positive results. I know the system is capable of being used for academic
counseling too, but I don't know the billing structure for that. Our
parents are SOOOO grateful we have finally found a good system. The big
difference - the reason why we just didn't use the conference scheduler
built into PCR Educator - is that Pick-A-Time uses a grid to show parents
ALL of the relevant teachers' availability for ALL of their children on the
same screen. It also generates confirmation and reminder emails. I think
parents would lynch me if we tried to go back to our old system.
The system is surprisingly simple to deploy and use. For conferences, you
only need to prepare four data files from your school database: lists of
students, teachers, classes and student enrollment in courses.
Pick-A-Time's simplicity masks a great deal of administrative power.
Teachers can pull up their schedule and lists of which parents have yet to
sign up. FINALLY, their customer service was terrific, even calling me back
outside of their scheduled hours because I had a pending meeting and needed
some info.
I shopped for other scheduling systems costing as much as $1500/year. Cost
for our school per event with Pick-A-Time should be about $125 (haven't
gotten the invoice yet) for a LOWER SCHOOL with about 260 students. Most
important factor for cost is how many teachers each student is associated
with.
I'm happy to chat off-line about our experience with PAT. It isn't often
that a new service can be deployed so cleanly the first time through. Very
satisfied customer.
Dan Berger
Jewish Primary Day School of the Nation's Capitol
-----Original Message-----
On 3/16/10 3:54 PM, "Cynthia Druley" <cdruley@KIRBY.ORG> wrote:
Hello there,
Does anyone know of a free or inexpensive Appointment Program that would
allow a Staff Member to block out pre-determined time slots that are
available and allow parents to go in and "sign up" for one of those
available times?
We'd like to use this to facilitate things like parent-teacher conferences,
academic scheduling and academic counseling with parents and/or students.
The big factor is empowering parents to see what's open and to let them take
those slots by going online somehow.
Thank you.
Cynthia Druley
Director of Admissions
Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School
425 Encinal Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: 831-423-0658 x202
Fax: 831-423-0679
www.kirby.org
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