Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Communications Adoption topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff recommend TalkingPoints for district communication; 3-year contract proposed at nearly $38,000 annually
Summary
District staff recommended adoption of TalkingPoints, a two-way multilingual messaging platform, under a three-year contract beginning 2025–26. The proposal would license access for all K–12 students and web access for staff and requires board action at the June meeting.
District curriculum and family-engagement staff recommended the board consider adopting TalkingPoints, a two-way multilingual communication platform, as an enhancement to existing district communications.
Presenters said the district would enter a three‑year contract beginning in the 2025–26 school year with an annual cost of roughly $38,000. The proposed purchase would include student licenses for the district roster (presenters cited licenses for about 13,000 students) and web-based access for staff. The product uses automatic translation, text-to-speech and speech-to-text features and supports over 50 languages, presenters said.
“Messages are sent from the teacher’s district‑issued device, not from their personal device,” said Dr. Kelly, who led the presentation. Miss DeMarco, supervisor for English learners and MTSS, described features designed to reduce language barriers: document translation, an educational glossary for school terminology, and analytics to track family engagement.
Staff outlined a professional‑development plan that includes half‑day teacher trainings in August, virtual parent nights in the fall, back‑to‑school outreach and ongoing virtual office hours. The administration asked the committee for consensus to move the item to the full board for action; board members signaled agreement to bring the proposal to the June 3 board meeting.
Board members asked questions about scope, access and data security. Dr. Kelly said the system can deliver messages via text or email and noted an optional app for families who want additional features. She also said the district and its solicitor reviewed contract and data‑security terms. Board members asked whether the tool would reduce the district’s need for interpreters and whether it would replace existing systems; presenters said the product is meant to enhance, not replace, Blackboard and the district’s weekly newsletter and that some translation needs for official documents would still require existing supports.
The recommendation is informational tonight; staff requested board action at the June meeting to finalize contract terms.
