Why is the district replacing the old portal, ParentConnectxp?
The school district launched ParentConnectxp six years ago, and today about 40,000 parents sign in regularly. The district has two separate portals for teachers, another for administrators and yet another for staff. The new portal, designed by St. Petersburg-based Focus School Software, allows everyone to use the same software. No more entering the same information in two places. How is it better? At home, parents and students can view real-time grades, assignments, attendance records and test scores. Students can do their homework on the portal. Teachers can post content, links, files and student work, quizzes and participate in discussion boards. Parents can also message teachers directly. Administrators and guidance counselors will also have access to the site and the ability to interact with teachers. Over the past year, five schools — Bay Point Middle, Woodlawn Elementary, Tarpon Springs High, Thurgood Marshall Fundamental and Pinellas Virtual School — gave the new portal a test r
