TERMS & CONDITIONS
Effective Date: August 19, 2026
Last Updated: August 19, 2026
These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of teacherstories.org (the “Website”) and the podcasts, videos, teacher appreciations, interviews, articles, photographs, recordings, newsletters, events, downloadable materials, social-media content, and other materials made available by or through Teacher Stories (collectively, the “Content”).
Teacher Stories (“Teacher Stories,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is an educational storytelling initiative founded by Ken Futernick. The Website identifies Education Unified as the copyright holder for Website content.
By accessing or using the Website, submitting a story, appreciation, testimonial, nomination, photograph, recording, or other material, or otherwise interacting with Teacher Stories through the Website, you agree to these Terms.
If you do not agree with these Terms, please do not use the Website or submit materials through it.
1. About Teacher Stories
Teacher Stories exists to celebrate and honor teachers by sharing stories about their impact on students, former students, families, schools, and communities.
Teacher Stories produces and publishes educational and editorial content that may include:
podcast episodes;
video interviews;
teacher appreciations;
Surprise Appreciations;
personal stories;
testimonials;
photographs;
articles and written features;
interviews with educators, students, parents, public officials, researchers, and others;
discussions concerning education and public policy; and
related educational and promotional materials.
Teacher Stories determines what Content it publishes and how that Content is presented.
2. Educational and Editorial Purpose
Content published through Teacher Stories is provided for educational, informational, journalistic, storytelling, and discussion purposes.
Teacher Stories may address education policy, school governance, teaching practices, student experiences, public affairs, political issues, social issues, and other subjects on which reasonable people may disagree.
The inclusion of a particular perspective, guest, individual, school, organization, teacher, policy position, or story does not necessarily constitute endorsement by Teacher Stories, Education Unified, its fiscal sponsor, or any person affiliated with Teacher Stories.
3. No Professional Advice
Nothing on the Website or in Teacher Stories Content constitutes individualized legal, financial, medical, mental-health, educational-placement, employment, regulatory, or other professional advice.
Stories and discussions reflect particular experiences and circumstances and should not be treated as professional recommendations applicable to every individual, student, educator, school, or organization.
You should consult an appropriately qualified professional when making decisions requiring professional advice.
4. Accuracy and Evolving Information
Teacher Stories makes reasonable efforts to present information accurately.
However, personal stories, interviews, testimonials, appreciations, podcast discussions, and other Content may include statements based on an individual's experience, memory, perspective, or opinion.
We do not warrant that every statement, statistic, quotation, transcription, description, opinion, or other item of Content is complete, independently verified, current, or error-free.
Information regarding schools, individuals, organizations, laws, public policy, research, or current events may also change after publication.
Teacher Stories may correct, clarify, edit, update, or remove Content at its discretion.
5. Guest and Contributor Views
Teacher Stories features students, former students, educators, parents, public officials, researchers, advocates, community members, and other guests and contributors.
Statements made by an interviewee, guest, storyteller, contributor, or other participant generally represent that person's own views and experiences.
Those statements do not necessarily represent the views of Teacher Stories, Education Unified, the El Dorado Community Foundation, sponsors, partners, staff, contractors, or other guests.
6. Story, Appreciation, Testimonial, and Nomination Submissions
The Website may allow users to submit:
teacher appreciations;
personal stories;
testimonials;
nominations;
teacher contact information;
photographs;
written statements;
information about schools or educators; and
other content or materials.
By submitting material, you represent that:
the information you provide is truthful to the best of your knowledge;
you have the right to submit the material;
your submission does not knowingly contain false, defamatory, threatening, harassing, or unlawful material;
your submission does not knowingly violate another person's copyright, privacy, publicity, or other legal rights; and
where you provide another person's personal contact information, you are providing it for the legitimate purpose described by the applicable submission process and not for harassment, fraud, or another improper purpose.
Submitting material does not guarantee that Teacher Stories will publish, produce, respond to, or otherwise use it.
Teacher Stories may accept, reject, edit, shorten, fact-check, combine, categorize, archive, or remove submissions in its editorial discretion.
7. Permission to Use Submitted Content
Unless different terms are presented to you when you submit particular material, by voluntarily submitting text, photographs, testimonials, appreciations, stories, recordings, or other content to Teacher Stories for possible publication, you grant Teacher Stories and Education Unified a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, edit, adapt, publish, display, distribute, excerpt, and promote that submitted content in connection with Teacher Stories and its educational, editorial, promotional, archival, and social-media activities.
This permission includes reasonable formatting, editing, excerpting, and adaptation for different media while preserving the substance of the submission.
You retain any ownership rights you otherwise hold in your original submitted material.
This license does not give Teacher Stories ownership of intellectual property that you do not own or have authority to license.
If a separate media release, appearance release, recording agreement, or other written authorization applies to particular Content, that separate agreement will control to the extent it conflicts with this section.
8. Information About Other People
Teacher Stories often depends on individuals sharing stories about teachers, students, colleagues, or other people.
When submitting information concerning someone else, you are responsible for exercising reasonable care regarding that person's privacy and rights.
Do not submit:
private contact information for public display;
confidential educational records;
Social Security numbers;
financial-account information;
passwords;
private medical records;
highly sensitive personal information unrelated to the story; or
information you are legally prohibited from disclosing.
Providing a teacher's contact information for a Teacher Stories nomination or Surprise Appreciation does not authorize that information to be publicly displayed unless permission is separately obtained or another lawful basis applies.
9. Minors
Teacher Stories may feature stories involving students and may receive submissions from students or former students.
The Website is not intended to solicit personal information directly from children under 13 without appropriate parental or legal-guardian involvement.
If you are under 13, do not submit personal information through the Website without the involvement and permission of a parent or legal guardian.
If you are under 18, you should obtain permission from a parent or legal guardian before submitting material that includes your photograph, video, voice, personal story, or other identifying information when such permission is required.
Teacher Stories may require parental or legal-guardian consent before recording, interviewing, photographing, or publishing identifiable Content involving a minor.
Teacher Stories reserves the right to decline or remove a submission involving a minor when appropriate consent cannot be confirmed.
10. Surprise Appreciations, Interviews, and Recordings
Teacher Stories produces recorded interviews and Surprise Appreciations that may subsequently be shared through the Website, podcast platforms, YouTube, social media, newsletters, promotional materials, and other Teacher Stories channels.
Participation in a recorded interview or production may be subject to a separate recording, appearance, or media-release agreement.
Where a separate release is required, participation does not replace that release.
Teacher Stories may edit recordings for length, clarity, production quality, storytelling, accessibility, or distribution while making reasonable efforts not to materially misrepresent a participant's statements.
11. Testimonials
Testimonials submitted to Teacher Stories may be published for promotional or informational purposes when appropriate permission has been provided.
Teacher Stories may edit a testimonial for spelling, grammar, length, or formatting, provided the edit does not materially change the meaning of the testimonial.
Submission of a testimonial does not guarantee publication.
12. Podcast, Video, and Transcript Content
Teacher Stories may publish audio, video, and transcripts through the Website or third-party media platforms.
Transcripts may be produced using human or automated transcription and may contain errors, omissions, incorrect names, punctuation errors, or other inaccuracies.
The original audio or video recording should be treated as the primary source if a transcript differs from the recording.
Anyone intending to quote Teacher Stories Content for publication, academic research, professional use, or another consequential purpose should independently verify the quotation against the original recording.
13. Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise stated, the Website and original Teacher Stories Content—including podcast recordings, videos, graphics, logos, photographs, written materials, Website design elements, episode descriptions, and other original materials—are owned by or licensed to Teacher Stories, Education Unified, or the applicable rights holder.
The Website currently identifies Education Unified as the copyright holder.
Content is protected by applicable copyright, trademark, and other intellectual-property laws.
You may access the Website and publicly available Content for personal, educational, and noncommercial purposes.
You may also share links to publicly available Teacher Stories Content.
Unless authorized by law or by prior written permission, you may not:
reproduce or republish substantial portions of Teacher Stories Content;
redistribute complete podcast or video recordings as your own;
sell, license, or commercially exploit Teacher Stories Content;
alter Content in a manner that materially misrepresents its meaning;
remove copyright, trademark, attribution, or proprietary notices;
use Teacher Stories branding in a manner suggesting an unauthorized affiliation or endorsement;
systematically scrape or extract Website Content; or
represent Teacher Stories Content as your own work.
Nothing in these Terms is intended to restrict lawful fair use, commentary, criticism, scholarship, news reporting, quotation, or another use permitted by applicable copyright law.
14. Third-Party Materials
Teacher Stories Content may reference or incorporate books, research, news reports, photographs, quotations, recordings, websites, publications, educational materials, or other content created by third parties.
Third-party intellectual property remains the property of its respective owners.
The appearance of third-party material on the Website does not transfer ownership of that material to Teacher Stories.
15. Donations and Fiscal Sponsorship
Teacher Stories currently receives charitable support through a Field of Interest Fund maintained by the El Dorado Community Foundation, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
The Website may direct visitors to the El Dorado Community Foundation or another third-party platform to make donations.
Donation transactions are subject to the terms, policies, and procedures of the applicable charitable organization and payment provider.
Teacher Stories does not guarantee a particular tax treatment for any contribution.
Donors should retain applicable donation documentation and consult their own tax adviser regarding deductibility or other tax consequences.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, making a donation does not provide the donor with ownership, editorial control, or a right to direct Teacher Stories Content.
16. Newsletter and Communications
Visitors may have the opportunity to subscribe to Teacher Stories newsletters, updates, or other communications.
By voluntarily subscribing, you agree to receive the communications described at the point of signup.
You may unsubscribe from promotional or newsletter emails using the unsubscribe mechanism provided in those communications.
17. Third-Party Websites and Platforms
Teacher Stories may link to or distribute Content through third-party services, including podcast platforms, YouTube, social-media platforms, donation processors, videoconferencing services, and other technology providers.
These third parties operate independently and maintain their own terms, privacy policies, accessibility practices, and security procedures.
Teacher Stories is not responsible for a third party's:
availability;
content;
technical operation;
privacy practices;
security practices;
advertising;
terms; or
independent acts or omissions.
A link to a third-party resource does not necessarily constitute endorsement.
18. Events and Partnerships
Teacher Stories may participate in or promote events, campaigns, programs, partnerships, speaking engagements, or collaborations with schools, nonprofit organizations, educators, sponsors, or other entities.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, each participating organization remains responsible for its own activities, statements, policies, and legal obligations.
Additional terms, releases, registration requirements, or event policies may apply to a particular event or program.
19. Acceptable Website Use
You agree not to use the Website to:
violate applicable law;
harass, threaten, or impersonate another person;
knowingly submit false or fraudulent information;
submit unlawful or infringing material;
compromise another person's privacy;
interfere with Website operation or security;
attempt unauthorized access to Website systems;
transmit malicious software;
use automated systems in a manner that places an unreasonable burden on the Website;
falsely represent an affiliation with Teacher Stories; or
misuse submission forms, contact forms, or other Website features.
Teacher Stories may restrict access, reject submissions, or remove material where it reasonably believes misuse has occurred.
20. Editorial Discretion
Teacher Stories retains editorial discretion over its Website, podcast, videos, social-media channels, newsletters, stories, appreciations, interviews, and other Content.
Teacher Stories is not required to:
publish every submission;
interview every person nominated;
produce every proposed story;
retain Content indefinitely;
present every viewpoint on an issue; or
provide an explanation for an editorial decision.
Teacher Stories may modify or discontinue features, projects, Content categories, or programs at any time.
21. Website Availability
We do not guarantee that the Website or any particular Content will always be available, uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.
Website pages, stories, recordings, links, submissions, and other Content may be changed, corrected, reorganized, archived, or removed.
Third-party platforms may also independently modify or remove Content hosted on their services.
22. Disclaimer of Warranties
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE WEBSITE AND CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.”
TEACHER STORIES DISCLAIMS EXPRESS AND IMPLIED WARRANTIES REGARDING THE WEBSITE AND CONTENT, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND AVAILABILITY, EXCEPT WHERE SUCH WARRANTIES CANNOT LAWFULLY BE DISCLAIMED.
Nothing in these Terms waives rights that cannot legally be waived.
23. Limitation of Liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, TEACHER STORIES, EDUCATION UNIFIED, AND THEIR OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, STAFF, CONTRACTORS, PRODUCERS, CONTRIBUTORS, VOLUNTEERS, REPRESENTATIVES, AND AFFILIATES WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF, INABILITY TO USE, OR RELIANCE UPON THE WEBSITE OR CONTENT.
Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude or limit liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
The El Dorado Community Foundation's role as fiscal sponsor should not be interpreted as making the Foundation responsible for Teacher Stories' editorial Content, Website operation, or statements except to the extent otherwise required by law or expressly agreed.
24. Indemnification
To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Teacher Stories, Education Unified, and their officers, directors, staff, contractors, and representatives from claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and reasonable expenses arising from:
your unlawful misuse of the Website;
your material violation of these Terms;
material you submit that you did not have the right to submit;
your knowing infringement of another person's intellectual-property, privacy, publicity, or other rights; or
fraudulent or intentionally unlawful activity conducted through the Website.
25. Accessibility
Teacher Stories seeks to make its digital Content reasonably accessible to a broad audience.
Some Content may be available in multiple formats, including audio, video, and written materials.
If you experience difficulty accessing Website Content, please contact Teacher Stories using the contact information provided through the Website so we can attempt to assist you.
26. Privacy
Teacher Stories' collection and use of personal information is governed by its Privacy Policy.
The Privacy Policy should be reviewed together with these Terms, particularly before submitting personal information, stories, nominations, teacher contact information, photographs, or other materials through the Website.
27. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, except where another law is required to apply.
To the extent permitted by applicable law, disputes arising solely from these Terms or use of the Website will be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in California.
28. Severability
If a provision of these Terms is determined to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, the provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law and the remaining provisions will continue in effect.
29. No Waiver
Teacher Stories' failure to enforce a provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that provision or any other right.
30. Changes to These Terms
Teacher Stories may update these Terms periodically to reflect changes to the Website, programs, technology, Content, submission practices, or applicable requirements.
The “Last Updated” date above identifies the most recent revision.
Continued use of the Website after revised Terms become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms to the extent permitted by applicable law.
31. Contact
Questions regarding these Terms may be directed to:
Teacher Stories
Ken Futernick, Founder & Podcast Host
Email: ken@teacherstories.org
Website: teacherstories.org