by Yvonne Wang ’27
September 2024
At the start of the school year, USN replaced the old assignment center with a new platform, sparking mixed reactions from both students and teachers.
This change has impacted how assignments are organized, displayed, and managed, raising questions about whether this new system is truly an improvement. The platform, a staple for organizing and managing schoolwork, was dismissed entirely, leaving many students bewildered and frustrated.
Administration, teachers, and advisors acknowledged Blackbaud’s decision to change the assignment center last year. However, many were still surprised by how abruptly it was implemented. The sudden disappearance of the old system has left students struggling to find a new rhythm.
For students like Suzie Zhao ‘28 and Ayla Maria Acra ‘27, the transition has introduced unexpected complications to their routine.
“It’s made it much more difficult,” Acra explains, “because now I have to use another online resource and my paper planner. The assignment center just feels too complicated to understand.”
They commented that the transition felt a bit abrupt at the beginning of the school year, and since last school year, people have had the choice between the old and new assignment centers. They said they wish that feature had also been kept this school year as well.
Zhao and Acra have not been the only ones who have shared their opinions on this topic. Lily Margalit ‘27 liked how the school allowed flexibility in choosing between the old and new assignment centers last year. However, she believes it would have been better if they had never changed it to begin with.
Teachers have also faced challenges. Many have reported experiencing issues with students unable to see feedback, which led to frustration on both ends.
Dr. Michael Hansen, a sophomore English teacher, sympathizes with this situation.
“If it’s a glitch with Blackbaud, they need to fix it. If not, we should learn to adapt to this together,” said Hansen.
Despite its drawbacks, many new features have been introduced to the assignment center, providing a new way to organize assignments. These features include filters and categories for class assignments, as well as a vertical view of homework. It offers many ways for students to find something faster through filters and categories, allowing them to see just things from a specific category. This contains many benefits and allows speedier navigation, a more organized overview of these tasks, and a more efficient approach to managing schoolwork.
However, some are still dissatisfied as they believe these changes were unnecessary and affected the layout, which seems to be the primary concern.
Cate Laird ‘26 explains that while the new features are unique, they are unnecessary. The layout is a more primary factor affecting many things, including assignment management and appearance.
The decision to overhaul the assignment center was not the choice of anyone at USN. Jeff Edmonds, the assistant head of high school for academic affairs, explained that USN has no control over Blackbaud’s decisions and that the only reason for the modification was that Blackbaud had changed it. As a result, USN cannot flip a switch and go back to the old assignment center.
USN’s Website Manager, Steve Smail, adds that Blackbaud’s reasoning for the change was that the old assignment center, which teachers still have, was built on their older code and software. In comparison, the new assignment center is built on their newer base code and design specs.
Smail acknowledged that there have been concerns but reports that they are being taken into account and expects that small incremental changes will be made to the design interface. He revealed that updates are being made every Tuesday and provided a quick summary of the most recent one.
Edmonds sympathized with those who are experiencing troubles with it.
“I don’t know if we’re as frustrated as you guys because it’s not our assignment center,” he said, “but it is quite frustrating.”
To combat this confusion between teachers and students, Edmonds shared that the administration is working on a project to address the students’ view of the assignment center.
“We are preparing videos for teachers so that they can see what’s happening with students because they can’t see the students’ view. We’re trying to get that to the faculty as soon as possible so they can understand what’s happening with you guys.”
Many students have started developing strategies to adapt. Some have used traditional tools like paper planners to supplement the new digital layout.
“I’ve started writing down my homework in a physical planner again, which helps me stay on top of things,” said Ethan Lu ‘27.
Other students have found it helpful to set up notifications on their phones or use other apps, such as the calendar app, to manage deadlines better.
Students at USN are finding ways to adapt, making this experience manageable. The high school is already starting to adjust to the change as a community.
