This year WFISD switched to Skyward, the new online grading system, hoping it would be an easier, more user-friendly alternative to TEAMS.

Assistant Principal Synthia Kirby acknowledged that there is stress for teachers right now with Skyward, but that the stress won’t last long. As with anything new, it takes time to learn the program.

“I think everyone will be better off in the long run,” Kirby said.

Skyward is utilized by more than just teachers. Administrators and counselors use it for scheduling and finance, among other things.

According to technology instructor David White, Teams was just a grade book. Anything a teacher needs to know about a student is available on Skyward.

When chemistry teacher Stacie Martin heard the district was switching to Skyward, she was relieved.

“Teams had become such a problem,” Martin said. “[Skyward] is less buggy than Teams.”

It is also easier to print reports on Skyward, and it has more options for online assignments and calenders, which will be useful for secondary schools.

“For teachers with classes of 30 to 40 students, [the online assignments] will be easier to score,” Martin said.

Additionally, there are better parent email notification options that will improve communication between parents, students, and teachers.

“Immediacy in grades is important,” Martin said.

One thing important to Vice Principal Kirby and Mr. White is that everything is conjoined on Skyward.

“It is the system for everything we do,” White said.

Martin likes that she can take attendance from any device, including her iPad.

“The one bad thing about Skyward is that you can’t see when the students’ birthdays are,” Martin said.