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Extenuating Circumstances for Teachers
Extenuating Circumstances for Teachers

How Outschool works with teachers when emergencies arise.

Updated over a week ago

Outschool’s policies require that teachers conduct class as scheduled or make up any missed class time.  It is important to stick to a class’s planned schedule because families that take classes plan around their learning schedule.  Many learners have packed calendars and are forced to forgo other opportunities to take an Outschool class, so please be mindful of this when making any changes.

If you need to cancel a live class section meeting due to a personal conflict, please complete the following steps:

  • Post an announcement to the classroom wall or send a private message to notify families immediately.

  • Cancel the scheduled meeting by using the red “x” next to the meeting time on the Edit tab of the class section. Read more here on how to cancel a section.

  • Reschedule the canceled meeting by adding a new meeting date and time to offer as a makeup session.

  • Do not post a pre-recorded lesson to the classroom in lieu of a live class.

If a family is not interested in a makeup session and would like to receive a refund for a canceled meeting, issue a refund by clicking the “change enrollment” button next to the learner’s name, as in the GIF below:

Emergency Circumstances

Although it is Outschool’s policy that teachers attend class as scheduled, we understand that sometimes situations are beyond our control, like medical problems, family emergencies, extreme weather, or other extenuating circumstances.

Communication is key. If health issues, a family emergency, or other extenuating circumstances arise, please let Outschool know about the situation as soon as possible. We will work with you to make any necessary changes to your schedule. For classes that have an upcoming meeting that is scheduled to meet in 24 hours or less from the date/time that you report your emergency, our team will:

  • Notify parents by posting an announcement to the classroom wall on your behalf.

  • Cancel classes if needed.

  • Help issue refunds to families enrolled in an upcoming class meeting.

As a courtesy, Outschool will help you manage your classroom(s) with meetings scheduled to occur within 24 hours or less. Please note that if you contact support for additional assistance, we will default to canceling the class(es) and providing prorated refunds, unless you specifically state that you will handle rescheduling at the time that you write in. The support team will also default to canceling classes scheduled within the next 24 hours, unless otherwise specified as the time of writing in. Under extremely rare circumstances, we may make exceptions. For upcoming class meetings occurring beyond 24 hours of reporting your emergency to Outschool, we ask that you manage your own class sections. You should communicate with enrolled families, cancel meetings, offer makeup sessions, and issue refunds as needed. As a reminder, giving others access to your individual account is not permitted.

Since Outschool is an online marketplace where educators manage their own teaching business, we ask that you continue to work with parents and learners in light of emergency situations.

If you are experiencing an issue that will cause a long-term interruption to your teaching, please let us know how long you may be on hiatus by sharing a window of time or date. Outschool can help make accommodations for you, including, but not limited to:

  1. Teachers may take a leave of absence and return when the circumstances allow. See below for additional information.

  2. Outschool may adapt policies on an individual basis to help the teacher continue to teach. This could include helping withdraw and refund your learners and/or helping to reschedule your classes.

Temporary break from teaching

If you are taking a break from teaching on the platform for any reason, you should take the following steps to ensure both a positive experience for families and a smooth transition for yourself.

  1. Unlist all your classes and cancel any upcoming sections and meetings

  2. Notify all families enrolled in your classes, either with posts on the classroom or via direct messaging

  3. Put a disclaimer at the top of your public teacher profile explaining that you are on a break

If our team becomes aware that you are on a break from teaching without completing the steps above, you may be subject to temporary suspension or removal from the platform.

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