The Trusted Teacher
Terms of Service
Effective Date: October 1, 2026
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern use of The Trusted Teacher website, forms, marketplace, matching services, communications, and related services (collectively, the “Service”).
By submitting a job, expressing interest in a job, accepting a match, paying a matching fee, or otherwise using the Service after agreeing to these Terms, you agree to be bound by them.
1. What The Trusted Teacher Does
The Trusted Teacher (“TTT,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates a marketplace that connects customers seeking short-term services with individuals seeking to provide those services who meet TTT's applicable educator-credential requirements.
TTT facilitates listings, introductions, and matches. Unless expressly stated otherwise, TTT does not perform the jobs posted through the Service and is not a party to the agreement for services between a Customer and Teacher.
2. Customers, Teacher Applicants, and Teachers
A Customer is a person who uses TTT to seek or arrange services.
A Teacher Applicant is a person seeking to participate in TTT as a service provider whose educator credential has not yet been confirmed by TTT.
A Teacher is a person permitted by TTT to participate as a service provider after completing TTT's applicable credential-confirmation process.
Teachers provide services as independent service providers and are not employees, agents, partners, or representatives of TTT. TTT does not control the manner or means by which a Teacher performs an accepted job.
Customers and Teachers remain responsible for deciding whether a particular job, person, location, or match is appropriate for them.
3. Teacher Credentials
Teacher Applicants must provide truthful information that allows TTT to confirm an active Virginia educator license.
During the initial pilot, TTT generally confirms credentials by comparing information supplied by the Teacher Applicant—including the applicant's full name as it appears in Virginia educator licensing records and, when available, license-expiration information—with publicly available Virginia educator licensing records.
A designation such as “Credential Confirmed” means that TTT located an active Virginia educator credential corresponding to the credential information supplied by the Teacher Applicant.
Credential confirmation does not necessarily establish that the person submitting the information is the individual named in the licensing record. It also does not mean that TTT has conducted a criminal background check, comprehensive identity verification, employment verification, reference check, driving-record check, or other investigation unless TTT expressly states that a particular check has been completed.
TTT may modify or strengthen its credential-confirmation procedures. Additional procedures may include requesting license documentation, identity information, employment information, confirmation through an institutional or professional email address, or verification through a third-party service.
Users should rely only on the specific credential or verification status expressly stated by TTT at the relevant time and should not assume that additional checks have been performed.
Providing false, misleading, altered, or impersonated credential information may result in immediate suspension or removal from the Service.
4. Job Listings and Matches
Customers are responsible for accurately describing the requested work, location, timing, compensation, physical requirements, tools or equipment expected, and any conditions that could reasonably affect a Teacher's decision to accept the job.
Teachers are responsible for reviewing a job and determining whether they possess the ability, experience, equipment, and any license, certification, permit, or other authorization legally required to perform the work.
Teachers are never required to accept a job.
If, after accepting a job, a Teacher discovers that the actual work materially differs from the listing or reasonably believes that the work, location, conditions, equipment, or circumstances present an undisclosed or unreasonable safety concern, the Teacher may decline to begin or may stop the work without penalty from TTT.
Likewise, Customers are not required to proceed if circumstances reasonably cause them to believe that proceeding would be unsafe or materially inconsistent with the agreed arrangement.
Submitting a job does not guarantee that a Teacher will accept it. Expressing interest does not guarantee that a Teacher Applicant or Teacher will be selected.
TTT may approve, reject, edit, suspend, or remove listings or users when reasonably necessary to operate or protect the marketplace.
5. Job Price, Teacher Payment, and Tips
The Customer determines the compensation offered for a job.
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the agreed job price is paid directly by the Customer to the Teacher. TTT does not receive, hold, or distribute compensation owed to the Teacher for performing the job.
Customers and Teachers are responsible for agreeing on the method and timing of payment. They may mutually agree to use cash, check, Venmo, Zelle, bank transfer, or another lawful payment method.
Any third-party payment service is governed by that provider's own terms. TTT is not responsible for the availability, fees, delays, errors, account restrictions, or other actions of a third-party payment provider.
Customers may voluntarily provide a tip to a Teacher. Tips are optional and are not included in the posted job price or the calculation of TTT's matching fee. Tips are paid directly to the Teacher.
Teachers are responsible for their own applicable taxes, reporting obligations, insurance, licenses, permits, expenses, and other obligations associated with services they provide.
6. The Trusted Teacher Matching Fee
When TTT successfully matches a Customer with a Teacher, TTT charges the Customer a matching fee equal to 18% of the posted job price, unless a different fee is clearly disclosed before payment.
The TTT matching fee is a separate transaction from the Customer's payment to the Teacher for performing the job.
TTT may require payment of the matching fee before releasing private contact information or completing the connection between the Customer and Teacher.
Tips are not included when calculating the matching fee.
7. Cancellations, Refunds, and Payment Disputes
If a selected Teacher cancels before performing the job, TTT may offer the Customer an appropriate replacement Teacher or refund the TTT matching fee.
If the Customer cancels after paying the matching fee and after TTT has connected the Customer and Teacher, the matching fee is generally nonrefundable.
TTT may make reasonable exceptions when circumstances warrant, including circumstances involving safety concerns, materially inaccurate job descriptions, or other unusual situations.
Any dispute concerning the job price, payment for the Teacher's services, or a refund of money paid directly to the Teacher is a matter between the Customer and Teacher.
TTT may, at its discretion, assist the parties with communication or review conduct for purposes of operating its marketplace, but TTT does not guarantee resolution of and is not responsible for paying claims arising from a payment dispute between a Customer and Teacher.
8. Marketplace Non-Circumvention
TTT invests resources in recruiting Teachers, confirming credentials, obtaining job opportunities, operating the marketplace, and introducing Customers and Teachers.
When a Customer and Teacher are first introduced or connected through TTT, both agree that, for 24 months following that introduction, paid services between that Customer and Teacher that arise from or relate to the relationship established through TTT will be arranged through TTT.
During that period, neither party may intentionally use contact information or a relationship obtained through TTT to arrange paid services directly for the purpose of avoiding applicable TTT marketplace or matching fees.
This provision does not prohibit a Teacher from working for other customers, operating an independent business, using other marketplaces, advertising independently, or otherwise earning income. It does not prohibit a Customer from hiring other service providers.
This provision also does not apply to a Customer-Teacher relationship that the parties can demonstrate existed independently before their introduction through TTT.
If applicable law limits the scope or duration of this provision, it is intended to apply only to the extent permitted by law.
9. Safety and Prohibited Jobs
Customers and Teachers must exercise reasonable judgment regarding personal safety and the suitability of each job.
TTT may prohibit jobs involving illegal activity, unreasonable hazards, or work requiring qualifications or protections not appropriate for the marketplace.
TTT may also restrict or prohibit childcare, transportation of minors, hazardous work, or other categories that TTT determines require additional screening, licensing, insurance, safety procedures, or operational controls.
No user may use TTT to request or perform illegal services.
A Customer or Teacher should not proceed with work that they reasonably believe presents an immediate safety risk.
10. Customer Responsibilities
Customers agree to:
Provide truthful and reasonably complete information about jobs.
Disclose material conditions affecting the safety, difficulty, duration, or suitability of the work.
Provide a reasonably safe environment in which the agreed services can be performed.
Treat Teachers respectfully and refrain from harassment, threats, discrimination, or other inappropriate conduct.
Pay the agreed compensation for satisfactorily completed work, subject to any agreement between the Customer and Teacher concerning changes, cancellations, or incomplete work.
Comply with applicable laws and these Terms.
11. Teacher Responsibilities
Teachers agree to:
Provide truthful information concerning their identity, credentials, experience, and qualifications.
Accept only work they reasonably believe they can perform safely and competently.
Possess any license, certification, permit, or authorization legally required for the particular work.
Communicate appropriately with Customers.
Make reasonable efforts to arrive and perform the work as agreed.
Promptly communicate if circumstances prevent or materially affect completion of a job.
Treat Customers and their property respectfully.
Refrain from harassment, threats, discrimination, theft, intentional property damage, or other inappropriate or unlawful conduct.
Comply with applicable laws and these Terms.
Teachers remain free to decline jobs they do not wish to perform.
12. Reporting Safety, Conduct, and Other Concerns
Customers and Teachers may report safety concerns, harassment, suspected fraud, credential concerns, payment problems, materially misleading listings, inappropriate conduct, or other serious concerns to TTT.
TTT may review such reports and may temporarily restrict, suspend, or remove a listing or user's access while reviewing a concern.
TTT's decision to review a report does not mean that TTT assumes responsibility for resolving a dispute between users or determining legal liability.
TTT may take marketplace-level action when it reasonably believes doing so is appropriate to protect users, the integrity of the marketplace, or TTT.
13. Reviews
Following a job, TTT may invite both Customers and Teachers to provide reviews of their experience.
Reviews must reflect the reviewer's genuine experience and may not contain knowingly false information, threats, harassment, unlawful discriminatory content, or inappropriate disclosure of another person's private information.
TTT may moderate, decline to publish, or remove reviews that violate these Terms or marketplace policies.
TTT does not guarantee the accuracy of user-submitted reviews.
By submitting a review, the reviewer grants TTT permission to display and use the review in connection with operating and promoting the Service, subject to applicable law and TTT's privacy practices. TTT may identify a reviewer in a limited manner, such as first name and general location, but should not publicly disclose private contact information without permission.
14. Privacy and Contact Information
TTT may collect information reasonably necessary to operate the marketplace, including names, contact information, job information, credential information, communications, transaction information, and reviews.
TTT may share relevant information between a matched Customer and Teacher when reasonably necessary to facilitate an accepted job.
Users may not misuse another user's personal information or use information obtained through TTT for unrelated solicitation, harassment, impersonation, fraud, or other unauthorized purposes.
TTT will not intentionally publish a Customer's private street address, private email address, or private telephone number as part of a public job listing.
15. No Guarantee of Performance
TTT facilitates connections but cannot guarantee that a particular Customer or Teacher will perform as expected, that a particular job will be completed, that a listing will receive interest, or that every interaction will be satisfactory.
Credential confirmation should not be interpreted as an endorsement, guarantee, certification of character, comprehensive identity verification, background check, or guarantee of a Teacher's suitability for a particular job.
Customers and Teachers remain responsible for evaluating the circumstances of each job and deciding whether to proceed.
16. Assumption of Responsibility
Customers and Teachers acknowledge that providing or receiving in-person services may involve ordinary risks associated with entering a residence, interacting with another person, using tools or equipment, caring for property, performing physical tasks, or traveling to a job location.
Each user is responsible for exercising reasonable judgment and taking precautions appropriate to the particular job.
Nothing in these Terms is intended to waive a right or responsibility that cannot legally be waived.
17. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, TTT will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from a transaction or interaction between a Customer and Teacher.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, TTT's aggregate liability arising from a particular match or transaction will not exceed the matching fee paid to TTT for that transaction.
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where such exclusion or limitation is prohibited by applicable law.
18. Suspension and Removal
TTT may restrict, suspend, or remove a Customer, Teacher Applicant, or Teacher for reasons including suspected fraud, false credential information, impersonation, nonpayment of TTT fees, harassment, unsafe conduct, repeated cancellations, misuse of personal information, marketplace circumvention, illegal activity, or other material violations of these Terms.
TTT may consider reports from users when making marketplace-access decisions but does not guarantee that every reported dispute will result in suspension or removal.
19. Changes to the Service and Terms
TTT may modify marketplace procedures, fees, credential-confirmation procedures, available service categories, or these Terms as the Service develops.
Changes to fees will not retroactively change a matching fee already paid for a completed match.
Material changes to these Terms will apply prospectively. When appropriate, TTT may require users to accept updated Terms before continuing to use the Service.
20. Electronic Communications and Consent
TTT operates primarily through its website, electronic forms, email, and other electronic communications.
Users who choose to transact electronically with TTT may receive agreements, confirmations, notices, matching information, receipts, review requests, and other marketplace communications electronically.
Where required, TTT will obtain separate consent to conduct transactions electronically.
Virginia's Uniform Electronic Transactions Act recognizes electronic records, signatures, and contracts, but also provides that its electronic-transaction rules apply to parties that have agreed to conduct transactions electronically; Virginia law contains additional requirements concerning consent in standard-form contracts. Virginia Law
21. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, except where applicable law requires otherwise.
22. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be limited or removed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in effect.
23. No Waiver
TTT's decision not to enforce a provision of these Terms in a particular instance does not waive its right to enforce that provision in another instance.
24. Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with any additional policies or transaction-specific terms expressly incorporated into them, constitute the agreement between the user and TTT concerning use of the Service.
25. Contact
Questions, concerns, or reports regarding these Terms or The Trusted Teacher may be directed to:
The Trusted Teacher
support@thetrustedteacher.com