Q&A
Discussion on Via app usage and parent engagement
1:34:38
·
166 sec
Council Member Brewer inquires about the usage and effectiveness of the Via app for school bus tracking. John Benson provides statistics on app downloads and usage, emphasizing its usefulness for parents. The discussion highlights the need for better promotion and training for school principals to assist parents, especially those with IEP students.
- The Via app has had 57,000 total downloads, with 19,000 parents logging in since the start of the school year
- An average of 5,100 parents use the app daily
- DOE officials express confidence in the app's functionality and usefulness
- There's a recognized need for better training materials for school principals to help explain the app to parents
Gale A. Brewer
1:34:38
I know you talked about the via app, and I I I was listening even though I wasn't here on my cell phone.
1:34:44
So how many caregivers have downloaded the app and how many are using it frequently?
1:34:50
What I hear, just so you know, from the principles, is that they don't have enough training they feel to be able to help their parents.
1:34:56
So just talk a little bit about the via app because it does hold a lot of hope for people to know, but I just don't think it's being used even in the numbers that you suggested.
1:35:05
Please talk about it.
Glenn Risbrook
1:35:06
I'd like to turn this over to my colleague, John Benson.
1:35:09
Let me answer that for you.
John Benson
1:35:11
Yes.
1:35:11
Good morning.
1:35:12
Counsel members.
1:35:12
My name is John Benson, Deputy Senior Executive Director of OPT.
1:35:16
I've been involved with the GPS application from the beginning.
1:35:20
So as it stands now, over time, since the app went live in the app store 4 or 5 years ago, there's been about 57,000 downloads.
1:35:27
Right?
1:35:27
Currently, just since the start of this school year, we've got 17,863 downloads.
1:35:34
Over 19,000 parents, actually, since the start of the year.
Gale A. Brewer
1:35:36
9000, you said?
John Benson
1:35:37
19.
Gale A. Brewer
1:35:38
19.
John Benson
1:35:38
19 have successfully logged in.
1:35:40
Those are that's number as of a
Gale A. Brewer
1:35:42
Out of how many?
John Benson
1:35:44
A 145,000 students receive busing.
1:35:47
So Yeah.
1:35:47
Over parents.
1:35:48
Yep.
1:35:49
In about an average of 5100 parents per day.
1:35:53
I will say, we're confident in this product.
1:35:56
Right?
1:35:56
We think it works.
1:35:57
I'm a school bus parent myself.
1:35:58
I use it on a daily basis.
1:36:00
Right?
1:36:00
So thinking back to this morning and the anxiety about having to get to this hearing and knowing I had to get my child on a bus before I came here.
1:36:07
Right?
1:36:07
Just being able to wake up and log in.
1:36:09
See, a, that the route is in service.
1:36:11
I see the route in real time, and then help my child get out the door.
1:36:15
All my parents out there know, the morning routine as a parent with your child is not always a smooth process.
1:36:21
Right?
Gale A. Brewer
1:36:21
You know?
John Benson
1:36:22
Orienting towards the idea of getting out the door to meet the bus as it arrives.
1:36:27
It's a good product.
1:36:29
We would like to explore ways to get the word out about it.
1:36:31
We appreciate your support with your newsletter that we spoke about a couple weeks ago.
1:36:36
We wanna get word out about this, and we want more parents to log in.
Gale A. Brewer
1:36:39
What kind of materials and could we get a copy of them go to the principles to help them explain it, particularly to students who have an IEP?
John Benson
1:36:47
Yes.
1:36:47
So our transportation liaisons who are doing incredible work this fall, supporting students, schools across the city of age support.
1:36:54
Several schools that that's part of their ongoing work.
1:36:57
They're providing training to schools on how to do metro card entry, how to assign, stop to school busing, how to utilize the VA solution.
1:37:04
Every type of training and support required by a school, funnels through the transportation liaisons.
1:37:08
They're doing great work.
1:37:10
It's high volume, but that's kind of how it works.
1:37:12
There's a lot on our website as well.
1:37:13
There's an internal facing website that also But
Gale A. Brewer
1:37:15
but can we get the material that goes to the principles as to how this works?
1:37:19
Do you have that?
1:37:20
Is that something that exists?
John Benson
1:37:21
Yes.
1:37:22
It's online, and we can share that with you.
