Jackson Preparatory School helps teachers achieve work-life balance with Google for Education

I have dramatically reduced the amount of time I spend in front of the paper copier this year by distributing documents, worksheets and outlines through Google Classroom and sharing quizzes through Forms.

Hunter Upchurch, Spanish Instructor at Jackson Preparatory School

Challenge

To help teachers achieve a better work-life balance, the administrative team sought to replace the school’s aging technology (a free, Linux-based solution) that was both time-consuming to manage and difficult for new teachers to learn. They needed an affordable cloud solution that would be easy for teachers to adopt and allow them to grade assignments at home without having to lug around stacks of papers. In addition to helping out their teachers, the school also wanted to provide students with access to technology that would prepare them for college and their future careers.

Solution

In 2011, Jackson Preparatory School introduced Google Apps for Education to all of its 836 students and 110 teachers. Google Classroom was a welcomed addition to the GAFE Suite in 2014. To help the entire faculty team and staff learn how to use the new tools, the school held a professional development workshop on the morning of a late-start school day. The session helped teachers get up to speed quickly without needing to stay late or come in on a weekend.