Overview
Reviews help families make informed enrollment decisions and provide educators with valuable feedback about their classes. Outschool is committed to maintaining a review system that reflects authentic experiences and opinions.
Reviews generally remain on the platform unless they meet one of the specific removal or editing criteria outlined in this policy.
When reviewing a dispute, Outschool does not investigate or determine whose account of the experience is more accurate. Instead, we evaluate whether the review meets one of our specific removal or editing criteria.
Reviews That Generally Remain
Families are entitled to share their experiences and opinions about a class, even when an educator disagrees with their feedback.
Reviews generally remain when they discuss:
Teaching style
Class pacing
Communication
Organization or preparedness
Learner engagement
Whether the class was the right fit for their learner
Decisions left to the teacher's discretion, including refunds, scheduling, cancellations, and optional access to recordings
Star-Only Reviews
Reviews without text generally remain because there is no written content to evaluate. They may be eligible for removal in limited circumstances, such as when the learner did not participate in the class.
When a Review May Be Eligible for Removal or Editing
Reviews may be removed or edited only when they clearly meet one of the following criteria:
The learner did not attend the class
A review may be eligible for removal if attendance records confirm that the learner did not attend any portion of the class and the teacher held the class as scheduled.
Reviews generally are not removed when the teacher canceled the meeting, did not attend, ended the meeting before the learner could participate, or otherwise made the scheduled class unavailable.
For self-paced classes, a review may be eligible for removal if the learner did not access any lessons in the classroom.
The review relates only to Outschool product functionality or a confirmed platform issue
A review may be eligible for removal when the complaint concerns only Outschool product functionality and does not address the teacher or class experience.
A review may also be eligible for removal if Outschool confirms that the complaint resulted from a platform outage, bug, or other technical issue caused by Outschool.
The review resulted from required policy enforcement
A review may be eligible for removal when a teacher:
Followed a required Outschool safety or platform policy
Declined a request that would violate Outschool policy
This criterion applies only when the teacher was required to take or decline the action under Outschool policy. It does not apply to decisions left to the teacher's discretion.
The review concerns an objective instructional requirement provided before enrollment
A review may be eligible for removal if the complaint directly results from an objective instructional requirement that was provided before enrollment in the class listing.
Examples include:
A required class prerequisite
Required materials or supplies
Required preparation before class
This does not generally apply to reviews expressing opinions about teaching style, class pacing, learner engagement, classroom management decisions, refunds, scheduling, or other aspects of the classroom experience.
The review contains policy-violating content
A review may be eligible for removal or minimally edited if it contains:
Personal or private information
Threats of harm or other threatening statements
Repeated targeted abuse or harassment
Discriminatory language directed at a person’s identity or protected characteristics
Identifying or disparaging information about other learners
Personal attacks or unsupported accusations that go beyond the class experience. This includes insults and claims stated as fact about a teacher’s character, motives, identity, or credentials (such as degrees or certifications) that aren’t tied to what the family experienced in class. A family’s opinion of a teacher’s skill, approach, or demeanor based on their class experience is subjective feedback and generally remains.
Outschool generally avoids editing reviews. A minor edit may be made when policy-violating content can be removed without changing the substance or overall meaning of the review. If that is not possible, the full review may be removed.
How to Dispute a Review
If you believe a review meets one of the criteria above:
Complete the Review Dispute Form within 30 days of the review being posted
Identify the specific part of the review you are disputing
Explain which removal criterion applies
Include any relevant supporting information or documentation
Our Support team will review the dispute and notify you of the outcome.
We aim to resolve disputes within two weeks. To allow time for a complete investigation, please do not submit duplicate requests or follow up unless more than two weeks have passed or you have new information that directly relates to a removal or editing criterion.
Note: Reports involving personal or private information may be reviewed regardless of when the review was posted.
Responding to Reviews That Remain on the Platform
If a review does not meet the criteria for removal or editing, educators may post a public response to provide additional context for prospective families.
For guidance on responding professionally and communicating with families about reviews, see Responding to Class Reviews.