Development Insights
Behind the scenes of building the platform international schools deserve. Real problems, technical decisions, and lessons learned.
How We Validated the Problem
Before writing a single line of code, we spent months understanding the real pain points in international schools.
The Research Phase
6 months of deep interviews
We interviewed 47 educators across 23 international schools in Southeast Asia. The same frustrations came up again and again:
"I spend 2+ hours every evening just sending the same message across different platforms"
"Google Translate makes mistakes that cause real confusion with parents"
"Parent-teacher conference scheduling takes me 3 full days to organize"
"Parents are overwhelmed by having to check 5 different apps and websites"
💡 The Key Insight
International schools need specialized solutions, not generic tools. The multilingual aspect isn't just a "nice to have" - it's absolutely critical for parent engagement in diverse communities.
Technical Architecture Decisions
Why we chose certain technologies and approaches over others.
Why We Built SchoolKit Framework
❌ What we considered
- Laravel: Too opinionated, overkill for schools
- WordPress: Security concerns with sensitive data
- Existing SaaS: None understood education workflows
- Custom from scratch: Too slow to iterate
✅ Why SchoolKit
- Education-first: Built specifically for schools
- Modular: Schools only pay for what they use
- Secure by default: GDPR/FERPA compliance built-in
- Community benefit: Other developers can use it
// Initialize SchoolKit
$schoolkit = SchoolKit::start($config);
// Send multilingual message to parents
$messaging = $schoolkit->messaging();
$messaging->toParentsOf('Grade 5A')
->subject('Field trip tomorrow!')
->message('Don\'t forget lunch and permission form')
->attachDocument($permissionForm)
->send(); // Auto-translates & logs for GDPR complianceSecurity-First Approach
Handling student and parent data requires extreme care. Here's how we approach security:
🔒 Encryption at Rest
All sensitive data encrypted using AES-256
🛡️ Role-Based Access
Teachers can't see other classes' data
📋 Audit Trails
Every action logged for compliance
🌍 Data Residency
Your data stays in your region
// Student data automatically encrypted
$directory = $schoolkit->directory();
$student = $directory->students()->create([
'name' => 'John Smith',
'email' => 'parent@example.com', // Auto-encrypted
'phone' => '+65-1234-5678' // Auto-encrypted
]);
// Role-based access control
$auth = $schoolkit->auth();
if ($auth->canAccess('students', 'grade-5a')) {
// Teacher can only see their own class
$students = $directory->students()->forClass('Grade 5A');
}Integration Strategy
Schools already use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Our job is to enhance, not replace.
🔗 Our Integration Philosophy
- Work WITH existing tools, not against them
- Single sign-on reduces password fatigue
- Sync calendars automatically
- Import user directory seamlessly
- Export data anytime (no vendor lock-in)
// Google Workspace integration
$sync = $schoolkit->integration('google');
$sync->importUsers() // Sync from Google Admin
->syncCalendars() // Two-way calendar sync
->enableSSO(); // Single sign-on
// Parent-teacher conferences auto-added to Google Calendar
$conferences = $schoolkit->conferences();
$meeting = $conferences->schedule([
'teacher' => 'Ms. Johnson',
'parent' => 'John Smith',
'time' => '2024-03-15 14:00'
]); // Auto-creates Google Meet link & calendar invitesDevelopment Roadmap & Milestones
Transparent progress updates and what's coming next.
Research & Foundation
- 47 educator interviews across 23 international schools
- SchoolKit framework architecture designed
- Core security patterns established
- Multilingual messaging prototype built
MVP Development & Early Access
- Building core messaging module with translation
- Parent-teacher conference scheduling system
- SchoolKit framework documentation
- Early access community building
- First beta school partnerships
Beta Launch & Expansion
- Beta release with 5-10 partner schools
- Activity management module
- Document sharing with digital signatures
- Mobile app for parents and teachers
- Payment processing integration
Pre-Launch Optimization
- Performance optimization and scaling
- Advanced reporting and analytics
- Multi-campus support
- API for third-party integrations
- Security audits and compliance certification
Public Launch & Scale
- Public availability for all international schools
- Global marketing and outreach campaign
- Custom module marketplace
- Enterprise support packages
- Community-driven feature development
Lessons Learned So Far
What we've discovered building for the education sector.
🎯 Focus on Workflows, Not Features
Schools don't want more features - they want their daily workflows to be effortless. A simple parent-teacher scheduling tool that just works is worth more than 10 complex features.
🌍 Multilingual is Non-Negotiable
In international schools, language support isn't a "premium feature" - it's table stakes. Parents who can't understand messages simply disengage from the school community.
🔒 Security Must Be Invisible
Schools need bank-level security but don't want to think about it. Our job is to make GDPR/FERPA compliance completely automatic and transparent.
📱 Mobile-First for Parents
Teachers use desktops, but parents live on their phones. The parent experience must be mobile-native, not a responsive afterthought.
🔧 Integration Over Innovation
Schools already use Google/Microsoft tools they love. Our job is to make those tools work better together, not replace them with something "better".
👥 Community Over Competition
By building SchoolKit as open source, we're helping the entire education technology ecosystem improve. Rising tide lifts all boats.
Follow Our Journey
Building in the open means you get to see behind the scenes. Join our community to influence our roadmap and see development insights in real-time.