Talking Points – Admin by Sara DeWitt
Click here to access a quick start guide provided by Talking Points. Note: The second page includes short videos of different components of Talking Points.
Is there an app for Administrators?
Yes, Talking Points has a separate app just for school administrators. Search “Talking Points Admin” in Google Play or iTunes. Once downloaded, sign in with your EVSC google account.
What is the difference between School Admin and Teacher Mode?
School Admin Mode:
- If you have school messaging, messages sent from this account will appear to families as being from the school.
- If you have school messaging, all administrators will receive a notification about a family member’s reply to a message sent from this account (think of it as a group account between you and your fellow school administrators).
- A bird’s eye view into the messaging at your school, additional permissions for editing class, staff, and student data, and will provide you with analytics.
- This mode is perfect for sending school-wide announcements when you want any admins at your school to be able to respond + want the sender to be your school’s name (i.e. snow days, upcoming events, and info for your school community).
Teacher Mode:
- When sending a message, messages will appear to families as being from you (your teacher’s signature).
- Messages and responses will still be visible from the school admin accounts, but administrators will not receive notifications about new messages.
- This mode is perfect for sending 1:1 or small group messages when you’re sharing more individualized information and wants the sender to be you. Only you will have access to respond to this message.
What kinds of Notifications can I set up?
- On the Web/Email: Since school Admins can access Talking Points as the “school” or through Teacher Mode, you have two options to send notifications on the web version via email.
- School Admin Mode: families writing messages to School Admins or responding to school messages.
To adjust notification settings: open the toggle next to your name and select Notifications. Select the occurrence and click “Save Notification Settings.” (Note: you will only receive an email notification if Talking Points is not already open on your computer.) - Teacher Mode: Families responding to district admins have sent from their teacher mode.
To update settings when sending through Teacher Mode: open the toggle next to your name and select Teacher Mode, then click Settings. Then click Notifications. - Mobile App Push Notification: School Admins can also set up push notifications through the Talking Points Admin app that will alert you when you receive a new message from a parent.
Select the “Profile” tab at the bottom of the screen.
Click on “Notifications & auto-reply” under Account settings
Set up your notification settings and tap “Save” to confirm changes.
How do I set Office Hours?
Follow the steps above for notifications to also set office hours. When setting office hours, this is solely to prevent the Admin Talking Points app from notifying you after hours of messages that have been sent to you by families. Messages will still come through but if you have push notifications set up on the app, they will not come through outside of your office hours.
Do parents know when my office hours are?
No, parents will not know when your office hours are set to. You can set an auto reply message that lists your office hours but that is the only way parents will know they have contacted you outside of your office hours.
What if a family accidentally unsubscribes?
From your class and group list, select the class or group with the student whose contact has left the chat or opted out.
Find the contact who has left the chat or opted out.
Hover over the “left chat” or “opted out” status.
Record the number that appears.
Instruct the contact to text “Rejoin” to the number you recorded.
Can we tell when a parent/family reads the text?
No, we can only see if the text has been sent. If the family has the Family Talking Points app, you can see if it has been opened there.
Why should I use Talking Points?
TalkingPoints allows educators to engage their families quickly and efficiently. Your families are automatically opted in to TalkingPoints. There is no app to download or invitation you need to send out to your families. They simply receive a text message you send via the web or the Talking Points mobile app! Your roster and student contact(s) information is automatically set up for you. Once we go live, you can message your families immediately!
What phone number will parents see?
Each teacher will have an individual phone number that displays when that teacher initiates a message. Parents can save that phone number with that teacher’s name. The school’s phone number will show up when sending out school communication.
Does Talking Points have an App for Teachers to use?
Yes, there is an app users can download to send messages or users can use a web browser. When searching Talking Points, select the App titled Teachers – Talking Points. Once downloaded, sign in with your EVSC google account.
When Using the App, why can’t I see all my students under the “Students” tab?
The app will only load part of your students. However, when you go to send a message, your students will load for you to select.
Can I set Office Hours?
Yes! To set office hours, click on your name at the bottom of the page, then click on Settings. Click on Notifications. From here, you can set how you would like to be notified when a parent responds or sends you a message. You can also set office hours and set up an auto reply.
Can I set notifications for when parents respond or message me?
Yes, you set email notifications on the web under your profile, then settings. You can also set up push notifications on the Talking Points Teacher mobile app. To set up push notifications, download the app and click on Profile on the bottom of the screen. Then, click on Notifications and auto-reply.
Is there an App Families can use?
Talking Points does have a mobile app families can download if they feel that is easier for them to navigate. The app will allow families to view all their messages without being charged for the text messages. It also allows text to speech or speech to text, and it allows all communication to be in one place. For instance, if a family has 3 high school students, instead of trying to find all the message threads for all their teachers, they can download the app and have all the messages easily accessible and organized there. Families just need to search Talking Points in their app store and select Families: Talking Points.
Can we tell when a parent/family reads the text?
No, we can only see if the text has been sent. If the family has the Family Talking Points app, you can see if it has been opened there.
How do the Translations Work?
Talking Points translates into 150 different languages using a combination of AI and human translation. Talking Points also has trained the system to use educational words/meanings. For example, if you say seniors in your message, many other translated system will translate that to mean senior citizens, not 12th graders. Since Talking Points is geared toward schools, their system will automatically translate seniors to mean 12th graders.
What students will I be able to see when I log in?
Teachers will be able to see all students in their class lists based on what is in PowerSchool. Other school staff such as nurses, counselors, etc. can build lists or groups in the system or import a spreadsheet of student ID numbers to create custom groups.
What is the difference between Messages & Announcements?
Messages are sent to a specific family or contact. Announcements are sent to an entire class or group.
Can I see my Co-teacher’s messages?
Yes! In a shared class, Co-teachers can view each other’s message history with families. Click here for instructions.
How do I get more information on the new rollouts for 2025, including Quick Kudos, Family Check-ins and the calendar scheduler?