Illuminate Education recently announced that would be shutting down their Student Information System, a critical feature that allowed SMMUSD to quickly summarize data to make the best choices for students' futures. As a result, SMMUSD has stated that they would be switching away from Illuminate to a system called Aeries starting in the 2021 school year. While this new service might offer a simple transition for administrators, this convenience will not translate to students and teachers. SMMUSD should consider including Canvas in this transition to make online learning more seamless.

Canvas is a Learning Management System used by K-12 schools and colleges across the country. Canvas is a fantastic addition to the classroom and even better for distance learning, effectively replacing Illuminate, Google Classroom, Google Calendar, and Remind. Canvas offers a plethora of new features without sacrificing simplicity for all users.

Students use Canvas to organize assignments, feedback, and grades into a single, modern web interface. Students also can see announcements and contact teachers directly in Canvas. The five-star rated mobile app offers the exact same experience as the website, so students using tablets or phones are not limited to certain features. Furthermore, Canvas remains just as integrated with Google Drive, meaning students don’t have to change their entire workflow.

Teachers use Canvas to design a full online classroom, not limited by the “Stream” or “Classwork” tabs. Instead, Canvas uses modules and pages to organize online and on-paper assignments as well as grades in a single place. Modules allow teachers to plan ahead for lessons and give students an idea of the upcoming work in a course. Students also receive all announcements via mobile push notifications and email. Gone are the days of explaining why students’ grades are different in Google Classroom and Illuminate or realizing that some students still aren’t signed up for Remind halfway through the school year.

Counselors and administrators benefit from Canvas’s integration with Aeries, making it a simple and ideal addition to the ongoing transition. Additionally, the built-in user support documents and simplified interface reduces the time spent getting students acquainted with the new system.

Santa Monica College concurrent enrollment students, including myself, know firsthand of the superior experience that Canvas offers. Culver City Schools already use Canvas and Aeries together. Since many colleges also use Canvas, it’s also a great introduction to how college submissions work.

As SMMUSD continues to upgrade technology for staff, students feel left behind with outdated and feature-lacking software like Illuminate and Google Classroom. Distance learning has demonstrated where technology-based education has room for improvement and this is a great opportunity to make necessary changes. Please sign this petition to ask SMMUSD to include Canvas in their transition to Aeries to provide the best learning experience for teachers, administrators, and students.