Privacy Policy

1. Our Mission: Privacy-First Pedagogy

ConnectedClassroom.org ("we," "us," or "our") provides the Intelligence Suite (REAL Connections, CrossLink, UDL Pathways, WonderWeb, and EdConnect) to empower educators through authentic, globally connected learning. Unlike "Data-First" corporate platforms, we operate on a "Privacy-by-Design" framework. We are fully committed to compliance with FERPA, COPPA, and GDPR, ensuring that technology serves the classroom.

2. Radical Data Minimization (Zero Data Commitment)

We follow the principle of Data Minimization: if we don’t need it for the tool to work, we don’t collect it.

  • Educators: We do not collect any account information (Name, Email, School/Role) for access or authentication.

  • Students (COPPA Compliance): We do not collect personally identifiable information (PII) from students. Our tools are designed for educator-facing instructional design. Any student-related inputs (e.g., "Grade 4 student") are treated as non-identifiable context, not persistent data.

  • Content Inputs: Lesson plans or standards submitted to our AI tools are processed in ephemeral sessions. We do not build "user profiles" based on your instructional intellectual property.

  • No Selling of Data: We never sell, rent, or trade user data. Our only "stakeholder" is the educator, not venture capitalists or advertisers.

  • No Commercial Profiling: We do not build "user profiles" or track students/teachers for commercial purposes.

  • No Third-Party Marketing: User data is never used for third-party marketing or advertising.

  • No Targeted Advertising: This site contains zero advertisements and no behavioral tracking.

3. AI Architecture & Data Residency

To provide exceptional pedagogical insights, we utilize advanced Large Language Models (LLMs) with custom educational fine-tuning.

  • Model Specification: Our tools are powered by Claude Sonnet 4.5 and Google Gemini, optimized via a secure serverless proxy.

  • Data Residency:

    • EdConnect: Data is stored on AWS servers within the United States.

    • The Intelligence Suite: These tools operate on a "Zero-Retention" model. While API calls may be processed via global infrastructure (including Google Cloud), no data is stored, retained, or used for model training.

  • No Training on Your Data: We explicitly do not train models, as all applications are built through pedagogical architecture designed by an educator. Your unique lesson ideas remain your property (not for resale) and are never used to train future iterations of public AI applications.

4. Security & Human-in-the-Loop

  • Encryption: All data, whether in transit or at rest, is secured using encryption through Google Cloud.

  • Human Oversight: We reject "Automated Decision Making." Our AI provides recommendations, not requirements. The educator remains the sole authority for all final classroom implementations.

  • Security Audits: We conduct regular logic audits to ensure our secure proxy architecture prevents API key exposure and maintains "client-side" safety.

5. Compliance & User Rights

We honor all global data rights and educational privacy standards:

  • FERPA: Schools maintain complete control over educational records.

  • COPPA: We do not collect data or identifying information from children under 13.

  • GDPR/CCPA: There is no login required to access connectedclassroom.org at this time.

  • AI Redress: Users have the right to request a human review of any AI-generated suggestion they find biased or inaccurate.

6. The "Schools Choice" Donation Model

ConnectedClassroom.org is a mission-driven project, not a data-brokerage.

  • Democratized Access: We will operate on a donation basis to ensure that high-quality, ethical AI tools are available to all educators, regardless of their district’s budget.

  • No Monetization: We never sell, rent, or trade your data. Our "Schools Choice" model ensures our only "stakeholder" is the educator, not venture capitalists or advertisers.

7. Accountability & Ethics Reporting

We are building an Ethics Advisory Board to review our algorithmic logic for bias.

  • Bias Mitigation: We proactively audit our tools for cultural, gender, and socioeconomic representation.

  • Reporting: If you encounter an output that violates our ethical standards, please contact ethics@connectedclassroom.org for immediate investigation and corrective logic-tuning.

8. Changes & Contact

This policy is a living document. This policy may change over time.

Contact Information:

  • Privacy & Data Protection: ethics@connectedclassroom.org

  • AI Ethics & Transparency: ethics@connectedclassroom.org