Microsoft working to help parents and teachers connect through Teams

Microsoft Teams iOS
Microsoft Teams iOS (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • A new feature for Microsoft Teams will allow teachers to connect with parents and guardians.
  • The feature works with School Data Sync, which gathers data from a school's Student Information System.
  • Working with School Data Sync reduces the time required to find information for parents and guardians of students.

Parent connection in Microsoft Teams for Education utilizes automated systems that keep contact details up to date.

Here's Microsoft's description of the feature:

With Parent connection in Teams for Education, educators can easily connect and engage with the parents and guardians of their class using Teams chat. All parent and guardian data is provisioned using School Data Sync, saving educators and IT staff valuable time.

Support for School Data Sync (SDS) should make it easier for teachers to get in touch with parents and guardians. SDS is a free service in Office 365 for Education that gathers information from a school's Student Information System (SIS). A Microsoft support document explains how SDS helps import and sync data automatically with Office 365.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.