Aeries, 5-Star, and password systems changes spawn technical difficulties

2–3 minutes

New software introduced this year, students and staff respond

Staff Writer

FUSD transitioned to three new digital systems this year: Aeries for grading and attendance, 5-Star for FLEX, and a new password authentication system.

Mr. Benn, a physics teacher for over 30 years and former FUDTA representative, commented on one possible reason for the switch based on his experience, “Most of the time you’ve got a couple of different factors running: you’ve got what’s out there software wise, what the district can afford, and which ones hit most of the bells and whistles you want.”

“You have server problems, plus 5-Star, plus Aeries, and it’s a lot of change,” said Mr. Benn, “and ultimately the roll-out was not as good as it could have been.” Although many teachers face issues with the new systems, students also face difficulties.

Mr. Elam, the teacher of the new Gaming Concepts course, spoke about technical issues faced in class, “We had students as late as three or four weeks in that still weren’t able to access the curriculum, so they had to do everything on paper, take photos, and email me from a personal email.”

Sally Giang (12), who faced initial issues with the password system switch, spoke about the student experience with the recent changes. “It felt like an inconvenience,” Giang said. “There’s not really someone there to help you step-by-step.”

In an email interview with Mr. Maverick, the school’s new library media technician, he commented on steps taken by the library and IT to improve student technical experience. “I think the steps for us as the library and the IT to provide a better technical experience is to just help students out when needed.”

“I think honestly, it’s a logistical issue,” Mr. Elam said, “We have an incredibly mismanaged district. If they started three months earlier, everything would be fine. If they started a month earlier, most things would be fine.”

As inconvenient as the systems have been for students, some students and teachers are willing to give it a chance. “If you were to ask me in 6 months, I think I’d prefer Teachmore and Aeries as the combo,” Mr. Elam said.

“Would I prefer something better? Sure. Is the system we have good? Absolutely.” Mr. Benn said, “But they’re not perfect.”