How K12 Montana Schools Add New Users in Google Admin the Right Way

Every school year brings new hires, and every new hire needs a Google account. At K12 Montana, we've helped onboard staff across dozens of Montana school districts - and we see the same setup mistakes happen over and over. Whether it's a new teacher, a para-educator, or an office staff member, setting up their account correctly from day one saves a lot of headaches down the road.

Here's how to add a new user in the Google Admin Console the right way.

Step 1: Get Into the Right Place

Sign into the Google Admin Console and go to Directory, then Users. Click Add new user at the top of the user list.

Step 2: Fill In the Basics

Enter the user's first and last name. Then enter the email prefix - that's the part before the @ symbol. For example, if your domain is yourschool.edu, you might enter jsmith for jsmith@yourschool.edu.

Step 3: Set the Organizational Unit (This Step Gets Skipped Too Often)

Click the dropdown arrow for "Manage user's password, organizational unit, and profile photo." Click the pencil icon next to Organizational Unit and select the correct OU for this person - Staff, Admin, Teachers, etc.

This step matters. If you skip it, the user lands in the top-level OU, which may give them access to things they shouldn't have, or lock them out of things they need.

Step 4: Set a Temporary Password

Check Create password and use a password generator like dinopass.com to create something random and easy to read aloud. Check the box for Ask user to change their password when they sign in. This ensures the new employee sets their own password right away.

Step 5: Hand Off Credentials

Click Add New User, then give the login info to the new employee. Let them know they'll be prompted to create their own password on first sign-in.

Onboarding new staff and need help getting Google accounts set up correctly? K12 Montana Inc. helps Montana schools build efficient, consistent onboarding workflows. Reach out and we'll help you get it right.