You Asked: How do I set Google@CPS as my default email client?

To set Google@CPS as your default email client, follow these instructions from Google Help:

When you open email in Chrome, a message may appear at the top of the page asking if you'd like to allow Gmail to open all email links. If you click the Use Gmail button, Gmail's compose window will open the next time you click a hyperlinked email address on a page. Click No and your computer will continue to open email links the same way as before.

You Asked: How do I connect my smartphone?

There are many different smartphones out there, but in general, these instructions should work for you:

Android Users: Go to Settings, Accounts, Add a new Google account. Log in with username@cps.edu and your CPS network password. (If this doesn’t work, try the Alternative Options below.)

iPhone/iPad Users: Go to Settings, Mail/Contacts/Calendar, Add Account, Microsoft Exchange*. Enter your full email address (username@cps.edu), leave the Domain blank, enter your full email address again and CPS network password. In the Server field, type m.google.com. (You can also download the Gmail app from the App Store.)

Alternative Option A: Open your mail program. Create a new Microsoft Exchange* account. Use the following settings where appropriate: Account ID: username@cps.edu Password: Your CPS network password Domain: blank Server: m.google.com

Alternative Option B: Open your phone’s browser and go to http://m.google.com. Log in with your full email address and your CPS network password.

*Microsoft Exchange works with Google because of the integration of MS Activesync.

You Asked: Yes or No

Sometimes all you want is a simple yes or no answer. This one's for you...


Will we have access to Google@CPS before the start of school? YES
Will training be available over the summer? YES
Will there be online training options? YES

Will my FirstClass email, calendar, and documents get moved over to Google@CPS? NO
Will you tell me how to move my data over? YES
How? On this website? YES
Will I have enough time to move the data? YES
Through September? YES

When we switch, will mail still go to FirstClass and Outlook? NO
Only to Google@CPS? YES

Will there be an icon on my desktop for Google@CPS? YES
Is it the colorful square icon? YES
And that will take me to the new login screen? YES

What if I use Outlook, will my email, calendar and contacts get moved over? YES
I heard that my rules, filters and delegations will not get moved over. Is that true? YES

If I continue to use Outlook, will I run into issues with mail delivery, notifications and calendar invitations/events? YES
So, I should stop using Outlook and only use the Google@CPS interface? YES

Can I access Google@CPS from home? YES
On my smartphone? YES
From a hotel in Singapore? YES
From an airplane that offers Internet access? YES
Will you tell me how to set up my smartphone? YES

If I have a personal Google account that uses the @cps.edu address, will I be able to keep it? NO
I’ll have to change it? YES
You’ll provide instructions? YES

Will I be able to create Groups for my classrooms? YES
Will I be able to collaborate on Google Doc with other CPS users? YES
Will I be able to collaborate on Google Docs with outsiders? NO

If I’m a teacher, will I be able to create Sites? YES

Will you answer all of my questions if I submit them through the Contact Us link? YES

You Asked: How much space will I get with Google@CPS?

How’s 25GB sound? Most of you today only have 250-500MB. That means you’ll have 50-100X more space! Seriously.

You Asked: Can I still use Outlook?

We know it’s scary to switch from Outlook—we’re switching too, and we’ve all been using it for a long time! But this is a change that we can all stand behind because it is pushing CPS forward as a district.

There are many technical issues that make using Outlook challenging. For example, if you're using Outlook and try to set an Out of Office notification, no one will see it. There are many other technical problems, but a big concern is that you’ll be missing out on many of the best features of Google Apps, especially filtering, searching, and integration with Google Docs and Calendar. What will end up happening is everyone around you will be sharing documents and calendars, and you’ll have to go back and forth between Outlook and your browser to keep up.

So, for these reasons, the Google@CPS Steering Committee has agreed to stop supporting Outlook. That means if you use Outlook and run into problems, the Service Desk will not be able to effectively assist you. Ultimately, you will become frustrated.

For what it’s worth: One of the main reasons people cite for keeping Outlook is its ability to sort messages in a variety of ways. While it’s true that Google email is only sorted by date, its search engine makes finding the right messages extremely easy. Nearly everything you can do in Outlook, you can do in Google@CPS.

As for your archived .pst files, you can still use Outlook to access those. Everything new will be in Google@CPS.

You Asked: Will my email get moved over?

If you are a FirstClass user, the answer is unfortunately no. FirstClass uses a proprietary storage method that is difficult to migrate to other systems. If we tried to move your email, there’s a really good chance that it would end up garbled and unusable. Don’t worry, we’ll show you how to move your mail and provide access to your current account through September to allow you time to move important content. Stay tuned!

If you are an Outlook user, the answer is yes. Outlook/Exchange is much easier to migrate, so the effort and the risks are minimal. Your email (inbox, sent items and folders), calendar and contacts will move over on the date you are scheduled to be switched. Tasks, messages/attachments over 25MB, rules, filters and views will not move over. Once you cut over, you will not be able to view/send mail from your old account. (You will only be able to see mail that you have archived in a .pst file.)

For everyone, all new email will arrive in your new Google@CPS inbox on the date you are scheduled to be switched.

In all cases, we recommend:
• Jotting down your favorite rules and filters so you can recreate them
• Saving any attachments over 25MB that you need to keep
• Saving any important emails

You Asked: Do we get new email addresses?

Everyone will use the cps.edu email address!


If you are a FirstClass user with a cps.edu email address, you will keep your address. The only difference is that you’ll start checking your email in Google, not FirstClass.


If you are an Outlook user with a cps.k12.il.us, you will start using the cps.edu address with your current username. And, like the rest of the district, you’ll also start working in Google, not Outlook. (You don’t have to worry about your contacts not finding you because your old email address will simply forward to your new address.)

You Asked: Which apps will be available when we make the switch?

Initially, you’ll have access to:

• Email
• Calendar
• Docs
• Groups
• Sites

Eventually, we’ll be able to turn on:

• Talk/Chat
• Blogger
• Picasa

As of today, Google Apps for Education does not include Google+ with Hangouts. Also, third-party apps may be considered later.

You Asked: Who is on the Google@CPS Steering Committee?

The Google@CPS Steering Committee is tasked with guiding the direction of the project, setting priorities and monitoring progress. The committee represents a wide array of roles within the district to ensure that everyone's interests are represented.

Susan Birkholtz, Director, Internal Communications
Alexis Booth, Director, Chicago Deployment, Google
Tim Cawley, Chief Administrative Officer
Jennifer Cheatham, Chief Instructional Officer
James Dawson, Assistant General Counsel
Thom Goodwin, IT Knowledge Manager
Myetie Hamiltion, Officer, School Support Center
Monica Lee, Director, New Initiatives
Lily McDonagh, Manager, Professional Learning
Scott McIntyre, Director, State & Local Government, Google
Anthony McPhearson, Chief of Staff, ITS
Jennifer Magiera, Technology Coordinator, National Teachers Academy
John Mellios, Director, Instructional Tools & Technology
Tony Safoian, President/CEO, SADA Systems
Monica Scott, Project Manager
Oliver Sicat, Chief Portfolio Officer
Lachlan Tidmarsh, Chief Information Officer
John Tolva, Chief Technology Officer, City of Chicago
Ricardo Trujillo, Principal, Roosevelt High School

You Asked: Why are we switching to Google@CPS?

In a nutshell, here’s why:

• We have an opportunity to give all teachers, students, and staff a drop-dead simple system that everyone can use.
• Google Apps for Education includes 21st century tools, which are perfect for enhancing teaching and learning, communication and collaboration.
• The district has been on separate email systems for far too long.
• The district will save millions of dollars over the coming years by going to one system.

You Asked: What about security and privacy?

Some of you have asked about the difference between Google@CPS and your personal Gmail accounts. The misconceptions are that you have to use one or the other, or that your personal accounts will get overwritten, or that CPS will be able to view your personal email.

The fact is—they are separate systems. Gmail is accessed at www.gmail.com. Google@CPS will be accessible through our own login page. The two systems are completely and absolutely separate.

How can you tell which account you're logged into?

• We will have our own login page.
• Google@CPS will have a CPS logo.
• In Google@CPS, your email address is @cps.edu.
• In Gmail, your email address is @gmail.com.

Your information is as secure as you make it. In other words, if you give out your password or leave your email open, your information may be vulnerable. But as long as you protect your password, your data is safe and secure.