On the educational landscape, typically students fear getting an “F” on an assignment or test. However, an eye-opening new study reveals that most school districts around the country are not making the grade during the coronavirus pandemic.
The study carried out by the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CPRE), looked at the policies of 477 school systems across the U.S. and discovered that only 33% of districts expected teachers to remotely provide instruction, track student engagement, and monitor academic progress for all students. The gap was especially pronounced in economically disadvantaged communities. As the study’s lead researchers soberly concluded:
“This spring, it seems far too many school districts let perfect be the enemy of good. In the challenge to connect all students, they left the level of instruction and progress monitoring up to the discretion of schools and teachers, thus creating highly varied learning experiences for their students. Without clear expectations across the board, and therefore pressure to meet the needs of each student, many districts likely left at risk the learning experiences of students who face the greatest challenges.”
How We Can Help
At Carolina Digital Phone, we have helped many schools upgrade from a landline phone system to a state-of-the-art cloud phone system that supports remote learning and communication.
Key advantages for schools include:
Total Connectivity: Most schools have multiple buildings and offices. Connecting staff to the same system is a major problem for conventional landline phone systems since the only options are laying copper wires, installing Centrex lines (which act as a forwarding service), or installing point-to-point T1 lines. All of these are very costly and time-consuming. With our cloud phone system, schools enjoy total connectivity across all buildings and offices. This also means that colleagues and parents can call a room/teacher, even if there is no existing conventional phone wiring. Calls can be answered/made through an IP phone that is connected to a computer, or through a mobile phone app.
Major Cost Savings: Many schools must spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars every 5-7 years to replace their out-of-date conventional landline phone system. Our cloud phone system eliminates this excessive burden because it is constantly being updated and upgraded at no additional cost. Year-over-year operational costs are also significantly lower compared to a conventional landline phone system.
Improved Student and Staff Safety: Our cloud phone system uses a geographically dispersed cloud-based infrastructure, which means that it remains online and operational even in the event of a local power outage (provided that computers/routers are powered by a back-up power supply). As such, schools can provide parents with up-to-date safety and other relevant information.
Access Advanced Features: Today’s teachers and other school staff need the same features as workers in enterprises, such as voicemail-to-email, video calling, call forwarding, auto-attendant, and more. Our cloud phone system offers dozens of advanced calling features, which are all provided at no additional cost.
The Bottom Line
Before the pandemic, schools — from K-12 through to post-secondary institutions — were under relentless pressure to deliver enhanced support to students, while at the same time find responsible and sustainable ways to lower costs, increase efficiencies, and support growth. Now as we emerge from the pandemic, the need for schools to “do more with less” and make remote learning an asset instead of a liability is even greater. With so much at stake, now is the time to re-evaluate your school’s telephone system and prepare for the future.
Learn More
To learn more about our cloud phone system contact us today for a free consultation and live guided demonstration, which can be delivered over-the-web or in person at your school or administrative offices. Call us at (336) 544-4000 or chat with us during business hours by clicking the chat icon on the lower-left of your screen. We are proud to help schools throughout North Carolina and across the Southeast “make the grade”!