A press release on January 5th has announced that LivingTree has acquired ClassMessenger, a parent-teacher communication tool.
ClassMessenger is two-way messaging app designed for K-12 and LivingTree is a hierarchy-based social network for parents, teachers and administrators, also designed for K-12 programs.
In the press release, LivingTree indicates that they will be shutting down the ClassMessenger service later this year, stating the following:
“LivingTree will continue to operate the ClassMessenger platform through the end of June. This will deliver a seamless ownership transition and completion of the 2016-17 school year for all ClassMessenger users. During this time, LivingTree will seek feedback and provide automatic migration and account setup for the 2017-18 school year. LivingTree provides every feature ClassMessenger users rely on and more, including translation to over 100 languages, SMS texting, ability to connect into broader school, district, and community networks, enhanced media sharing, private messaging, directory, and analytic reporting.”
Management from both companies have stated that they will focus on a seamless transition from this school year into the next with ClassMessenger founder, Keith McSpurren stating, “They are the best company and platform for us to entrust the success of our students and teachers.”
This acquisition comes after ClassMessenger posted a notice on their website on November 23, 2016 stating that they would likely be shutting down their service permanently on December 23, 2016. It appears as though LivingTree has come to the rescue, so that hopefully ClassMessenger users will have a smooth transition onto the LivingTree product.
The ClassMessenger announcement on their website originally recommended Remind and Class Dojo as potential replacements for the K-12 focused service. HiMama is a good alternative for pre-kindergarten programs as our apps are specifically designed for use by Early Childhood Educators and Preschool Teachers. For example, functionality includes classroom development observations, online child portfolios and childcare daily reports for parents.
If you’re a pre-k program that uses ClassMessenger and are thinking about your options for when the service is disabled, you can get in touch with us to get a free tour of HiMama and see if it will be a good fit for your programs.
