Privacy Policy

Why This Matters

We’re teachers too, and we take your trust seriously. That’s why we never sell your data, and only collect what’s necessary to support your professional growth. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information—clearly, respectfully, and securely.

1. Key Definitions

  • Personal Data: Information that identifies you as an individual—like your name, email address, PDE ID, school, or purchase history.
  • Processing: Any operation performed on personal data (e.g., collecting, storing, reporting, deleting).
  • Subprocessors: Trusted third-party providers that help us deliver services (e.g., Teachable, Stripe, universities).

2. What We Collect

When you use our site or enroll in a course, we may collect:

  • Your name, email address, school/district, and PDE ID (for Act 48 reporting)
  • Course activity and progress
  • Information related to transcript or certificate requests
  • Browser, IP address, and device data (for analytics or troubleshooting)
  • Payment information (processed securely by Stripe or PayPal)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your data to:

  • Deliver course content and certify completion
  • Report Act 48 hours to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PERMS)
  • Submit grades and identifying information (such as name, email, course ID, and final scores) to the NYC ASPDP system for eligible NYC teachers
  • Submit grades and required identifying details to our university partners (such as UMass Global or CSU Pueblo) to issue academic credit and post grades to official transcripts
  • Support educators in other states, districts, or agencies with grade submission, credit verification, or transcript requests as applicable
  • Send course updates, payment receipts, deadline reminders, and optional promotional messages
  • Respond to enrollment questions, credit/certificate issues, or technical support requests
  • Improve our services through user feedback, usage analytics, and platform optimization

We do not sell your personal data. Ever.

4. Who We Share Data With

We only share your information when necessary to fulfill your requests, issue credits, or comply with academic or legal requirements. For example, we may share data with:

  • The Pennsylvania Department of Education (for Act 48 hour submissions)
  • The NYC Department of Education’s ASPDP system (for eligible NYC teachers)
  • University partners such as UMass Global or CSU Pueblo (to process official transcripts and academic credit)
  • State or district agencies, school systems, or other education-related organizations involved in verifying, approving, or processing your credits
  • Our learning platform (Teachable) and payment processors (Stripe, PayPal)
  • Trusted service providers who help us deliver course access, analytics, or communications (e.g., email, CRM, customer support tools)

All organizations we share data with are expected to maintain strong privacy practices and use your information only for the educational or administrative purposes for which it was provided.

5. Data Retention & Security

We retain your data for as long as it is needed to fulfill educational, credit, legal, archival, or administrative purposes. This may include maintaining records of course completions, grade submissions, or transcript documentation over an extended period—even after your account has become inactive or closed.

In some cases, we are required by credit-granting institutions or state agencies to retain course and student records for verification or audit purposes. If you request removal of your personal data, we will assess the request in accordance with our legal obligations and data processing needs.

Your data is safeguarded through our platform (Teachable) and secure third-party providers (e.g., Stripe, PayPal), who implement:

  • Encryption of data in transit and at rest
  • Access controls and user authentication systems
  • Confidentiality agreements and administrative safeguards
  • Secure, PCI-compliant processing for all payments (FTBT does not store your payment information)

If we become aware of any breach affecting your data, we will notify you promptly in accordance with applicable laws.

6. Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies to improve your experience, remember login sessions, and track how our site is used. These cookies may be essential (site functionality) or optional (analytics and marketing). You can disable cookies through your browser settings at any time.

7. Your Rights & Choices

You have the right to:

  • Request access to your personal data
  • Correct inaccurate data
  • Request deletion of your account or data
  • Opt out of promotional emails by clicking “unsubscribe” in any message or notifying us as [email protected].

California Residents (CCPA)

You have the right to request what categories of personal information we’ve collected, and to opt out of any future “sale” of data (even though FTBT does not sell data).

EU Residents (GDPR)

You may also have the right to data portability, to restrict processing, or to withdraw consent. Contact us at [email protected] to exercise any of these rights.

8. Children's Privacy

FTBT is not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If we learn that we have unintentionally collected data from a minor, we will delete it promptly.

9. Legal Jurisdiction & Dispute Resolution

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Hawai‘i. Any disputes will follow the arbitration and dispute resolution process outlined in our Terms of Use. These provisions survive termination of your account or access to our services.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Questions?

We’re happy to clarify anything. Please contact us at [email protected] with any privacy-related questions, concerns, or requests.

— The FTBT Team
Fellow educators. Here to support you.