Best platform for classroom parent organization?

August 9, 2024 3:28 PM

My elder son is starting Kindergarten, and we'll be with this same group of ~20 parents for the next decade, with minimal turnover. So, whatever platform we use for group communication/informal organization, we'll likely be stuck with. What should that platform be? At least one of the other classes uses Signal, but I don't know if there's a better option out there. Assume everyone has access to computer/phone, but not the same platform.
posted by DebetEsse to Technology (9 answers total)

Signal makes sense to me bc they are free and open source, as well as a non-profit foundation.

It is free to use but is also supported by donations. I'm not sure if anything out there is so useful for a variety of communications and platforms, and it's also well designed and secure.

Finally, it's important to me that a school group does not become beholden to pure corporate interest for communications , ymmv.
posted by SaltySalticid at 4:17 PM on August 9

Seconding Signal. But in my parent groups there is a challenge in getting people to adopt any unfamiliar program. So we end up stuck with WhatsApp groups or (ugh) giant MMS threads.
posted by hovey at 4:39 PM on August 9

I think if other classes are using Signal that’s a good plan - it’s kind of annoying if you have multiple kids in the same school to have to switch apps constantly.It is inportant to make sure instructions and that there are free tiers (or that you don’t have to donate) is clear for everyone if it’s not a common platform.
posted by warriorqueen at 6:37 PM on August 9

Do note that Signal (on Android, anyway) does not offer an easy way to export chats. As a result, if people want to keep the chat either as an archive or as a memento, they'll need to keep the app installed, basically forever.
posted by demi-octopus at 12:47 AM on August 10

At my school and in my neighborhood we use WhatsApp and it's perfectly adequate.

iOS18 will support RCS this fall so the default group messaging experience between iPhone and Android will be vastly improved.
posted by kdar at 7:53 AM on August 10

Text messages and email.

I think the idea that you're going to get 20 families, who are only connected via the fact that their child goes to school together, to adopt a separate communications tool to keep in touch is... unrealistic at best.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 1:00 PM on August 10

Seconding e-mail (which is usually better than SMS because it has better search functions and allows you to change the subject line according to topic, though there are certain demographics who basically don't check it so keep that in mind as you decide). It's only 20 people (not all of whom will participate in any case) and a lot of us really don't want to learn new systems, especially when they will require downloading a whole new app.
posted by metasarah at 4:40 PM on August 10

I'm at the tail end, with two kids, of the life phase you're setting out on. Small barriers to entry compound over time. Email and SMS/MMS are the only things that have stuck. The search function alone puts email ahead of texting. I can't tell you how many things went down on email during the pandemic that made email invaluable. Even down-scaled by a few orders of magnitude for things like field trips, allergies, lice, birthdays, co-parenting schedules, ad infinitum -- it's a fire hose of information that will last, as you say, a decade.
posted by cocoagirl at 9:03 PM on August 10

One thing about Signal that I’ve noticed is that Signal on my mobile (iPhone) doesn’t carry all the same messages/threads when I open my Signal desktop app (Mac), even though it’s the same linked account. Granted, I could be overlooking something about my settings, but in frustration I looked up some support/troubleshooting about the same issue and got the same conclusion. So that’s kind of a bummer for someone who likes to move seamlessly between platforms (privacy is nice though).

I was never able to get everyone on the Signal train in the 3-5 various “mutual class parents” groups I was in these past few years (preschooler aged children), because the more go-getter organizer types would always do WhatsApp first (which can be used in the desktop browser and on the phone very seamlessly, i do hate Facebook/Meta though).
posted by cluebucket at 11:28 AM on August 11