Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a legal agreement between Montessori Makers Group LLC ("MMAP," "we," "us") and the organization or individual accessing the Montessori Makers Alignment Map platform ("you," "School," "User"). By accessing or using the platform, you agree to these Terms.

Student data is governed by our Data Processing Agreement and Privacy Policy. In the event of a conflict between these Terms and the DPA with respect to student data, the DPA controls.

1. Who can use MMAP

Montessori and Montessori-inspired schools, independent schools, public charter schools, and LEAs
Authorized staff of licensed schools (guides, teachers, administrators, board, specialists)
Parents and guardians of enrolled students, via the family portal
Users 13+ years old (children under 13 may have records maintained but cannot create accounts)

2. FERPA — MMAP as a School Official

When a school licenses MMAP under a signed services agreement, the school designates MMAP as a "school official" with a "legitimate educational interest" under 34 C.F.R. § 99.31(a)(1)(i)(B).

As a school official, MMAP:

Performs an institutional service the school would otherwise perform in-house
Is under the direct control of the school with respect to student records
Is subject to 34 C.F.R. § 99.33(a) governing re-disclosure
Uses student records only for the educational purposes authorized by the school

Data ownership. Schools retain full ownership of all student, family, and staff data entered into the platform. MMAP acts as a data processor on behalf of the school. We do not own school data and do not claim any commercial interest in it.

3. Your responsibilities

Provide accurate information when creating accounts and entering data
Use the platform only for lawful educational purposes
Keep login credentials secure; don't share them
Enable multi-factor authentication when offered
Notify us of any suspected unauthorized account access
Respect the privacy of students, families, and staff
Access only records you are authorized to view

4. Our commitments

Provide a secure, reliable platform
Maintain student data in accordance with our DPA and Privacy Policy
Not sell or rent any student, family, or staff data
Not use student data for advertising or marketing
Not train external ML models on school data without explicit consent
Not build personal profiles of students beyond authorized educational use
Notify schools of security incidents within 72 hours of confirmation
Return or delete student data within 30 days of written request at end of term
Maintain and publish the sub-processor list with 30 days' notice of changes

5. Prohibited uses

You may not:

Attempt unauthorized access to the platform, other schools' data, or infrastructure
Reverse engineer, decompile, or extract source code
Upload malicious code, spam, or illegal content
Harass, discriminate against, or harm others
Violate any student's FERPA rights
Scrape or bulk-extract data except via authorized export tools
Resell or sublicense without written permission

6. Intellectual property

Our IP. The MMAP name, logo, platform, source code, and design are the intellectual property of Montessori Makers Group LLC.
Your content. You (or your school) retain ownership of all content. You grant MMAP a limited, non-exclusive license to process content solely to provide the services.
Feedback. Suggestions you provide may be used to improve the platform without obligation or attribution.

7. Service availability

We target 99.5% monthly uptime excluding scheduled maintenance, force majeure, third-party outages outside our control, and issues caused by the school's own network or hardware. Planned maintenance is announced at least 48 hours in advance when possible.

8. Fees and payment

Fees are described in the school's signed Order Form or Services Agreement
Billed in advance; non-refundable except where required by law
Late payments may result in suspension after 30 days' notice
Full credit card numbers are not stored; Stripe handles payment processing

9. Termination

By you: Schools may terminate per the Services Agreement. You retain 30 days of access to export data; we return or delete per the DPA.

By us: We may suspend or terminate for material breach not cured within 30 days, non-payment after 30 days' notice, or activity that threatens platform security.

10. Disclaimer of warranties

Except as expressly stated in a signed Services Agreement, the platform is provided "as is" and "as available." We make no other warranties, express or implied.

11. Limitation of liability

MMAP and its affiliates are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, even if advised of the possibility.
Our total cumulative liability in any twelve-month period will not exceed the amount paid by the school for services during that period.
These limitations do not apply to (a) gross negligence or willful misconduct, (b) indemnification obligations in a signed Services Agreement, or (c) breach of data security obligations under the DPA.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify MMAP against third-party claims arising from your violation of these Terms, misuse of the platform, or violation of another person's rights. We will indemnify you against third-party claims that the platform infringes a valid US copyright, trademark, or patent, subject to Section 11 limits.

13. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the state where the licensing school is located, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

14. Changes to these Terms

For material changes affecting schools' rights or data, we will give at least 30 days' written notice. Continued use constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

15. Contact

General inquiries: hello@montessorimakersalignmentmap.com
Privacy and FERPA: privacy@montessorimakersalignmentmap.com
Security issues: security@montessorimakersalignmentmap.com