August 5, 2014– As the Rio Grande Valley continues to see rapid growth and Texas House Bill 5 requirements challenge school districts to evaluate their performance on community and parental involvement, it is more important than ever for our families and schools to partner together to lead the state in achieving the best student experiences and outcomes. In the spirit of creating even greater community within the Valley, Region One ESC is proud to announce a partnership with LivingTree (www.livingtree.com), a private ‘social like’ network for schools and districts.
“We are proud to offer our school districts a safe and protected system to communicate with their school and parent community through our partnership with LivingTree. Because it is a closed network, LivingTree provides access to only those that have been invited to participate. It’s much more than ‘friending’ someone, with LivingTree you are part of a much stronger bond; through LivingTree participants become part of a ‘family’, “ says Dr. Cornelio Gonzalez the Executive Director of Region One’s Education Service Center.
Livingtree simplifies school-to-parent and parent-to-school communication using a single application available on web and mobile to share posts, alerts, files, events, and content, even translating this important information to 40+ languages. The private, secure network replaces outdated modes of communication such as blogs, out of date websites, e-mail blasts, paper, etc. Users can also volunteer for activities, send and receive private direct messages and access directory listings.
Each customized school network extends to the PTA, booster club, athletic group, and student organizations. There is no cost to the families of the 420,000+ students in region one when districts implement the private network for their community. For district and school administrators, analytics for House Bill 5 reporting are automatically generated and available.
LivingTree CEO Cullen Childress expressed his excitement about the partnership, “I believe this partnership aligns perfectly with the Region One vision of transforming learning communities towards excellence. LivingTree’s secure networks build around the student and family, allowing parents, teachers, and administrators alike to truly partner in educating and developing our children.”
Dr Gonzalez adds, “We hope that districts will take full advantage of the many tools available through LivingTree to develop and nurture communication between their schools and parent community. Imagine, a network built especially for those in the K-12 education system where you don’t have to worry about external distractions like unwanted advertisements or inappropriate material. LivingTree offers a safe and secure network where the most important “trending topic” is the students!”