TOP PICKS | 15 TOOLS

Best Messaging Apps and Websites for Students, Teachers, and Parents

These apps and websites for texting, messaging, and communication make it easier for teachers to send out assignments, reminders, and progress reports as well as communicate with parents and students about conferences, field trips, and volunteer opportunities. This list will help you find a tool to keep your communication consistent, reach parents on platforms they're already using, and, in some cases, give students the opportunity to lead the conversation by demonstrating their learning in the classroom. For more tips and resources, check out our page on how to Power Up Your Parent-Teacher Communication.

Top Picks

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ParentSquare

Versatile communication tool fosters parent engagement and involvement

Bottom line: A convenient way to help schools streamline communication among administrators, support staff, teachers, and parents.

Grades: Pre-K–12 Price: Paid An initial one-time fee of $300 per school includes setup and training. After, there's a yearly service fee of $4 per student for the main features or $5 per student to add smart alerts, as well as maintenance fees of $200 per school per year.

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Remind

Teachers' text reminders keep students -- and parents -- up to speed

Bottom line: Well-designed, highly effective messaging tool has the potential to keep students and families connected with their schools.

Grades: Pre-K–12 Price: Free, Paid Remind is free, but if you use it to fundraise for events, they charge a fee of $0.50 per transaction. School and district plans are also available.

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SchoolCNXT

Stellar translation, speech features boost parent-teacher messenger

Bottom line: If your school or district makes the investment, this is a neat and accessible way to keep parents engaged.

Grades: Pre-K–12 Price: Free

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Sesame

Portfolio and communication tool makes formative assessment a snap

Bottom line: A useful way for teachers, students, and parents to monitor progress and demonstrate holistic evidence of learning.

Grades: Pre-K–12 Price: Free, Paid The Lite version is free for up to five classes. The Pro version is $120/year and includes more analytical, feedback, and customization options. The School version is $1,000/year for every 10 teachers and includes year-over-year data, single student profiles, and Google Apps and SIS integration.

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TalkingPoints

Basic multilingual texting tool enhances school-to-home communication

Bottom line: Easy-to-use tool for supporting communication and engagement with families in any of 20 languages.

Grades: Pre-K–12 Price: Free, Paid The app is free for teachers to use. Schools can request a quote for school-wide use (per student charge).

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Bloomz

Full-featured parent-teacher communication platform

Bottom line: One-stop multi-tool for parents, teachers, and students.

Grades: K–6 Price: Free

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ClassDojo

Handy management and portfolio tool can promote student growth

Bottom line: With thoughtful implementation, it can help teachers and parents support students' growth through goal-setting, feedback, and celebration.

Grades: K–6 Price: Free

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ClassTag

Flexible user-friendly tool gets parents and teachers in sync

Bottom line: A fabulous way to coordinate the little sign-ups that make a big difference.

Grades: K–12 Price: Free

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Heard

Parent communication and resource-sharing tool keeps families engaged

Bottom line: With a mindful onboarding process, Heard has great potential to be a go-to tool for parent involvement and community building.

Grades: K–12 Price: Free, Paid The app is free for teachers to use in their classrooms. School plans are priced at $3 per student per year, but the developer offers discounts based on need.

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Otus

Free LMS feels rich in offering data-driven differentiated instruction

Bottom line: This teacher-created site solves more problems than it causes, but it will take some up-front professional development to take full advantage.

Grades: K–12 Price: Free, Paid Otus is free for teachers and students and includes data management and progress monitoring features. The district plan ranges from $3 to $12 per student up to a certain number and then decreases with increased enrollment.

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Seesaw: The Learning Journal

Versatile digital portfolio appeals to teachers, students, and parents

Bottom line: A powerful multimedia learning and communication tool that demonstrates student progress over time.

Grades: K–12 Price: Free, Paid Seesaw Plus is $120 per year, and gives teachers more privacy options and other features. Seesaw for Schools, which includes school-wide reporting, is priced per student.

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FreshGrade

A fresh way to capture, document, and share student learning

Bottom line: Multimedia documentation tools help communicate learning and expand assessment, and the addition of a gradebook sets this tool apart; still, student experience could use some polish.

Grades: 3–9 Price: Free Free for teachers, district pricing is available.

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Schoology

Top-tier LMS for digital classrooms

Bottom line: To make the most of Schoology, you'll need some ramp-up time and great tasks and assessments, but it can offer rich learning and collaboration experiences.

Grades: 5–12 Price: Free The Basic version is free to instructors. There's a paid Enterprise version that adds administration features attractive to districts. Call for pricing.

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