A new school year marks a new educational platform that replaces its predecessor Edline. Edsby has been described as the ‘next-generation education platform’. Its purpose is to mix social networking and classroom management to engage students. However, many students and teachers disagree.

“I don’t like it because it’s too complicated,” Junior Emily Brenner said.

Edsby has not been received well by students. Students complain of grades that aren’t updated and difficulty in navigating Edsby. Hopefully, this is only because of the growing pains from a new system. Students struggle to check their grades.

“I still don’t even know how to use Edsby,” Junior Stefanie Erben said.

However, teachers are not to blame either.

“I feel Edsby is too much style and too little substance. We need a gradebook program that simplifies the connection between students and teachers, not one that complicates it further. Point. Click. Grades. Simple,” Teacher Charles Haueter said.

Teachers also face difficulties in using the platform. The primary problem is that grades are entered but don’t appear because technicians who operate on the edsby website interfere with the grading input system. Teachers have difficulties changing and uploading various assignments and materials. Edsby is also constantly down. Edsby originates in Canada where schools run in semesters, not quarters, another problem we will have to deal with.

Why did we change at all?

“[Edsby is] just a vendor preference by the district way, it’s not just Freedom High School,” Assistant Principal Rosemary Owens said.

Edsby only costs “a penny per student per day”, according to their website. Teachers are charged $3.65 a year.

“The price is much lower, reducing the cost of the gradebook program by 50 percent,“ according to the Deputy Superintendent in a recent memo.

However, Edsby is changing everyday. It is being updated and shaped to fulfill the needs of teachers and students and the district is confident it will be competent. The district is also funding a training program that teaches teachers how to use edsby. The district claims when Edsby is completely functional, it will be more convenient than other programs for parents to communicate with the district.