K12 Digital Communications Drive Better Connections

On this episode of MarketScale’s EdTech podcast, host JW Marshall met Jo Webber, Chairman of the Board of Edlio, a provider of digital communications for K12 schools. The company works with public, private, and charters schools, counting over 15,000 customers.

The discussion, which occurred during the TCEA Convention in Austin in February, about using digital communications to connect teachers, students, and parents, is even more relevant now. Websites are a standard part of a school’s digital presence, but they have evolved immensely.

Jo said, “When we were just starting out, having a website was like a door sign. It was nothing more than one-way communication. Now, we’ve progressed to a two-way conversation.”

Students are now always connected to their technology. They are digital natives that respond better to digital forms of communication, and their parents may as well. While Edlio delivers easy to create and manage websites, they’ve taken their platform further with Edlio Engage, which was designed for educators and families to be engaged and communicate. It even includes shared calendars, volunteer management, and event signups.

It’s also helping overcome communication barriers, specifically parents that aren’t native English speakers. “The platform accounts for over 100 different languages that can be translated. A teacher writes an email in English, and it translates to the preferred language. Then the response from the parent is translated back to English,” Jo shared.

Having this clear communication and education can drive better outcomes for all parties, ensuring everyone is on the same page and involved.