from inadvertent changes in the future. Here’s how it works:

In QuickSchools, you can define multiple academic terms. However, only one academic term can be active at any one time. All other inactive academic terms are effectively archived (read-only). You can of course activate any academic term at any time, but you’d have to coordinate it with your staff. This is because when users make changes to subjects and grades, it only effects the current activated academic term. You can check out our blog post about “Creating New Academic Terms (and New Gradebooks)”

Only one academic term can be active at one time

So what happens if your school does not have academic terms? For example, if you have a 9-week program that starts in early November, then another 6-week course that starts 2 weeks later (i.e. courses start and end independently of one another), how would I structure my academic terms?

The short answer is you wouldn’t use the academic terms in QuickSchools at all. The downside is you won’t be able to archive your grades, since the academic term is always active. So the subjects and grades can always be accessed (with the proper privileges). And since all subjects are always active, your report cards will function more like a Transcript (more on this later).

In this article, we discuss three ways to set up your courses, so that they are easy to manage despite the absence of the Academic Terms module.

Before you begin:

Before you begin, you will need to set up a few Advanced Features. Just go to “Features” and click on the “Or click here to edit overall settings” link. From there, make sure the “New Semester Setup” feature is not assigned to anybody (since nobody will need it), and check off the “Turn on college-level settings” check box. This will turn on the “Class Setup” module that will appear along your top navigation bar.

Turning on the Class Setup module

Classes/Programs are listed based on Academic Term

Introduction to the Class-Course Structure

Classes, courses and sections are organized in a hierarchy. At the top of the hierarchy are classes (accessible via the newly activated “Class Setup” menu). After that you can create several courses linked to each class (under the “Courses menu). And each course can have an abbreviation which effectively works like a section for the course. Here’s an example:

Basic Hierarchy of typical K-12 school

Hierarchy of Programs, Courses and Sections

Just keep this in mind when as we discuss how to structure your class and courses in the sections below. Some additional things to note:

-          A student can only be linked to one class (i.e. a student can’t be in 1^st grade and 2^nd grade at the same time)

-          A student can however be enrolled in courses from different classes (i.e. a student can be enrolled in 1^st grade English as well as 2^nd grade English)

We will now go through a few example course structures.

METHOD 1: Basic / Intuitive Course Structure

The most intuitive option for small schools is to organize the classes as programs that you offer. Each program would then have courses attached, followed by sections for each course. Here is an example:

Basic Course Structure (Most Intuitive)

Although this is the most intuitive, the limitation here is that a student record can only be linked to ONE class / program. The student’s “Year Level” is a simple dropdown, and only one class/program can be selected:

A student can only be linked to one Class/Program (per academic term)

So if a student completed English as a Second Language (ESL), and would like to enroll into Academic and Career Entrance (ACE), you would need to create a new (separate) student record for Academic and Career Entrance (ACE), in order to maintain the subjects and grades linked to the original English as a Second Language (ESL) program. Each program would get its own report card. And the original student record can be archived (by saying that the student graduated / has left the school).

So what about enrollment dates? How would I keep track of when students start/end each program?

To solve this, we recommend creating additional classes for the sole purpose of tracking the enrollment start and end dates. Based on the original example, you can create additional classes as follows, without any courses:

Additional Classes to keep track of Intake

The student would be enrolled into the “English as a Second Language (ESL) – Jan 1” class (which has no subjects), but take subjects from the original “English as a Second Language (ESL)” class.

Sample Report Card using the Basic/Intuitive Method

If you only offer ONE program, and a student is unlikely to take multiple programs, then this method is recommended for you.

METHOD 2: Alternative / Flexible Course Structure

Another option for small schools that have rolling enrollment is to simply maintain ONE class. We would give it an arbitrary name, like say “General Enrollment”. You would then structure all your courses underneath this one class. And your students are free to enroll into any of your available courses. Here is an example:

Alternative Course Structure (Most Flexible)

In this case, you would have multiple courses with the same name, but use different abbreviations to denote the different areas (Grammar, Speaking, etc) with the same course (ESL). In contrast to the previous Basic Course Structure, a student using this alternative approach would be able to enroll in both ESL and ACE courses using the same student record.

In terms of tracking enrollment dates, we would create additional courses that would keep track of the start and end date of the program. Here’s an example:

Additional Courses/Sections to keep track of Intake

The student would always be linked to the “General Enrollment” class. However, in additional to enrolling into subjects of specific programs, the student would also enroll into one course that contains the start and end date of the program.

Subjects actually appear as Sections in the Alternative / Flexible Approach

If you have multiple classes/programs to keep track off, and want something flexible, then this method is recommended for you.

METHOD 3: Simple / Limited Course Structure (using Subject-Specific Criteria)

The first two methods mentioned above covers most non-K12 schools. However, there are some further simplifications that can be made, if you’re willing to make do without certain flexibilities.

Let’s recap:

1. If you’re not using academic terms, then grades are never archived because academic terms are never archived. You can access/change subjects and grades at any time (assuming you have the privileges)
2. Since there are no academic terms, the Report Cards function like a Transcript, since it will display all subjects that student has ever taken.

With this in mind, there is a third level of categorization available to us. The Report Cards module has an optional functionality called the “Subject-Specific Criteria”, which allows you to further refine how subjects are graded. This is what the complete breakdown would look like in terms of hierarchy, using our original example:

Simple but Limited Course Structure

Notice that similar to the Alternative Flexible Course Structure, programs and enrollment info are stored within the courses. However, actual courses/subjects would be stored within the subject-specific criteria.

Subjects appear as Criteria in the Simple / Limited Approach

The drawback of this approach is that since there are no actual subjects in your account, you would not be able to set up an automated schedule or take subject-based attendance. But this is by far the simplest approach, when it comes down to tracking report cards / transcripts.

Summary of Approaches

So in summary, we would recommend one of three methods:

First off, you can upgrade or downgrade your account at any time, either during your free 30-day trial, or even after subscribing. You’d do so simply by clicking on the “Features” page, and then selecting one of the available plans. Upgrades/downgrades are instantaneous, and any data that you have in your account will remain intact.

Secondly, we only charge based on the active number of students in your account. For more information on how to activate and reactivate student records, check out this article:

http://blog.quickschools.com/2011/11/15/activating-and-deactivating-student-records/

Finally, we don’t do any sort of complicated pro-rating when it comes to billing. When you first subscribe, we will simply count the number of students in your account and multiple it with the rate for the plan that you selected.  And every 30 days after that, we’ll again take a snapshot of the number of active students in your account, and multiply it with the rate for the activated/selected plan. The system will not pro-rate anything based on activity in between billing periods.

So for example, if you’re billed today for 10 students on the Apollo Plan, and you add 10 students tomorrow, and then 15 graduate the following week, the system will only count the 5 currently active student records in your account when you are billed in 30 days. If you decide to upgrade to Athena the following day, you would not be billed for it until the next billing cycle.

If you have further questions about this, please come chat with us.

There are TWO key differences, which we’ll discuss first:

Continuous vs. Periodic Assessment

The Gradebook is mainly controlled/administered by the subject teacher. The subject teacher can define gradebook columns, categories, dates, grading scales and even final grade calculations. Teachers can do this on a regular basis; weekly or even daily. When teachers enter a new gradebook column, it can be made available to parents immediately (there is a configuration setting to make the gradebook entries available to the Parent Portal).

Parent View of Gradebook Entries (if enabled)

By contrast, Report Cards are usually part of a grading cycle (or marking period, as some people call it). Report cards would be made available to parents at the end of an academic term, and sometimes in the middle of the academic term (i.e. Mid-Term Report Cards). Parents would not see the report cards while teachers are putting in their assessments. Instead, the report cards need to be published at the end of the grading cycle before they become accessible via the Parent Portal (Read more on how report cards are locked/published).

Richness of Assessment Content

Although you can create multiple columns in the gradebook, and define your own calculations, the Gradebook currently only records numerical marks. You cannot note down comments, or other types of assessments (like dropdowns, and check boxes). Also, when you print out a PDF version of a student’s gradebook entries, it adheres to a very specific format. Changes in this format will affect other schools. The aim of this is to make the Gradebook easy to use and readily available (with little to no configuration).

The Report Cards are designed to supplement the evaluations made in the Gradebook. Schools will have multiple report card formats to choose from, each with its own set of elements that you can further configure. You can also create additional grading criteria specific to subjects, including comments and dropdowns.

Choose from a variety of available Report Card templates

So how are the Gradebook and Report Cards related?

You can see that the 2 modules serve very different purposes. You could almost say that they are complementary to one another. But because the gradebook assessments are continuous, we regard the Gradebook as the source for all grades. So the Report Cards (and even Transcripts) will take final grade calculations from the Gradebook, and display them accordingly. If you don’t use the gradebook, that simply means you would have to type in the grades into the report cards, instead of having them appear automatically.

If numerical grades are all you care about, you can opt to use the Gradebook PDF as a sort of Report Card or Progress Report, to be sent to parents. The format is fixed, but you don’t have to fiddle through configuring the Report Cards.

Sample generated Gradebook PDF

If you don’t have ANY numerical marks at all, then you can skip the Gradebook, and use the Report Cards as your sole means of assessments. You would then use comments and scale-based criteria in the report cards.

Sample generated Report Card PDF

So depending on the types of evaluations you like to share with your parents, you may opt to use one or both of the Gradebook and Report Cards modules. Hopefully, we’ll have something that caters to your needs. And as always, we welcome your feedback.

If a student who left the school returns, you can re-activate the student record, and all previous information about that student can be re-instated and modified. Here’s a short video that describes the process of de-activating and re-activating a student record (go to 1:51 or click here):

Go to 1:51 or click here for a direct link

When it comes to billing, QuickSchools will automatically invoice you every 30 days based on the number of active students in your account. If you have a valid credit card on file with us, you will be charged automatically.

We don’t do any sort of pro-rating, when it comes to billing. If you manage to activate and de-activate a student record between billing cycles (i.e. before the next invoice is applied), you will not be charged for that student. We want to keep this process as simple as possible. There is also a minimum charge of 2 students for your QuickSchools subscription.

Please check out more QuickSchools videos on YouTube.

View of the Parents tab after opening the Student Record (for School Administrators)

But what happens if a parent should only be allowed access to some of the siblings (because of divorce and remarriage)? This is where it helps to click on the “Manage Complex Relationships” link.

Manage Complex Relationships for related siblings using the available dropdowns

Clicking on the link will display all related siblings, as well as the relationship of each sibling to each parent/guardian record. You can use the dropdowns to set the relationship for each parent. Setting the relationship to “No Relation – do not show as parent”, will hide the parent record for that student (but not for the other siblings).

Hidden/Unrelated Parent/Guardian records still appear in the Parents tab of the Student record

Parents that are not linked, their information will still be noted at the bottom of the Parents tab. So now when the parent logs in, he/she will only have access to the appropriate students linked to that account.

If you need further clarification on this, please come chat with us.

To re-normalize, you can go to the “Grading Setup” menu, and select the appropriate “Grading formula behaviour” from the dropdown below. Here’s what the dropdown looks like:

After making the change, missing categories will be omitted from the calculation. Here’s what the gradebook will look like (based on our earlier example from the previous post):

If you need any help with this, please come chat with us.

But schools don’t want to have to create all that data (from scratch) over and over again whenever a new academic term is created. And so we introduced this concept of archiving/migrating the academic term. What this does is copies over all the data from the previous academic term, and copies it into the new academic term. From then on, you can make changes to the new academic term safely, without effecting information from the previous academic term.

So let’s go over the various ways that you can create a new academic term:

Method 1: Creating an empty academic term

Creating an empty academic term is useful for purposes of admissions. You would then reserve the actual data archive/migration process for the end of the academic term (so that only the latest data is copied over). This is what the screen looks like:

This screen can be accessed via the “New Semester Setup” > “View All Semesters” screen, or via the “Admissions” > “View All Semesters” screen. Simply use the “Add New Academic Year” and “Add New Term” buttons to create empty academic terms.

Remember, if you use this method to create a new academic term, you should refrain from activating it, because there’s no data in there. Only when subjects are created / copied over do the gradebooks get created as well.

Method 2: Archiving and Creating a New Academic Term in the CURRENT Academic Year

This process is a straight up “archive and migrate”, as was discussed earlier. This is what the screen looks like:

This screen can be access via the “New Semester Setup” > “Create Semester”, of via clicking “OPTION 1” under the “New Semester Setup” > “Guide” screen.

Just fill in the form, and click on “Create New Semester”. If you’ve already created an empty academic term (METHOD 1), you can select it from the dropdown. Also, be sure that the correct academic term (to be archived / copied) is activated. When you’re done, you can review the changes via the “View All Semesters” screen.

Method 3: Archiving and Creating a New Academic Year

This process is very similar to Method 2, except with the added benefit of promoting all your students in bulk. This is what the screen looks like:

This screen can be access via the “New Semester Setup” > “Create Year & Semester”, of via clicking “OPTION 2” under the “New Semester Setup” > “Guide” screen.

You’ll see that on this screen, you can match how the students are promoted. Simply click on “Create New Semester” at the bottom of the screen to complete the process.

QUESTION: I don’t have the “New Semester Setup” menu. How do I get it?

You need to be the School Admin to assign privileges. To enable the menu, go to “Features”, and click on “Or click here to edit overall settings”:

From there, just add your name (or anybody else who should get access) to the “New Semester Setup” module:

As usual, if you have any questions, please come chat with us

The report card will display the latest information based on information entered into the various modules. So for example, when teachers update the gradebook, the report cards will be updated automatically with the latest final grade calculations.

QUESTION: Once the report cards are done, and I’ve printed them off, how do I make sure that the report cards don’t change anymore?

Remember that if teachers continue to use the Gradebook and Attendance modules after the report cards are printed (especially if the academic term is not archived), the fields in the report card may get updated as well. And so the report cards that you printed earlier may look different if re-printed again later.

To protect against this, at the end of the marking period, once you’re satisfied with the report cards and are ready to print them, you should lock the report cards. There are currently 2 ways for report cards to be locked:

1 – You can explicitly lock the report card by going to the “Report Cards” > “Setup Report Cards” screen, click on “Manage”, and then click on the “Lock Report Cards” link for a particular grading session. You can use this screen to unlock existing grading sessions as well (more on this later).

QUESTION: So what happens if I make a mistake, and I need to make changes to a locked report card?

Well, as mentioned above, you can go back to “Report Cards” > “Setup Report Cards”, click on “Manage”, and then click on the “Unlock” link for a particular grading session. However, there is a difference when editing an unlocked report card.

An unlocked report card will retain the original locked values, but they can be overridden. If you move you mouse over the fields, the original locked value as well as the calculated value will be displayed. To change the field, you will need to type in the correct value.

If the locked value is the same as the calculated value, then the pop-up will simply show a single “Default value”. Be sure to save when you’re done. And feel free to lock the report cards again, if necessary.

If you have questions about this, please chat with us.