We're updating Connect to better handle shared contact information, such as when family members share the same email address or phone number. This means Connect will now match your SIS data more closely, providing more complete and accurate ways to reach every guardian.
What you'll see
For most districts, this change will be barely noticeable. You might occasionally see:
- An extra phone number or email address on a guardian's profile
- A new guardian record that couldn't be created before due to shared contact details
What you need to do
Nothing! This update occurs automatically; no action is required on your end.
What Are Shared Contact Methods?
It is common for multiple users to share the same contact information. For example:
- Two guardians in the same household may share the same email address
- Parents or guardians may share a phone number
- A single user may have both staff and parent accounts with the same phone number but different email addresses.
How it used to work
Until now, Connect required every email and phone number to be unique, one contact method per person. When multiple people in your SIS shared the same email or phone number, only one of them could have it in Connect. This meant some contact information couldn't sync over, even though it existed in your SIS.
What's changing
Starting in early April, Connect now supports shared contact methods. Multiple users can have the same email address or phone number on their accounts, so all your SIS contact information can sync properly, no more missing details.
What To Expect For Your District?
Additional contact methods on existing accounts
Some guardians may suddenly see additional phone numbers or email addresses appear. These were always in your SIS; Connect couldn't add them before because another user already had that contact information. Everyone now has their full set of contact details.
With this improvement, parents who share an email and phone number can now choose to receive messages via text or email; previously, this wasn't possible.
Guardian |
Phone |
Before Update: Email Only | Before Update: Text Only | After Update: Email or Text | |
| Sarah Smith | smithparent@mail.com | (987) 654-3210 | ✅ |
✅ |
|
| Kevin Smith | smithparent@mail.com | (123) 456-7890 | ✅ |
✅ |
New guardian accounts appearing
You may see guardian accounts that weren't previously present. This occurs when a guardian's only contact methods are already associated with other users, preventing the account from being created. With shared contacts enabled, these guardians can now sync into Connect properly.
Multiple records for the same guardian
Occasionally, a student may appear to have duplicate guardian entries. This typically means your SIS has multiple records for the same person, perhaps with the same email address but different phone numbers or slight name variations. Connect now syncs all of them since it no longer blocks shared contact details. These are usually the same guardian, shown multiple times because your SIS stores the data that way.
Note: Because synchronizations are set up differently across districts, some sync configurations may not be optimal once Connect supports shared contact methods.
If you'd like Connect to mirror your SIS guardian relationships more closely, we're happy to review your sync setup and make adjustments. This won't touch your SIS data or delete any users or past communications; it's just a configuration tweak on our end.
What Some Users Will See
Some users may notice a new phone number or email address on their profile. They might also see a brief prompt to confirm their contact method. This helps them verify their information, but they don't need to confirm it to keep receiving messages.
Users can still:
- Receive all communications as usual
- Log in with their email or phone number and password
- Use their existing Single Sign-On (SSO)
Reports for District Administrators
District administrators will have access to reports that identify users who share the same email address or phone number.
These reports can help districts:
- Identify shared contact methods across users
- Review possible data inconsistencies
- Improve account organization when needed
In many cases, shared contact methods are expected and do not require changes.
FAQs
Q: Will families receive duplicate messages?
A: No. Connect includes a built-in deduplication process to prevent duplicate communications. If multiple users share the same email address or phone number and are included in the same communication, only one message will be sent to that shared contact method.
Example: If two guardians share the same phone number and both are included in a message, Connect sends only one SMS message to that number.
Q: Why do districts want to review shared contact methods?
A: In some cases, inconsistent contact information can result in a single guardian appearing as multiple accounts in Connect.
Example:
- One student record may include a guardian's email and phone number
- Another student record may include only the phone number
This may cause Connect to create two separate accounts for the same guardian.
Correcting contact information in the SIS helps ensure guardians have a single account linked to all their students, improving the experience for both families and staff who communicate with them.
Q: Will notification methods/settings change with this update?
A: No. The existing notification methods and settings will remain unchanged. This update only allows shared email addresses and phone numbers to appear across multiple user accounts when those details exist in your SIS. It does not automatically change how users receive messages or alter their notification preferences.
Q: Will this update impact how I log in to Connect?
A: No, nothing changes here. Keep logging in the same way you always have, whether that's with your email, phone number, or SSO.
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