Community Guidelines
allk12 works when people share real, useful context about the schools in their community. These guidelines keep the platform honest, safe, and worth reading. They are not complicated. Here is what we expect.
Protect Students and Minors
K-12 means most of the people being discussed on this site are children. Treat that with the seriousness it deserves.
- Do not post the full name of any student, or any information that could identify a specific minor (photos, class schedules, locker numbers, home addresses, parents' names).
- Do not post about alleged behavior, health conditions, academic performance, or discipline of any specific student.
- General observations about grade levels, sports teams, or school culture are fine. Targeting an individual minor is not.
Be Careful With Staff and Teachers
Teachers, principals, and staff are public professionals doing public jobs, but they are also private people.
- You may discuss their professional conduct in general terms.
- Do not make accusations of serious misconduct (abuse, crimes, infidelity, discrimination) without evidence that is already in a public record such as a news article, court filing, or official statement. Link to the source.
- Do not post home addresses, phone numbers, personal email addresses, or family members' information.
Keep It About the School
allk12 is organized around individual schools. Stay on topic. If your post is really about national politics, a district-wide policy debate, or a teachers' union beef, it probably does not belong on a specific school's page. Use the county or state discussions instead, or take it elsewhere.
Rate Honestly
The five-category school ratings (teachers, safety, community, facilities, academics) only work if people rate based on first-hand experience. Do not rate schools you have never attended, taught at, or had a child enrolled in. Do not coordinate with others to push a rating up or down. Gaming ratings defeats the purpose for everyone, including you.
No Vote Manipulation
One account per person. Period. Do not coordinate with others to brigade posts or comments. Do not use scripts, bots, or any automation to vote or post. If you are caught, your accounts will be banned and we will hide the affected votes.
Keep Discussion Civil
- Argue the topic, not the person.
- Disagreement is fine. Personal attacks are not.
- No slurs, no threats, no harassment.
- No content targeting people based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic.
No Spam or Self-Promotion
- Do not post to promote a tutoring business, test-prep service, product, or newsletter without disclosing the relationship.
- Do not post the same comment or link repeatedly across school communities.
- If you work for a school, district, or vendor that is being discussed, disclose the relationship in your comment when relevant.
Protect Privacy
Do not post personal information about other users or private individuals. This includes addresses, phone numbers, workplaces, schedules, and anything else that could be used to identify or harm someone. Public figures (school board members, elected officials, administrators named in public records) discussing public matters are fair game in their public capacity. Private individuals are not.
Report Violations
If you see something that breaks these guidelines, use the report button. We review reports and take action. Do not respond to bad behavior by breaking the rules yourself. Report it and move on.
Consequences
Depending on severity, violations may result in a warning, content removal, a temporary mute, or a permanent ban. Moderators use their judgment. Not every situation fits neatly into a rule. In cases involving minors or potential threats, we will remove content first and ask questions later.
Appeals
If you think an action against your account was a mistake, you can appeal by emailing [email protected]. Include your username and the post or comment in question. We review appeals in good faith but do not guarantee reversal.