LOHS tries Edline for better parent/school communication

If you’re grades aren’t good, all you have to do is hide your report card from your parents and they’ll never know. Think again.
Thanks to Edline, parents with access to a computer can keep an eye on their Lake Orion High School children’s grades 24 hours a day.
Edline is a private company that has a website that the school district started using last week. School district data on high school students only has been uploaded.
“One hundred parents have already activated their code,” school district employee Bob Elenbaas told school board members on Sept. 10.
Elenbaas said the high school is implementing Edline this fall after making a commitment to improve school to parent communication. He emphasized the display of data is secure.
Parents can check out events on the school calender. When they type their child’s name, up pops grade reports, a list of classes and assignments and other customized information about their child.
Teachers can e-mail parents and students as long as an address is provided. Parents and students can e-mail teachers.
Edline also sends automatic e-mail alerts to parents whenever new grades are available.
Teachers can customize their class page. Grade reports can be updated. Old instructional material can be stored for possible use later. They can add news events and even put important activities such as test dates on a calender.
“Teachers and administrators continue to use the software they know and with just a click they can post information to Edline,” Elenbaas said.
Students and parents aren’t the only ones to have access to critical information in real time. Administrators, special education teachers, counselors and other staff members also have access to information about students for whom they are responsible.