Investors Back New Master-Scheduling Technology for Schools

SAN FRANCISCO — Abl, a San Francisco-based technology startup, announced on June 29 that it received $7.5 million in Series A funding to support the company’s initial master-scheduling technology, designed to make the lives of school administrators and operators easier.

Public school leaders from Tennessee, Texas, California and Pennsylvania collaborated with Abl by testing and providing feedback on the platform, which turns the stagnant process of scheduling into one with a more flexible approach. Not only does it streamline the scheduling process into a very user-friendly format, but it also allows administrators to evaluate different scheduling scenarios. That means school administrators no longer have to wait out the first weeks at the start of school to see if a scheduling plan works or not.

“The master schedule is, in many ways, the blueprint of a school — but a Rubik’s Cube of programs, people and events can make the scheduling process overwhelming and time-consuming for school leaders,” said Abl Founder and CEO Adam Pisoni in a statement. “We spent over a year learning about this challenge for school leaders — and then developing a solution that digitizes their workflow and gives unprecedented visibility into student course needs and resource allocation throughout the school day.”

A 2012 MetLife teacher survey reported that about 75 percent of principals in American schools believe their role in school leadership has become too complex. Almost immediately after a school year ends, school administrators begin working on master scheduling, which now includes implementing national standards and the need to develop high-quality learning environments for all students.

Having technology solve the master-scheduling headache will leave more time for school administrators and operators to focus their efforts on better opportunities for students and staff — a win-win for all.