Playground roles determine a staff member's access to different information in Playground. There are two default roles: admin and teacher. The existing default roles can be edited based on your school's needs. You can even create custom roles with unique names and permission sets.
This includes managing access to billing features, allowing administrators to control who can view, edit, or utilize billing-related functionalities.
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Locate Roles
From your Admin Dashboard, click Settings on the left sidebar.
Click Roles at the top of the page.
From this screen, you can view and edit current roles and add new roles. You can also see a list of staff members assigned to each role by clicking the dropdown menu next to the role name.
Default Roles
Playground has two default roles: administrator and teacher. See below for a brief overview of these roles. Additionally, Playground supports two advanced roles: Limited Admin and Owner roles. Limited Admin roles allow customization of admin permissions to suit specific tasks, while Owner roles include unique permissions tailored for high-level management.
Administrator | Teacher |
Anyone who needs full access to the Admin Dashboard and Playground app. This user can see and manage everything. | This role is for anyone who signs students in/out, communicates with families, and records student activity. They can’t access billing or enrollment. |
Some of what this role can do:
| Some of what this role can do:
Some of what this role cannot do:
|
Teacher visibility settings
Student visibility is now controlled by roles instead of the General Settings tab. By default, teachers can see all students in your program. If you want teachers to only view the students in their assigned classrooms, you’ll need to update the permissions for their role.
To change this, go to the Roles tab in the settings, click the edit option for the role and uncheck the permission labeled “View all students.” Once this is turned off, staff with that role will only see the students assigned to their classroom.
Create Custom Roles
Playground offers the ability to create custom roles to assign unique permission sets to different employees.
For instance, you can create a custom role for an accountant to provide them limited billing access, such as viewing invoices without editing or creating them.
From your Admin Dashboard, click Settings on the left sidebar.
Click Roles at the top of the page.
Click the blue Add New Role button in the top right corner of your screen. The Create New Role screen will open.
Enter a Role Name and Role Type. The role type determines the base features that will be available for this custom role.
Select the checkboxes next to each feature name that you would like this role to have access to.
View: view access will allow the user to view information but not edit it
Edit: edit access will allow the user to view and edit information
Click the blue Add Role button to save your selections.
💡 If you are using payroll, we highly recommend creating a Payroll Administrator role and only assigning payroll access to this role.
Role Customization in Enterprise Setups
Enterprise accounts are designed for multi-site organizations. Unlike single-site users, enterprise settings centralize role management across all locations:
Access the Enterprise Dashboard and go to Settings > Roles.
Locate the role you want to edit (e.g., Teacher). You’ll find the Role Editor accessed via three dots next to the role name.
Adjust the permissions (e.g., enabling "View all students" for Teacher roles) and click Save. These changes apply uniformly across the enterprise locations.
Note: You cannot edit permissions at the individual location level within an enterprise setup.
Another recommended role is a "Billing Viewer," ideal for accountants who need to access billing information without making changes.
Parent and Guardian Role Management
Assigning the "Billing Only" Role
From your Admin Dashboard -> Guardians section, locate the guardian’s name.
Click the gray dots or the pencil icon to open the edit options.
Navigate to the Permissions tab and choose the Billing Only role from the dropdown menu.
Press Save to apply the changes. This role grants guardians access to billing-related actions while limiting other permissions.
Subscription-Based Access Rules
Access to billing features depends on maintaining an active subscription. When a subscription lapses, permissions tied to billing roles become inactive. Reactivating the subscription restores the associated permissions automatically.
Edit Existing Roles
From your Admin Dashboard, click Settings on the left sidebar.
Click Roles at the top of the page and then click the three dots for the role. Select Edit.
The Edit Role page will open. Here, you can update the role name and permissions.
When you are satisfied with your changes, click the blue Save Changes button in the top right corner of your screen.
💡 The role type cannot be edited after the role is created. If you need to change the role type, create a new role.
🚨 You cannot edit your own role. If you need to change your role, contact the primary administrator at your school.
Billing features for admins are accessible only through the web platform and are not available on the mobile app.
Assign Roles to Staff Members
From your Admin Dashboard, click My School and then click Staff.
To view roles on the staff table, click the cog wheel and then select the toggle next to Role.
Click the three dots next to the name of the employee whose role you want to change, then click Edit.
The Edit Staff Member window will open. Change the Role and then click the blue Save button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can parents or guardians manage billing through their own accounts? A: Yes, by assigning the "Billing Only" role to enable billing permissions without broader access. Q: Is it possible for admins to handle billing in the Playground mobile app? A: No, billing access for admins is only available via the web platform. Q: What happens if my account subscription lapses? A: Billing-related permissions will remain inactive until the subscription is reactivated. Q: How do base roles differ (Admin vs Teacher vs Limited Admin)? A: Admins are granted the highest level of permissions and are responsible for overall system administration. Teachers' roles focus on direct interaction with students, including classroom management. Limited Admins are customized roles based on the Admin Role, granting selected permissions. Q: Can I separate roles for use on different devices? A: If you aim to maintain separate logins for Admin and Teacher roles, ensure each role is set up with individual credentials. Avoid logging into multiple roles on a shared device. For precise guidance, consult the Playground support documentation.
