My parent communication is so good. Before I used this app there would be miscommunications occasionally with parents. Students would forget homework or tell their parents they didn't have any. I used to do a parent newsletter that took quite a bit of time each week and I don't think anyone read. Now it is all on Bloomz. Scheduling parent-teacher conferences is a breeze. I have higher attendance and don't have a mess of papers to contend with and chase down. I post pictures of all the things we do in class and this gives a window into the classroom for the parents. I know this sounds a little odd. But I think parents like me better because I have so many positive interactions before any problems arise. So when one does we work together as a team. I think by providing so much information and being there to answer questions it just builds good relationships. I am a parent as well and my children have a couple of teachers that use another app similar but it just isn't as user-friendly. I wish my kid's teachers used Bloomz. It has saved me so much time and brought me teacher street cred with the parents. That's a win-win!

Bloomz takes the multiple things we juggle as teachers and puts them in one wonderful place. I used to keep a paper file to document all my parent communication. Not to mention the multitude of notes that I had to keep track of. This app helps parents and teachers. I can communicate with parents on their time and not have to worry about a note getting home to them. Parents have access to homework that may not make it home in the backpack. I could go on and on!

Not only can I communicate with parents, I can send them pictures of their child and their work as well as study guides and important papers. Overall a FANTASTIC way to open lines of communication with parents!

I love the ease and privacy to be able to communicate with all the parents of my students. It is easy to send and receive messages without giving away my own number.

The only downfall is trying to get parents to sign up for the app. Figuring out how to quickly and efficiently send messages and set up different classes does take some time and effort.

It really does focus on building a community through communication and allows you to create classrooms and track attendance.

In comparing Brightwheel and Bloomz, I found that Bloomz focuses more on building a community within classrooms for parents. The app seems to be designed to bring parents together to get to know one another and share information.

The functionality to track students and move them to various through transitions to different classrooms throughout the day wasn't quite there. Our school decided to go with Brightwheel based on customer service and application design. Getting our questions answered took a few days because our rep was traveling to India and we found that the overall demo of the product didn't wow us. In terms of it's functionality, it should probably be a free app until they have an app truly serves school needs besides building a community. Essentially, it's an for parent communication but not much else.

After comparing many parent communication apps, I have found Bloomz to be the most effective for all my needs as a classroom teacher. I am able to share photos and videos of our daily activities with parents so they can take part in our day. Using one-to-one and one-to-many messaging, I am able to keep close contact with parents. They can also private message me as well just like a text within the app and they do not need my phone number. Parents really like getting reminders from the calendar on which I post class and school events. It is really easy to create a volunteer sign-up schedule as well as a sign-up for needed supplies for the classroom. One of my favorite features is the parent-teacher conference scheduler. My parents have never signed up so fast and no notes got lost in the backpacks. My students love adding work samples to their individual timelines. I approve and add comments and then the item posts and parents can view and comment. My students also love the behavior management feature where they are able to grow their flowers for earning points for accomplishing behavior and classroom goals. I had 14 different languages in my classroom last year and parents really liked being able to choose their preferred language for translation as the app would translate my posts into over 80 languages. The ease of use and Facebook-like interface continues to make Bloomz the most effective app for parent communication and stduent digital portfilios. Bloomz is the All in One App as everything I need can be found in Bloomz! Using Bloomz saves me so much time and effort. It has helped me with assessment as I can review student work on their timeline with their photos, videos, or annotations. Bloomz also helps me have more instructional time in the classroom as students can record assessment items rather than being called over to my table to do the assessment individually. Student love practicing reading sight words and practicing skip counting as they record. These are just a few items for which I sue Bloomz for assessment. Parents are able to see what students are working on and help them review if needed. This keeping in close contact with the parents is very easy and is a pleasure to do as using Bloomz helps me, my students and my parents. Students work harder and put more effort into their work and projects when they know we will be adding them to their digital portfolios. Bloomz has helped my class become a real community that works together!

I really like the ease of use when scheduling parent teacher conferences and supply requests. Parents sign up immediately and there is no need for papers to go home.

Several new features are in development and I am eagerly awaiting their release!

It is important to attend back to school night at the beginning of the year to understand the teacher's expectations as well as school-wide programs and policies. Parents can easily sign up for conferences right inside the Bloomz app. Sometimes parents aren't sure what to talk about with their children when it comes to school. Parents using Bloomz just check the Bloomz classroom page! Teachers post noteworthy happenings on the newsfeed every day. You might find flyers for upcoming events, curriculum updates, or photos of student artwork. These are all great conversation starters. When parents are inquisitive it motivates children to take their education seriously because they know it is important to their family. This three way communication (parent, teacher, student) nurtures a meaningful bond between school and family life.

One update I might like to see in Bloomz digital portfolios is subcategories for each subject within the portfolio feature. For example, math could be one subcategory. I would upload all math work samples in the math portfolio so that users can scroll down and see just the math progress.  Time will tell how these digital portfolios evolve. The tool helps keep parents aware of specific learning targets in my classroom. The communication is constantly flowing. I am excited to see where the technology leads and how it continues to change parent teacher communication and assessment.

Bloomz is easy to use and I love that I can access it via my computer, tablet or the app. It is easy to join and my classroom parents love that it is available in multiple languages. I can share pictures and daily updates in a quick second and the text messaging feature allows parents to communicate with me quickly, easily and efficiently. I really like the calendar feature as well, at the beginning of the year I input all my crucial dates and times and set up the reminders so I don't have to think about it again or worry that I am forgetting to communicate with my classroom parents. My favorite feature as a teacher, besides the texting, is the parent-teacher conference scheduler. My parents were all scheduled within 3 days and they chose the time that worked for them, they can also re-schedule on their own. It is amazing!!! No more back and forth, they can see what is available and choose a time that works for them. Since using this feature I have had 100% participation in parent teacher conferences. Bloomz is AMZING. It is a time saver and really brings parent-teacher communication to a higher level!

I wish there was a feature to assign 2 parents to a child for conferences. I have a few students with dual households that this would be helpful for...I do hear this feature is coming though.

This app has made parent communication so much easier and effective! I no longer spend hours creating cute newsletters that I have to copy and send home with each student. I don't have to worry about whether or not parents received those newsletters either. With Bloomz, I am able to create instant posts! Parents receive them immediately and I am able to see which parents have viewed them and which have not.

The behavior management tool is a great feature. Unfortunately, I don't use it. I struggle with finding enough time to reward students immediately. I feel that in order to use the feature effectively, I have to be on my laptop/device at all times. Also, since my students are first graders, I feel that if I don't have it displayed for them to see, it will not make as much impact as it should.

As a startup: GREATNow: Horrible!!

It was a great app for parent-school communication as a startup. Of course, all good things come to an end when corporations gobble up startups! As a startup, it addressed all needs...

CLIENT SUPPORT! The company is most probably run by robots to maximize profit! OR it is run by unskilled low paid labor who do not have the faintest idea about client responsive support. Nobody has been able to answer very simple queries or address a simple problem.

Thank you! Thank you!

The teachers at my daughter's school use Bloomz to share snack calendars, classroom updates, and pictures. I truly love when the Bloomz emails/notifications pop-up on my phone, I love receiving updates and appreciate the connection Bloomz allows me to share with my daughter's teachers.

I don't have any complaints about the Bloomz program and only wish that it were around when my older two were in preschool.

I love having the Bloomz app on my phone so that I can send and receive messages from my daughter's preschool teachers. In addition to having access to the classroom snack calendar, etc., I often receive pictures and videos. I can't help but smile whenever I receive Bloomz notifications, it's great having access to my daughter during the day.

I don't have any issues with Bloomz and wish it would have been around for my two older kiddos. Please keep up the good work!

As an elementary school teacher I have been using Bloomz for 3 years for parent communication.

Bloomz basically functions like a private Facebook feed for teachers to communicate with their students' families, but also has much more! Teachers can post info, photos, and videos on the feed, schedule those posts in advance, message parents as a group or privately, create photo albums that all can share to, upload documents, create sign-ups for volunteers, items needed, and conferences, post assignments to student portfolios, import and share class/school/district calendars, and award points for behavior. Parents can upload photos, videos, and documents to student portfolios, message the teacher or other parents, and the Room Parent can create sign-ups for items and volunteers. Bloomz is accessible as a webpage on a computer and in the app for mobile phones and tablets.

The free version of Bloomz limits photo/video storage, so a teacher that posts lots of images of student work may run out of space and need to delete images. While creating a post, if you leave that window (for example: to go to your photo gallery to check a photo) you lose anything you've typed. Bloomz sometimes lags during uploading.

I have chosen Bloomz time and time again because it has all of the options that a teacher would want all in one app/site. I did notice they are making upgrades to keep up with competitors and I just hope that the free option will disappear as they add to it to compete with SeeSaw.

I love that there are so many features so that parents have a one stop for classroom communication. I love the Bloomz points where the students grow their icon, the privacy for the class to post pictures of children and only the parent's being able to have access to it and the conference sign ups.

Many of my parents said that after not using the software for awhile it would lock them out of their account without them knowing. They would then say that they weren't receiving notifications of my messages. I wish the calendar function was a little more user friendly like a google calendar.

Love the app and have used it for 2+ years in my classroom with parents. My audience is very appreciative of the timely responses that they receive. I am happy that I am able to use the application on a mobile device and smartphone so that I am able to help parents and/or students at all times even when I am not at home. I would highly recommend using this product!

Love the ease of use of the app to communicate quickly with parents while teaching. It takes the distraction out of trying to run back and forth to the telephone. Parents appreciate the timely responses as well!

There are times when parents are having difficulties with not receiving messages; however, tech support is there to help.

I love that Bloomz has so many features found in one space. It is easy to communicate with parents from any mobile device in seconds. This app makes it so easy to send out a request to parents and they are able to instantly sign up and see what else is needed so I do not get duplicates of items. It has many features for parents like the student timelines and behavior center. I also like to schedule things on our school calendar and Bloomz allows me to sit down and schedule annual events all at once. I can even set up reminders to parents! This is hands down the best parent communication app I have ever used.

I disliked the calendar function because it does not allow you to see a monthly view. They have resolved this issue by including this in the premium paid version.

This is the easiest app I have used to communicate with parents. I can message parents at anytime that is convenient for me. All of my parents were signed up for parent conferences in a matter of hours!! Plus it sends them a reminder the day before. Asking parents for items for parties is a breeze. By sending home a post with pictures daily (it really only takes 5 minutes) keeps parents informed of what we are doing. This is so much easier than the time consuming newsletters of the past. I can instantly message parents with questions or concerns and they can do the same with me. Bloomz allows me to communicate with parents on my schedule.

In the events calendar, you need to invite parents in order to let them see the even you create. I have had parents think that they are invited to the event and it gets confusing.

I love Bloomz! I have been implementing Bloomz with my students' parents for over 3 years now. I love to use it as a communication tool. My parents can reach out to me and get a response within minutes. It's so much more convenient than voicemail and email. I also love being able to share pictures with parents of what's going on in our classroom on a daily basis. It's super safe because only parents of your students can see any pictures. Also, teachers have to approve anyone to join their groups. It's like a mini Facebook but only for your class!

Nothing so far. I love Bloomz and haven't found anything else that compares.

I love being able to request help and specific items for signups. It has made planning special events and activities so much easier. I used to either buy everything my self because it was too difficult sending out paper wish lists and then tallying responces and then having to call or email to get duplicates chagned and request items not filled. Now Ia saving time and money and my requests are almost always filled. I love this.

I wish I could see and print past calendar items and signups. It would be helpful to show for documenting another part of parent communication. I often have to turn in communication records for various reasons.

I am a total Bloomz fan! The new updates make it so much better and user friendly.

Everything you need for classroom dissemination of information. I use Bloomz for all my class parents to keep informed of everything going on in class and at school. I also use it to post pictures of the children in school and for sign up for conferences and volunteering. My parents LOVE this tool for communication.

I’d like to be able to have more creativity with BOLD print and text looks. I’d like to use different text colors and different fonts.

This app is easy to use and both parents and staff alike have thoroughly enjoyed it's positive effect on daily communication. We require Monthly Parent involvement and BLOOMZ has enhanced parent participation and supported thriving relationships. This app is helpful in sending out Daily Notes, once a week updates, photographs, Weekly Lesson Plans, and general updates such as Weather Closures and even reminders. Each teacher has been very excited to use this in their classrooms. It also feels like a secure communication platform that allows for a more personal communication between teacher and parent. It is imperative to our organization that teachers and staff be aware of difficult situations going on at home so that we can better care for our students. BLOOMZ provides a healthy and productive avenue for those types of communication.

The set up portion in which you must talk with someone before hand is a bit intensive if you are a director with a very busy schedule. I understand the value, but have found that to be very challenging.

The administrators monitoring Bloomz have been fantastic at listening to teacher suggestions and trying to implement them quickly. It just continues to get better.

My favorite thing is that I can "message" a parent or post class information no matter where I'm at. Even if I'm stuck at a ballfield on a Saturday without my computer, I can communicate with my parents. I love to post pictures, class newsletters, or updates on special projects -it helps keep my parents connected to my classroom. Another thing I love is how easy it is to schedule parent/teacher conferences or request items to be brought in. What used to take me hours of back and forth scheduling, can now be done in minutes. Bloomz is by far my favorite "teacher" app!

Excellent interface and easy to use for teachers and parents.

I love the easy to use interface and the ability to share classroom news with families without having to send multiple emails, multiple texts, and making multiple phone calls. Bloomz saves me time and also allows a direct notice to families - who enjoy receiving notifications through the app and keeping up to date with classroom and school events, rather than receiving a paper notification.

Nothing I can think of - I enjoy that it has a similar interface as Facebook where I can make classroom posts or even send direct messages to families.

We are a small private Slavic school. We used Bloomz for just one year and some of our teachers really liked it. Unfortunately, our bi-lingual parents did not actively respond to the teachers' invitations to join the app. We are trying to get more involvement from the parents to make use of all the features we paid for. Customer service was pretty good. Our concerns have been heard and addressed properly.

Great interface; variety of features customized for the teachers' daily use; admin features allow for the school admin to control communication levels (teacher-parents; teacher-classroom mom, etc).

slow-downs almost on regular basis (usually happen between 8AM - 3PM)

My favorite features are the calendar features and the item request feature. It is great to be able to schedule parent conferences where parents are in control of the times you provide for them. Easiest conference scheduling in my 20 years of teaching! I also really like the ability to place request for items and see who signs up for what. These are huge game changers for classroom teachers!

My only con would be page does not always load correctly on my computer or app. These are features the developer is working on and I can always find a work around so not a deterrent at all.

This is another option to use for communication, but is becoming very popular in elementary schools

This is a great app/program to use to communicate with parents, especially at the elementary level. I can add announcements, pictures, and even keep track of parent contact.

Obviously you are only able to communicate with those parents who actually go through with signing up for this program/app

It is very positive and I am not very knowledgeable about tech or apps, but it is user friendly so that helps me immensely. The parents also like it.

I like how parents can be messaged, and that pictures can be sent to them. The ease of using and learning how to use Bloomz is wonderful!

It would not respond at times which happens with tech at times.