Connect Ed makes connections

Written By:
Danielle Melville

Published:
Oct. 14 2009

Principal Dr. Debra Mugge is putting The Connect Ed system to good use this year. The system is used to better inform parents and students of important information.

“When H1N1 broke out last school year, important information and meetings like back to school night are broadcasted through Connect-Ed,” social studies teacher Marcel Jones said.

            Connect Ed is an automated telephone calling system that Mugge uses to keep in contact with the parents of every student. Multiple things can be done while using blackboard connect. Wherever a computer with internet and a phone is, Connect Ed phone calls can be made by Mugge anywhere.

            “In my middle school last year I used it every Sunday. The only reason I wouldn’t make phone calls is if I was out of town or I just plain forgot that night,” Mugge said.

The calls save the school a lot of money because there is less use of paper.

“I think it is a great tool to have. In the past, I would have had to use fliers or send out letters. Connect Ed is more effective than trying to send out letters,” Mugge said.

Four different types of messages are available; Community outreach, attendance notification, emergency communication and interactive survey. Community outreach is the Sunday night call; during the call, Mugge is able to inform everyone about the upcoming week’s events.

Some students dislike Connect Ed.

“I don’t think they should care so much. Plus, I already know what time they call, just in case,” freshman Heidy Parra said.

            Attendance notification calls seem to be the talk of the hallways this year, now that this aspect of the system is being used more frequently. Attendance calls are made when a student is absent from a class; it calls the student's home automatically.

            “[Connect Ed] doesn’t really bother me, but I think it’s going to stop people from missing class,” senior Josh Case said.

Over 1,700 student names are in the phonebook that Mugge uses. No matter how many names are in the system Mugge can send out all the messages at once. Missing your first, second and third periods are most likely to generate the phone call home. Seven o’clock is usually the time that the call goes out. Mistakes can also be made while using the system.

“One of my kids told me that one day ‘the robot’ called his house and his dad got mad at him because they called his house but he wasn’t absent. It was a mistake because there was another person with the same name in the same class,” Jones said.

Last year, former principal Michael Durso did not use Connect Ed as much as Mugge. Many students do not like the calls because they reveal too much information.

“I actually don’t like the calls. I think they tell my parents too much. If I want to tell them what is going on then I will,” senior Kadijatu Kargbo said.

Even though the calls inform parents of an absence from class, it is also useful for receiving important information for the upcoming week.