Schoolkit vs TalkingPoints

Schoolkit connects school districts with families through websites, mobile apps, messaging, and digital displays. Publishing website content can also send it to apps, displays, SMS, email, social media, or other listed channels. Website tools include intelligent search, media management, instant translation, single sign-on, accessibility, and calendars. Branded iOS and Android apps provide push notifications, Google Translate, and SMS fallback. Mass notifications support automated phone calls, SMS, email, app push, and attendance alerts; calls can use a recording or Amazon Polly text-to-speech, with the school number shown as caller ID. Digital displays can show announcements, news, calendar reminders, date and weather, and block rotations. Integrations include Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra single sign-on, calendars, forms, sheets, slides, YouTube, and related services. Schoolkit Helper guides publishing, while a Support Portal serves designated staff. The company describes Canadian ownership and hosting, with launch, upgrades, security, accessibility, troubleshooting, and support. Pricing is on request.

TalkingPoints is a PreK–12 family engagement platform for communication between schools and families. Educators and families can exchange messages, including through SMS text, and the service translates messages into more than 150 languages using AI and human translator support. Individual teachers can use translated messaging for free, with in-app tips and guidance for building relationships. Families can use the free website or iOS and Android apps; text replies are available at schools with a paid plan. Optional district offerings address attendance improvement, district communications, and academic improvement. Message Mentor helps educators draft and improve family messages. TalkingPoints integrates with Clever, ClassLink, and other student information systems for rostering. Schools and districts can use organization-wide deployment with administrative controls and integrations, with quote-based pricing. The service offers professional learning in person, virtually, or in blended formats. TalkingPoints says it encrypts data in transit and at rest, restricts access to designated users, and does not sell or rent personal information or use it for advertising or commercial purposes. The listed free plan for individual teachers costs nothing.