We know this time can be filled with both challenges and opportunities for students, educators, administrators and parents alike. Our goal is to provide you not just with products and services, but with partnership, support, and inspiration. This year, as the world of K-12 education and technology continue to evolve, we’re renewing our promise to be more than a vendor. Instead, we aspire to be your collaborator in progress in many ways:

• • Personalized Support: Our team is dedicated to understanding your needs and delivering solutions designed for real classrooms, real learners, and real results.
• • Continuous Innovation: We’re investing in the latest advancements to give you access to tools and resources that anticipate the future of education.
• • Community Engagement: From webinars to regional events, we invite you to join us, share your voice, and help shape the journey ahead. I invite you to head to your closest User Group Meeting to connect with likeminded individuals looking to increase their Aeries knowledge and best practices. As someone who’s personally attended several User Group meetings, I am a huge advocate of the organic collaboration, community-building, and problem-solving that local schools develop with their regional neighbors.

Over the past several years, the educational landscape has transformed at an unprecedented pace. Digital learning, inclusivity, and global connectivity have shifted what’s possible, and what’s expected. In response, we have taken time to reflect, listen, and reimagine our foundational purpose. We are proud to officially share our new vision and mission statements, both of which were crafted collaboratively with input from our staff, customers, and educational leaders:

• • Our Vision: Empowered Communities. Smarter Solutions. Brighter Futures.
• • Our Mission: Providing data-driven, intuitive, and innovative solutions that unite learning communities to advance student success.
• • Core Values: Customer centered. Vibrantly innovative. Relentless learners. In this together.
• • Guiding Beliefs: Education is a human right. Visible, not vulnerable. Empathetic innovation starts with us. All means all.

Every word in our new statements is shaped by the real experiences, voices, and dreams of our Aeries Community. We are excited to move forward with this shared vision, knowing that together, we can transform challenges into opportunities and ideas into impact.

And speaking of impact, this summer, we celebrated thirty years of Aeries! It’s truly a milestone that propels us forward, day after day. It can be tempting, at such a juncture, to look back at all that has been accomplished: the thousands of schools served, the countless learners supported, the enduring partnerships forged. But while our roots are deep, our focus remains on what’s ahead. Each chapter has made us stronger, more agile, and more innovative. We know that some may point to our age as a possible disadvantage. But to that, I say: our history is a testament to our adaptability, our resilience, and our capacity for reinvention. Our longevity is a springboard, and we use that wisdom to fuel new ideas, not to rest on past success. I invite everyone within our Aeries Community to join us in writing the next chapter.

As we step into a new school year, with a fresh vision and the momentum of thirty years behind us, our promise is clear: we are here for you. Whether you’ve been with us since our earliest days or you’re just discovering us now, you are an essential part of our story. Thank you for your trust, your collaboration, and your inspiration. Here’s to a new year, and to the next thirty years of learning, growing, and shaping the future together!

Welcome back, and welcome forward.

Brent Lloyd
President and CEO

The post Back to School 2025: A Message from Brent Lloyd appeared first on Aeries.

Celebrating Connection, Learning, and Fun at AeriesCon Spring 2025

Nearly 1,200 members of the Aeries community came together in Ontario, California for our 53rd AeriesCon — yes, the 53rd! — a vibrant, music festival–themed event filled with new ideas, shared knowledge, and great connections. From inspiring keynotes to hands-on sessions and plenty of fun in between, this year’s conference truly hit all the right notes.

Inspiring Keynotes to Start Each Day

Our mornings began with powerful keynote presentations:

• Jerry Almendarez, Superintendent of Santa Ana USD, opened Monday by exploring the role of AI in education and its exciting potential.

• Val Vigoda, a transformational performer, closed Tuesday with a message of optimism and resilience, blending storytelling with live music alongside accompanist Ryan.

Over 100 Learning Sessions to Explore

What would AeriesCon be without learning opportunities? Attendees chose from more than 100 breakout sessions designed to help them make the most of Aeries. The most popular sessions included:

• Basic Query with Diana Martinez

• Intermediate Query with Diana Martinez

• Aeries Roadmap: An Early View of 2025 & Beyond with Elen Meltonyan and Randy Catiller

Connecting at Open Forum

Open Forum sessions were a hub of collaboration.

Attendees met 1:1 with Aeries Subject Matter Experts to ask questions, solve challenges, and deepen their knowledge. Whether exchanging hugs or digging into topics like CALPADS, queries, or gradebooks, our community came together to share insights and support.

Celebrating at Casino Night and Honoring Our Legacy

Casino Night was extra special this year. In addition to fun games and delicious hors d’oeuvres, we paused to recognize outstanding contributors and reflect on Aeries’ rich history:

• Jerry Lloyd Golden Legacy Award Winners:

  • Albert Kwan, West Covina USD

  • Susan Prow, Aeries

Both were nominated for their meaningful and lasting impact in the student information space.

• Honoring Aeries leadership and legacy:

  • We celebrated the retirements of former CEO Barry Lloyd and Co-Founder Rich Lloyd.

  • Craig Tschuoff and Sam Defeo shared heartfelt speeches filled with great memories from Aeries’ early days.

  • Current President and CEO Brent Lloyd closed the evening by sharing his excitement and vision for Aeries’ future.

It was a night to honor the past, celebrate the present, and look ahead with optimism.

Special Performances by Student Bands

No music festival is complete without live music! Thank you to the incredible performers who entertained us during lunch:

• Harvest Hill STEAM Academy Concert Band

• Menifee Valley Middle School Eagle Band

CALPADS and IT Professional Learning

We had a packed house on Day 3 of AeriesCon, with attendees eager to continue learning and growing their skills.

• CALPADS Day, focused on compliance and reporting

• Aeries IT Professional Day, offering technical deep dives

Attendees continued building their skills — and yes, the M&Ms flowed freely every day, keeping the energy high through the final sessions!

See You at AeriesCon Fall 2025 and Spring 2026!

We are so thrilled that we spent the week jamming with so many members of our Aeries community. Seeing familiar faces, meeting new users, and supporting our attendees make AeriesCon so special.

While another unforgettable event has come and gone, we can’t wait to connect again at upcoming Aeries gatherings.

Are you ready to start planning ahead? Save the dates for our next conferences:

• AeriesCon Fall 2025: November 3–5, 2025 (Virtual)

• AeriesCon Spring 2026: March 10–12, 2026 (Monterey, California)

On behalf of the AeriesCon Committee, we thank every attendee, staff member, and vendor who helped make this event truly memorable.

To stay updated on all things AeriesCon, visit www.aeries.com/aeriescon/. 

The post A Look Back at AeriesCon Spring 2025 appeared first on Aeries.

Working in education, we handle sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII) on a regular basis. We have an important responsibility to uphold and promote the highest data security standards: our customers and their students depend on it.

Along with formalized standards like NIST and ISO, we also use the most up-to-date information available regarding recent breaches and other cyber incidents to guide best practices. 

5 Key Cyber Hygiene Practices for Schools and Districts

Protecting sensitive data starts with simple, actionable steps. Here are five essential practices every school and district should follow to strengthen their cybersecurity and reduce risk.

1. Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Passwords alone are no longer enough. 2FA adds a critical layer of protection.

Two-factor authentication strengthens security by requiring a password and a second verification step. This extra layer makes it much harder for attackers to access accounts, even if passwords are compromised.

Common forms of 2FA include:

• Verification codes sent to a mobile device

• Biometric scans, such as fingerprints or facial recognition

• Physical security tokens that generate temporary codes

While 2FA was once considered optional, it is now considered an essential access control practice. Attackers have more tools than ever to break or bypass passwords, so relying on passwords alone is risky.

At Aeries, 2FA is easy to enable and highly recommended.

We encourage all users to adopt this feature to better protect sensitive information. For those who have not yet enabled 2FA, now is the time. We also welcome feedback from our users on their experience with setting up and using 2FA.

2. Perform Regular Permissions Audits

Prevent unauthorized access by reviewing who has access—and why.

Over time, users change roles, join new projects, or leave your organization. Without regular audits, permissions can quickly become outdated and introduce unnecessary risk. This is often referred to as “privilege creep” — when users accumulate more access than they need simply because no one has adjusted their permissions.

Regular audits help you:

• Identify unnecessary or outdated access — Remove permissions for users who no longer need them.

• Adjust access based on current roles — Ensure users only have the access required for their responsibilities.

• Reduce exposure of sensitive data — The fewer people with access, the lower the risk of misuse or breach.

Neglecting permissions reviews increases the chance of unauthorized access, either accidentally or intentionally. Make permissions audits a regular part of your cyber hygiene practices, especially when users change roles or leave your district.

3. Use Long, Memorable Passphrases Instead of Complex Passwords

Strong doesn’t have to mean complicated.

Security experts now recommend passphrases over traditional complex passwords. Passphrases are easier to remember but much harder for attackers to crack, especially with modern computing power making short or predictable passwords vulnerable.

According to NIST guidelines, strong passphrases should:

• Be between 16–64 characters long

• Use capitalization, spaces, and punctuation

• Combine random, unrelated words (Example: “Luk3Skyw@lker Saxophone Donuts Skateboard Beehive”)

• Avoid common phrases and easily guessable information

• Never be reused across different accounts

By encouraging passphrases, you help users create login credentials that are both user-friendly and secure. At Aeries, we support and promote these standards to keep sensitive education data better protected.

4. Keep Only What You Need: Minimize Data Storage

The less you store, the less you risk.

In cybersecurity, experts often say: “It’s not if a breach will happen, but when.”

While preventing breaches is critical, reducing the amount of stored data limits the potential damage if one occurs.

Holding onto unnecessary data creates a larger target for attackers. To minimize risk, implement a strong data retention strategy:

• Collect only essential data — Avoid gathering information that isn’t required for operations or compliance.

• Regularly audit stored data — Review what’s being kept and remove anything that no longer serves a clear purpose.

• Follow clear retention and destruction policies — Data that doesn’t meet retention guidelines should be securely destroyed according to documented procedures.

• Form a dedicated data retention team — Ensure data management decisions are reviewed and approved by responsible stakeholders.

By limiting what you store and promptly disposing of outdated data, you help protect your organization and reduce exposure if a breach ever occurs.

5. Train Everyone to Spot and Stop Social Engineering

Cybercriminals often target people, not systems.

Social engineering attacks rely on human psychology to trick users into revealing sensitive information or granting unauthorized access. These tactics have become more advanced and frequent, especially with the rise of AI-generated messages that look and sound legitimate.

Recent breaches show that social engineering is an effective tool for attackers. That makes user awareness and education critical to your cybersecurity defenses.

To protect your school or district:

• Educate staff, contractors, and partners regularly — Everyone with access to your systems should understand common tactics.

• Explain different types of attacks — Phishing, smishing, impersonation, and fake password reset requests are just a few examples.

• Promote immediate and cautious responses — When in doubt, users should know how to verify requests and report suspicious activity.

• Work with vendors to ensure training extends beyond your team — Partners must also prioritize security awareness to avoid becoming weak links.

Consistent, ongoing training is your best defense. When every user knows how to recognize and respond to social engineering, your organization becomes much harder to infiltrate.

Aeries Is Your Partner in Cyber Hygiene

Protecting sensitive data is a shared responsibility.

Schools and districts face growing threats from cybercriminals who target personal and student information. At Aeries, we are committed to helping you safeguard this critical data and maintain the trust of your communities.

We continually listen to the needs of schools, parents, students, and staff. As threats evolve, so do our tools, recommendations, and support. Together, we can strengthen cybersecurity practices across education.

What you can do:

• Provide your staff with regular training and professional development

• Promote good cyber hygiene habits every day

• Leverage Aeries’ built-in security features, like Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

• Stay informed on emerging threats and industry best practices

By working together, we can help secure sensitive student data and ensure it stays protected.

Looking for a secure, user-friendly Student Information System? Learn more about Aeries SIS and how we help schools protect what matters most.

Want to dive deeper? Explore these additional resources:

NIST Digital Identity Guidelines

CISA Guidance on Phishing and Social Engineering

The post Cyber Hygiene: Keeping Your Data Safe and Secure appeared first on Aeries.

At Aeries, we know how important it is for you to stay informed. You rely on accurate product information to plan and budget for the upcoming school year. While we’ve traditionally shared updates at AeriesCon, User Group Meetings, and other customer-facing events, we’re excited to introduce a new level of transparency: the Aeries Roadmap.

What Is the Aeries Roadmap?

The Aeries Roadmap is your visual guide to product progress and upcoming updates. Organized by quarter, theme, and priority, it bridges the gap between Aeries’ priorities and your district’s needs. With this tool, you’ll gain insights into new initiatives, features, and integrations, helping you plan for the future with confidence.

How the Roadmap Supports Your District

The Aeries Roadmap gives you the information you need to make informed decisions related to student data and information. With a clear view of what’s ahead, you can budget effectively, update training materials and procedures, communicate upcoming features to your stakeholders, generate excitement about enhancements, and so much more.

This Roadmap is more than just a tool—it’s a two-way communication channel that allows you to provide feedback and share ideas. Your input helps us refine our offerings to meet your needs better, fostering a stronger partnership built on trust and transparency. While roadmaps are intended to be plans, please note that items may evolve to better align with customer needs, changing regulatory landscape, and emerging technological advancements.

A sneak peek at the soon-to-be unveiled Aeries Roadmap

What You Can Expect During the Rollout

We’ve put a lot of thought into making the Roadmap as useful and intuitive as possible. Our team conducted extensive research and collaborated with focus groups to ensure it aligns with your expectations.

When the Roadmap launches in the Resource Hub, you’ll have access to:

• Tips and tricks for navigating the Roadmap
• Summaries of changes to keep you updated
• Videos explaining how we plan and prioritize updates

These resources are designed to help you make the most of the Roadmap and integrate it into your planning process.

Moving Forward Together

The Aeries Roadmap is more than just a planning tool—it’s a reflection of our commitment to you. The Roadmap will provide the reassurance that we are listening and actively working to address your ideas and opportunities for growth. We are hopeful that this tool will help foster a continued culture of visibility and transparency, emphasizing the importance of a true partnership during the evolution of Aeries products.

As always, we are invested in your success and will continue to enhance our product offerings to meet your evolving needs.

Stay connected with Aeries—log in today for the latest updates and features!

The post The Aeries Roadmap: Guiding Us Through the New Year and Beyond appeared first on Aeries.

If you joined us at AeriesCon or caught our earlier blog post, you might recall the sneak peek we gave of what was on the horizon. We’re excited to share some more details of what you can look forward to in the coming school year!

With our upcoming updates, our focus is on refining the user interface and user experience across Aeries. From home page customization to streamlined account settings, our goal is to support educators in providing the best possible educational experience, thus directly elevating student achievement. 

Increased Consistency

Consistency is key to creating an intuitive user experience. With our latest updates, educators can expect uniformity in the layout and functionality across the platform, which reduces learning curves and helps users feel at home with the system quickly.

Navigation: Student Search

We’ve improved the location and visibility of the ‘Student Search’ area, now consistently placed to the right of the screen, making it easier to access and distinct from other navigation elements. This change means less time spent searching and more time engaging with student data.

Personalization at Your Fingertips

Understanding that each educator has unique needs, our updates emphasize customization, allowing users to tailor their Aeries experience to fit their daily activities better.

Home Page Customization

Tailor your dashboard to your needs with draggable widgets, ensuring quick access to the tools that matter most in your day-to-day educational activities.

Enhanced Account Settings

Customize your experience further by setting a default landing page or having Aeries remember your last visited page, saving you time and helping you focus on what’s important.

Updated Global Messages for Administrators and Teachers

These enhancements to our messaging system are designed to keep you better informed and seamlessly integrated into the daily flow of school and district news.

• Notification Alerts: Whenever there’s a new message or announcement, the bell icon, currently available for administrators and teachers, at the top of your dashboard will light up, displaying the number of new messages. This immediate visual cue ensures you’re always aware of the latest updates without disrupting your workflow.
• Expandable Message Window: You now have the option to enlarge the message window. This makes reading and understanding the details easier, streamlining your workflow and enhancing message clarity.
  
  

Celebrating Students

Our new Teacher Widget includes a feature recognizing each student’s birthday, fostering a positive and inclusive educational environment.

Welcome Banner

Includes a personalized touch and a “Get Started” Button for a Quick Tour.

Beyond Aesthetics: A Foundation for the Future

This modernization goes beyond improving the look and feel of Aeries; it also helps streamline workflows. We’re building a foundation for a responsive, future-ready platform that addresses the needs of teachers, administrators, students, and parents.

As staff return from summer break they will notice some of these new features. Your feedback is invaluable as we continue to develop Aeries into a tool that not only meets but exceeds your expectations.

We thank you for your trust and partnership as we work together to empower educators, engage students, and elevate outcomes!

Read more about the exciting Future of Aeries.

The post Empowering Every Student: A Sneak Peek at Aeries’ Enhanced Features appeared first on Aeries.

When we say our Support Department has your back – we mean it! Our knowledgeable and experienced team is here to provide the guidance you need to navigate Aeries efficiently. The team has heard hundreds of thousands of questions, and they’re ready to find you an answer, existing documentation, or resources to help you along your journey.

Let’s dive in to see how you can best navigate the Aeries ticketing process!

1. Use the Support Portal and Resource Hub First

The most effective way to get a rapid response to your ticket is through our Support Portal. It should be your first stop to truly tackle your issue, as there are endless resources available to you while you’re there.

Have you taken advantage of our Aeries Resource Hub? This valuable in-product feature pulls together all the resources we have at our disposal in one place, like our Aeries Support Site. Check to see if your question has been answered before.

If it’s not in our Support Site or Resource Hub, then feel free to submit a support ticket via your my.aeries.com account.

2. Choose the Correct Portal Category

When submitting a ticket through the Support Portal, you’ll have the option to properly categorize it. This triggers the workflow quicker, kicking your ticket off for success. It also allows your ticket to be analyzed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

How can you figure out which category is right for your problem? Take a look at the entire list of Category options. There are more than 50 categories and subcategories to help us understand your needs, ranging from Aeries Communications to Security, CALPADS to Database, and more.

If you’re not the original user with the issue, test it yourself to better understand it. Remember, being choosy helps us help you!

3. Include Full, Clear Details … But Don’t Overshare

We need the pertinent information about your issue, but not necessarily all of it. It’s important to make sure you do NOT include any Personally Identifiable Information (PII). To learn more about PII, visit the US Department of Education’s website.

A strong ticket includes:

• A clear description of the issue
• Your specific questions about the problem
• Steps your team has already taken to investigate the issue
• Any recent changes to the database that might have caused the problem
• Important details like your name, school information, school code, ID numbers, and school-specific details

Please do not include email threads, as they may slow the analyzing process.

4. Check for an Outage

While rare, an outage could potentially cause the issue you’re reaching. Before submitting a ticket, check the ASP Status page. If you subscribe to the page, you will be notified of all pertinent outage-related information.

If you have any ongoing issues related to the outage after the incident is resolved, please submit a ticket!

5. Understand Priority Level Definitions

Knowing our priority level definitions will help you best explain your urgency and severity so we can tackle your problems accordingly.

• Low: A standard request that does not hinder business or productivity.
• Medium: An individual’s ability to perform a job function is slightly impacted or inconvenienced but can continue working normally without interruption.
• High: A mission-critical business application or function such as Aeries or a third-party application is severely impacted or unavailable, but a workaround exists, or other options are available within a reasonable time.
• Urgent: The entire school, district, teachers, or parents cannot function due to a mission-critical business application or operation being down, and there is no alternative or workaround.

Your Feedback Fuels Better Support

We take our Support Tickets very seriously, as they provide us with valuable insight on how to better serve you. Patterns in tickets provide valuable insight, allowing us to create more resources (like our free “Good Morning, Aeries!” webinars) and enhance the tools you rely on every day.

By following these five tips, you’ll be equipped to resolve issues efficiently while contributing to a better support system for all users. Here’s to a streamlined and productive ticketing experience!

Have a question or need assistance? Visit My.Aeries.com to explore resources or submit a Support Ticket today. Let’s tackle challenges together!

This blog is based on an AeriesCon Spring 2024 presentation by Allison Lambson, Carrie Muchow, and Diana Martinez.

The post 5 Ways to Make Your Aeries Support Ticket Work for You appeared first on Aeries.

Through our conferences, growth of our company, and product enhancements over the past 29 years, we’ve remained committed to building a community that fosters knowledge and the constant need to be adaptable. In fact, President Brent Lloyd took the stage Friday morning to present his vision of how we keep our eye on the future, ear on the present, and hand on the past.

Our North Star: Advancing Student Success

Guided by our north star of advancing student success, we’re harnessing the power of our compass to steer toward the 10th version of Aeries. We remain committed to enhanced security, greater optimization, and faster performance. But most importantly, we remain committed to continual, vibrant innovation. (Want to learn more about the future of Aeries, feature modernization, and how we continue to embrace our company values? Watch “Looking Toward the Future of Aeries: A Message from Brent Lloyd.”

Leveraging Technology for Innovation

We leverage new tools (including AI), in a manner that preserves the relationship that we have with all of our customers. Instead of replacing the human element, we want to optimize it and supplement it with tools that make it more impactful for you.

Additionally, Brent shared a few sneak peeks of what our teams have been working on, including enhancements to the Login Page, Landing Page, and Student Profile page. These improvements will allow for consistency between pages, a more consistent user experience, and improved response times.

Celebrating Community with the Golden Tradition Awards

In a nod to our strong and growing Community, Brent also announced the winners of our inaugural Golden Tradition Awards. Positively impacting their district, work site, and colleagues, these individuals embody everything that makes Aeries, Aeries. Congratulations to the following winners:

Jerry Lloyd Legacy Award

Celebrating individuals who design, implement, and support innovative uses of Aeries SIS, setting new standards in supporting student success.

• Sarah Knox, Director of Prevention & Intervention, Napa Valley USD
• Peter Abboud, Director of Data & Assessment Services, Napa Valley USD
• Brandon Usher, Integration Engineer, Aeries Software

Golden Service Award

Honoring people who consistently demonstrate the highest standard of customer-centricity in supporting the use of Aeries.

• Sherry Ross, IT Tech Database Coordinator, Lake Tahoe USD
• Elena Lohr, Customer Success Advocate, Aeries Software
• Suzette Kellar, Senior Support Analyst, Aeries Software

Golden Community Award

Recognizing individuals who consistently model and advocate for the values of collaboration, respect, and mutual support.

• Nic McMaster, Director of Student Services, Castro Valley USD
• Natasha Perera, Marketing & Communications Manager, Aeries Software

Golden Mentor Award

Acknowledging leaders who go above and beyond in guiding, supporting, and mentoring their colleagues.

• Cecil Wright, Director of Information Technology, San Bernardino City USD
• Sam Defeo, Trainer, Aeries Software

Looking to the Future

We hope you join in our excitement for the bright future of Aeries. To all of you who attended this year – and to those who sent their well-wishes from afar – we can’t wait to see you again and continue building meaningful experiences.

Save the date for Virtual AeriesCon Fall 2024: November 4-7, 2024. To stay updated, visit our AeriesCon page.

The post A Look Back at AeriesCon Spring 2024 appeared first on Aeries.

The post Looking Toward The Future of Aeries: A Message From President Brent Lloyd appeared first on Aeries.

Beyond brainstorming and discussions, this year’s MSO included a special opportunity to give back to the community—a hands-on visit to Habitat for Humanity in the San Gabriel Valley. This experience not only deepened our understanding of the challenges faced by families in need but also reinforced the values that guide our daily work.
 

Building Walls, Building Futures

Habitat for Humanity aims to decrease homelessness for populations in our own backyard. Did you know California has the third lowest home ownership in the nation? To support Habitat for Humanity’s goal of creating more opportunities for low-income working families to own a home in California, our team was tasked with creating fifteen walls for two families in need.

“With our mission centered on student success, Aeries Software recognizes that it is impossible to separate personal and familial demands that students face from the purely educational ones within their school settings. Housing instability is just one such challenge that has drastic effects on students and their families. We immediately recognized that the mission of Habitat for Humanity and for Aeries Software closely aligned in our desires to help families establish certainty and give their children a place to thrive.”
– Brent Lloyd, President of Aeries

Lessons from the Build

Our team found many similarities between building the framework for a house and creating great products. These lessons highlight the values that guided us throughout the day:

• Collaboration: We worked in sub-teams with specific tasks, building an action plan that capitalized on everyone’s strengths. Much like building a great product, building a house requires the skillset of all divisions.
• Respect: We stayed focused on our mission and the families we were serving. As the sun beat down, we kept our eyes on the prize.
• Resilience: When mistakes happened, such as mismeasuring or improper hammering, we quickly regrouped, found solutions, and remained supportive.
• Innovation:  Our pace steadily increased throughout the day as we discovered effective shortcuts and creative solutions. At times, this involved assigning more team members to measuring tasks, while in other cases, it meant repurposing wood for new project pieces. By thinking outside the box, we worked smarter and more efficiently to meet our goals.
• Customer-Centric Focus: Most importantly, we kept the needs of these families at the forefront of everything we did. We approached the project with empathy and a deep commitment to understanding what would make the greatest impact on them. Just as we tailor our products to the unique needs of our users and students, we made sure every decision on-site focused on supporting the families’ well-being and securing their future.

Carrying the Spirit of Service Forward

Our day with Habitat for Humanity wasn’t just about building walls—it was about strengthening our connection to the values that drive everything we do. We gained a renewed sense of purpose and teamwork by stepping outside of our usual roles and working together to support families in need.

Brent added: “With housing and rental affordability a constant uncertainty shared by most families across the nation, bringing our leadership team together to assist in solving that challenge for even a few deserving families felt extremely gratifying.”

This experience reminds us that the impact we make extends far beyond our products—it’s about empowering communities to thrive. Together, we can continue building strong communities and positive societal changes. Because when communities thrive, our students thrive.

Learn more about how you can get involved with Habitat for Humanity.

The post Building Stronger Communities, Together appeared first on Aeries.

It’s still a repository of student data that can be queried and analyzed to make decisions and report on progress, so when we think about this industry we created, we also consider how to innovate beyond that initial invention. The questions we ask ourselves today are:

• What are the next levels of a SIS?
• What can we learn from similar platforms to integrate best-of-breed interactions that promote usage, and by extension, outcomes?
• How can we advance an industry with entrenched, legacy processes?
• How can we make a more meaningful impact on society and change our students’ futures?”

The answer: INNOVATION!

We believe empathetic innovation starts with us.

Defining Innovation at Aeries

Innovation drives everything we do at Aeries. During his keynote at virtual AeriesCon, President Brent Lloyd emphasized that our North Star is delivering data-driven, intuitive, and innovative solutions that empower communities to advance student success.

By studying disruptors like Airbnb, Uber, and OpenTable—who revolutionized long-standing industries—we embrace the same spirit to rethink and reimagine student information systems. Guided by this mission, we remain committed to creating meaningful advancements that positively impact schools and students.
 

The Four Pillars of Aeries Innovation

When our Product & Development division thinks about this mission, we investigate the new and exciting technologies around us and adopt new processes and methodologies to make our work more efficient and effective. We ideate ways to extend the data stored within our software to other modalities like mobile applications, portals, and more.
Today, we’re innovating Aeries in four key ways.
 

1. Quality in Every Step

Innovation doesn’t end when a product ships—it’s an ongoing process to enhance the user experience. Driving toward student success means delivering products that are user-centered, secure, and reliable.
We focus on minimizing bugs, improving performance, and creating scalable solutions that support new enhancements while meeting the high standards our stakeholders expect.

2. Process & Methodology

Every great product starts with a strong foundation. At Aeries, we’ve invested in efficient software development processes that enable us to engage with users, understand their challenges, and deliver meaningful solutions. We ensure consistent, high-quality results by refining how we manage requirements, development, testing, and quality assurance.
This dedication extends to change management and project management, allowing us to effectively track product development and engineering efforts to deliver impactful new features and functionality.

3. Cloud Technology

Moving Aeries to the cloud has been one of our most significant advancements. The cloud provides schools with greater reliability, scalability, and uptime, all while reducing risk. By hosting the SIS off-premises, districts can focus their resources on technologies that directly support student success.
The cloud also opens doors to nearly limitless possibilities, allowing us to innovate and explore new opportunities.

4. Exploring Future Tech

Finally, we’re looking at future tech and asking ourselves, “What if?” Bold questions drive our vision for the future, such as:

• What if we incorporated emerging technologies into our tools today?
  How could we use innovations like Generative AI and machine learning to make a difference now?
• How is the technology landscape shifting?
  What trends and advancements could we leverage to improve educational outcomes and processes?
• What if we harnessed the data in the SIS?
  By unlocking the potential of the vast amount of stored data, how could we positively impact student outcomes across districts, states, and beyond?
• How can we rethink success?
  What new ways can we find to measure achievements, tackle challenges, and foster continuous learning?

These questions inspire us to reimagine what’s possible, driving innovation that supports schools and empowers students.
 

Partnering for Progress and Innovation

At Aeries, collaboration is at the heart of our mission. Our Product & Development division is committed to crowd-sourcing ideas and insights from you—our customers and partners—while empathizing with the challenges you face every day. By embracing new technologies, refining processes, and working together, we’re shaping solutions that empower schools and improve student outcomes.

Innovation isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a shared effort to make a lasting impact on society and change the future for students everywhere. Together, we are advancing education and creating opportunities for a brighter tomorrow.

The post Guiding Principles Series – Innovation appeared first on Aeries.