TalkingPoints for Teachers

How do I sign up for TalkingPoints for Teachers?

Teachers do not need to sign up for TalkingPoints. Because we use TalkingPoints for Schools, teacher accounts are automatically created and class rosters are shared from PowerSchool. Teachers may access your TalkingPoints account online at http://app.talkingpts.org, signing in with Google. If you cannot sign in with Google, please contact your school administrator to verify that your account has been created.

How do I get the TalkingPoints app?

Teachers may download the TalkingPoints for Teachers app from the App Store for iPhone or Android.

TalkingPoints for Teachers app - iPhone

TalkingPoints for Teachers app - Android

How do I add classes or students to my TalkingPoints account?

Classes and students are automatically shared with teacher accounts based on the information in PowerSchool. Because we use automatic rostering, teachers cannot make changes to your class rosters. Any changes will need to be made directly in PowerSchool. It may take a day or two for any scheduling changes to be refreshed in your TalkingPoints account. If your TalkingPoints rosters do not match the information in PowerSchool, please contact the IS Department for assistance.

While you cannot add classes or students to your account, you can rename your classes and create groups of students from the rosters that are given to you.

As a co-teacher, why don't I see my shared classes in TalkingPoints?

We use Clever to share class rosters wwith TalkingPoints. The Clever rostering system only shares the lead teacher on each class. Coteachers need to be added manually to Clever, upon request. If you are a co-teacher and cannot view your classes in TalkingPoints, please contact the IS Department to ask that your co-taught classes be assigned in Clever.  

Can I use TalkingPoints if I don’t have rostered classes?

Educators who do not have rostered classes in PowerSchool may be able to use TalkingPoints to communicate with families. Please contact your school administrator to discuss your needs so that an account can be created for you.

How do I update family contact information?

Family contact information is updated each night based on the information shared from PowerSchool. Please contact your school office to verify that the family contact information is correctly reported in PowerSchool.

Why are families not receiving any messages?

Guardians may not receive messages if they have unsubscribed from TalkingPoints, are not listed as one of the two primary guardians for the student, or if their mobile phone number is not listed in our student records. Please contact your school office to verify that we have the correct information on file.

If a guardian has unsubscribed, you can help them to rejoin by providing a special phone number that they may use to text REJOIN to begin receiving messages again.

Can I add more family contacts for a student?

We can only share two guardians for each student as listed in PowerSchool. Additional family members who need to receive messages can be added directly in TalkingPoints by your school administrator. Please contact your principal if another family member needs to receive messages through TalkingPoints.

Can I use TalkingPoints to message students?

TalkingPoints only allows messaging to parents or guardians. Messaging to students is not supported at this time.

Can I send attachments through TalkingPoints?

You may attach PDF documents, Google Drive files, photos, and short videos (5MB) to your TalkingPoints messages. Keep in mind that files will not be translated into the preferred language of each recipient. The TalkingPoints app also supports text-to-speech and video captioning in the recipient's preferred language. For more information about sending files and attachments, view the help articles on this page.

Where can I learn more about TalkingPoints for Teachers?

Use these resources to learn more about TalkingPoints for Teachers:

TalkingPoints for School Teachers Webinar - Getting Started

TalkingPoints for School Teachers Webinar - Taking Your Account to the Next Level

TalkingPoints for School Teachers - Help Articles