School district chooses a learning management system

As the school year nears an end, Kimball Public Schools has begun accepting resignations for the coming year.

At the March 13 Kimball Board of Education meeting two such resignations were accepted, that of Jordan Sukup, pre-Kindergarten, and kindergarten teacher Nora Robinson, with more to follow, according to school superintendent Marshall Lewis.

However, two current teachers have been approved for new contracts in existing positions.

Kim Beyer, the current art, publication and career teacher at Kimball High School, was approved through an internal transfer process to fill the now full time position of Curriculum and Assessment Director.

Previously this position was part-time and was previously filled by High School sciences teacher Vicky Mitchell.

Beyer’s transfer will leave a vacancy in the departments she currently teaches.

In the same internal transfer manner, High School Language Arts teacher Sarah Parsons was approved as the new Kindergarten teacher, essentially filling the vacancy left by Robinson’s resignation.

Additionally, the board approved the purchase of a learning management system by Canvas for the district, according to Lewis.

Special Services Coordinator for the district, Jamie Soper, added that a team of teachers evaluated several different learning management systems, and Canvas offered the one they felt would work best locally.

Calendars, chat platforms, discussion groups and assessments are a few of the hundreds of tools Canvas features to keep students, teachers and parents informed.

Though the district is still in the early planning stages for the new system, Soper said that, when the time comes, the company will assist with implementation.

“This system is very user friendly with a great student and parent piece as well as apps for parents and students to put on their phones for quick access,” Soper added. “It has all sorts of possibilities, we just aren’t sure yet what we will expect from our teachers.”