Frustrated!

[hlauburn]

Our school system started using PowerSchool this year, and I am less than impressed.  

I am not able to view transcripts or past report cards, and when I reach out to the school, they don't seem to have any answers.

Is there any way to edit the preferences on the "Grades and Attendance" page?  There are too many columns, and there is not even a key to say what each one is (X1, F1 etc...).  It's confusing to decipher, especially when you just want to view the current grades.

I've used many grading programs, and this one is by far the least user-friendly and most complicated.

And no luck getting support from PowerSchool, so any help would be great!  Thanks!

[beckumy]

You are exactly right!  Before we transitioned to PowerSchool, we should have had LOTS of training.  Now that we are using PowerSchool, we run into all types of errors and NOBODY can answer questions.  I'm trying to be proactive by getting things done before the year is over, but oh well.  And then look, no one has even responded to your message.  It makes me upset to know I'm trying and nobody seems to have answers to anything.  I simply want to view training videos for what I need RIGHT NOW, and they send me a community link.  This is nothing but a blog.  I need answers ASAP.  The district transitioned to this program because what other districts are doing.  They don't know what other districts went through to get where they are.  I have coworkers that call other districts for answers.  They shouldn't have to call other districts when people in our district were responsible for buyin of the program.  Now that we're using a new program, it's like, we're on our own.  And when parents/other workers get on to us about something, they expect us to move mountains.  We'll I can't move mountains because I don't know anything about PowerSchool.  And about this community thing, I don't have time to log in everyday to see if someone has answered my questions or responded to my message.  I have job-related tasks that consume my time ALL DAY.  I would greatly appreciate if whoever is responsible for facilitating this page would direct me in the right path.  If not, this is a waste of my time.  I'm here to serve students, and being on a blog or in a community that offers nothing but issues isn't what I need.  I've taken college courses, and this to me seems like a course.  Right now, I don't have time for a course.  I need what I need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Though this community did help burn off some steam, I still don't have anything accomplished. 

[Reshma]

We are sorry you are experiencing frustration. The PowerSchool Community is here to provide assistance for our members. If you have any specific questions, please post in one of our Community Forums, and other users, as well as the PowerSchool team, will review and respond to your post.  If you do not see your PowerSchool product listed under the Product Support menu in the Community, you can post in our Community forum.  You can also search our Community to find helpful articles.  The Search Tips article should provide search tips and walk through the process of utilizing the filters for better search results.

@hlauburn,

Currently, we do not have the ability to change the preferences on the "Grades and Attendance" page due to its setup. For past grades, there should be an option for previous year grades which you can print for the terms x1,f1, etc are set by the district.

@beckumy,

Some districts are using PD Plus as it has the training for our PowerSchool Products.  We encourage you to connect with the Technical Contacts within your district to discuss if PDPlus is an option at your organization.  If you already have a PDPlus account, you can access the site using this direct link. Training Resources

While there are resources available to all users in the Community, there are added resources available based on the access provided by your organization. This article will provide the most common reasons you may receive a message that you do not have access to a resource in the Community: Hmm... Looks like you don't have access - Error message. 

We will reach out to you through a case to discuss your access in Community.

[Ebaker84]

I have yet to be provided any type of training. I went from Aeries to PowerSchool and as far as I can tell, its not user friendly or easy to manage. I don't know where to look for resources. Aeries provided a lot of resources, videos, support, 1:1 trainings. I have no idea where to get basic training. The PS Campus is useless for me. Its mostly geared toward SQL or data admin. I don't understand how anyone actually learns to use this system if there is nothing provided to us...? 

[Reshma]

Hi @Ebaker84,

Thank you for posting in PowerSchool Community!

I am sorry to hear that you are having a hard time finding the required training or resources from PowerSchool Community or Customer Education Campus.   I will reach out to you through a case to discuss this further so that we can gather more information from you.

[cstodman]

My district sent several of us to a PowerSchool University before we implemented and it truly helped a lot. I know it's frustrating and going to a web-based student information system was challenging for us. But PowerSchool is a massive system and there is so much to learn but once you get the hang of it, many of the processes you need to do will come easily to mind. I came to realize that much of the support people I talk to when I call Customer support are new and also learning. This is not always helpful. I have had to literally figure things out for myself (after some pressure raising episodes).

I've learned to manipulate PowerSchool to get what I need. There are times when it is rigid to my maneuvers but most often, I find a way. I also installed a lot of customization to accommodate my district and myself.

What I'm saying is that it takes time to learn something so colossal as PowerSchool. If you have not already attend a PSU, insist that you be considered. Those workshops are great. There are also one-on-one support which don't always help (lol), but you can asked as many questions as you like in the workshops.

I am currently assisting 2 other districts with PowerSchool as they are having the same issues as you are, and then some. I hope you were able to get some assistance. All the best.