The Connecting Link
The Connecting Link is a private U.S. provider of accredited graduate-level online professional development courses for K-12 educators, delivered self-paced or via Zoom and granted credit through partner universities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersSpokane, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Connecting Link does
The Connecting Link (TCL) is a private professional development company that delivers graduate-level continuing education courses exclusively to U.S. K-12 educators and school districts. Founded in 1981 (per firmographic data; one source references 1986), the company is headquartered in Spokane, Washington and operates as The Connecting Link LLC with 101-250 employees. Its core products are Online Self-Paced Courses, available 24/7 with a 12-week completion window, and Interactive Courses delivered via Zoom in 4-week or 8-week formats. Courses are organized into 10+ pedagogical categories including 21st-Century Teaching, Equity & Diversity, Social & Emotional Learning, Instructional Strategies, and Technology Tools for the Classroom.
The underlying platform is an in-house online learning system supported by TCL's own technical team, delivering content via web-based classroom and Zoom integration. The company monetizes through per-course enrollment fees, with bundle discounts and a $25 Amazon Gift Card referral program. A defining element of the business model is its network of accreditation partnerships with accredited U.S. universities (Adams State, Andrews, Central Michigan, Dominican, Pacific Lutheran, and most recently Augustana in June 2026), which grant graduate credit for course completions and produce official transcripts for teacher certification renewal and salary advancement. The company reports an 80% student return rate, 80% pass rate, and 99% career advancement outcome among participants.
TCL's go-to-market is self-serve and direct-to-educator through its website, supported by a content marketing blog, email newsletter, downloadable course catalogs, and the referral program. There is no evidence of external venture capital or private equity investment; the company appears independently operated. The customer base is fragmented across individual teachers, with school districts and state education departments identified as adjacent segments. No AI/ML capabilities, mobile app, or public financial disclosures are present in the available data.
The Connecting Link firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Connecting Link
- Legal name
- The Connecting Link LLC
- Website
- https://connectinglink.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Connecting Link is a private U.S. provider of accredited graduate-level online professional development courses for K-12 educators, delivered self-paced or via Zoom and granted credit through partner universities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Connecting Link industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Teacher Professional Development Education
- NAICS
- Educational Services (61), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Teacher Education Universities (Licensure & M.Ed.) (EDAHALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online Graduate Schools (Master’s & Doctoral Programs) (EDAHALAD), College-Level Core Subject Tutoring (Gen Ed: Math, Writing, Sciences, Humanities) (EDANAAAJ)
Keywords
Where The Connecting Link is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Spokane
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Connecting Link business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Course Enrollment: Revenue from course enrollment fees for professional development courses for educators. Graduate credits granted through partnerships with accredited universities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Online Self-Paced Courses |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Interactive Courses (Zoom) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
The Connecting Link product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Connecting Link delivers graduate-level professional development courses for PreK-16 educators through two primary formats: online self-paced courses (available 24/7 with a 12-week completion window) and interactive Zoom-based live courses (offered in 4-week or 8-week formats). Graduate credits are granted through partnerships with accredited universities, enabling teachers to meet certification renewal requirements, earn salary advancement credits, and progress toward advanced degrees.
Product overview
The Connecting Link (TCL) is a professional development platform offering graduate-level continuing education courses exclusively for K-12 educators. The core offerings consist of Online Self-Paced Courses (24/7 access, 12-week completion window) and Interactive Courses (Zoom-based live instruction in 4 or 8-week formats). These are delivered through partnerships with accredited universities (Adams State University, Andrews University, Augustana University, Central Michigan University, Dominican University, and Pacific Lutheran University) who grant graduate credits. The platform organizes courses into categories including 15-Hour PD Courses, 1-Credit Courses, 21st-Century Teaching, Content-Area Teaching, Equity & Diversity, Instructional Strategies, Positive Classroom Management, Social & Emotional Learning, Teacher Health, and Technology Tools for the Classroom. Additional offerings include a Referral Program (offering $25 Amazon Gift Cards) and Course Bundles with discount pricing. The company serves educators seeking salary advancement, professional development requirements, and advanced degree programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online Self-Paced Courses Graduate-level professional development courses for K-12 educators available 24/7 in an online classroom. Participants can start within 60 days of enrollment and work at their own pace, interacting with course instructors and completing within 12 weeks. Designed for teachers seeking flexible continuing education for certificate renewal and salary advancement.
- Interactive Courses Live instructor-led professional development courses for K-12 educators conducted via Zoom, scheduled for specific dates and available 24/7 during defined date ranges. Features weekly assignments and group collaboration, offered in 4-week or 8-week formats. Targets educators who prefer structured, cohort-based learning with peer engagement.
- Course Bundles Discount programs that allow educators to bundle multiple professional development courses together for savings. Designed for teachers pursuing multiple continuing education credits, certification renewal cycles, or extended professional development plans.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% pass rate
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Connecting Link
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Connecting Link technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Connecting Link partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Augustana UniversitycoreAcademic partnership announced June 2026 to provide K-12 educators with access to graduate credit through TCL's professional development courses. Augustana University is a nationally recognized, selective comprehensive university founded in 1860, affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
- Adams State UniversitycoreUniversity partner for graduate credit. Grade processing time is 2 business days. Transcripts available through adams.edu.
- Andrews UniversitycoreUniversity partner for graduate credit. Grade processing time is 10 business days. Official transcripts available through getmytranscript.com.
- Central Michigan UniversitycoreUniversity partner for graduate credit. Grade processing time is 4-6 weeks. Email notification sent when grade is posted.
- Dominican UniversitycoreUniversity partner for graduate credit. Grade processing can take up to 3 weeks. Official transcripts available through parchment.com.
- Pacific Lutheran UniversitycoreUniversity partner for graduate credit. Email notification sent when grade is posted. Official transcripts available through plu.edu/registrar/transcripts/.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Connecting Link competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BetterLesson: Provides online and cohort-based professional development for K-12 educators, including coaching and workshops, competing for the same district and individual teacher PD budgets as TCL.
- Advancement Courses: Direct competitor offering online self-paced and instructor-led graduate-level PD courses for K-12 educators in partnership with accredited universities — the closest functional analogue to TCL.
- Virtual Education Software (VESoft): Provides self-paced online continuing education and graduate-credit courses for teachers across U.S. states, overlapping directly with TCL's product, audience, and university-credit model.
- Fresno Pacific University Professional Development: University-based PD provider offering online self-paced and cohort graduate-credit courses for K-12 teachers — competing with TCL on both format and accreditation pathway.
- All Education Schools: Online hub for teacher certification and PD courses, connecting educators to accredited providers and competing for the same individual self-serve enrollment flow.
- Annenberg Learner: Free and low-cost online PD resources and courses for teachers, with comparable video- and self-paced-delivery approach and similar educator audience.
- PBS TeacherLine: Operates an online PD platform delivering facilitated and self-paced courses for PreK-12 educators, often for graduate credit, serving the same customer base as TCL with comparable course catalog depth.
Broad incumbents
- Canvas Network / Instructure: Major LMS platform that powers online PD delivery at scale and competes for the same district-level PD deployments that TCL targets through its self-serve channel.
- Ed2Go (Cengage): Large incumbent offering broad online continuing-education and workforce training categories, including education and teaching tracks, with self-paced and instructor-led formats comparable to TCL's two core formats.
Others
- Quality Matters: Provides standards and certification for online course design — adjacent to TCL's quality positioning but operates as an enabling/standards body rather than a direct course competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Connecting Link social profiles
Digital presenceThe Connecting Link financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Connecting Link leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Connecting Link funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Connecting Link M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Connecting Link
What does The Connecting Link do?
The Connecting Link delivers graduate-level professional development courses for PreK-16 educators through two primary formats: online self-paced courses (available 24/7 with a 12-week completion window) and interactive Zoom-based live courses (offered in 4-week or 8-week formats). Graduate credits are granted through partnerships with accredited universities, enabling teachers to meet certification renewal requirements, earn salary advancement credits, and progress toward advanced degrees.
Is The Connecting Link a public or private company?
The Connecting Link is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Connecting Link founded?
The Connecting Link was founded in 1986. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Connecting Link based?
The Connecting Link is headquartered in Spokane, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Connecting Link make money?
One revenue line is on record: course Enrollment.
Who are The Connecting Link's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BetterLesson, Advancement Courses, Virtual Education Software (VESoft), Fresno Pacific University Professional Development, All Education Schools, Annenberg Learner and PBS TeacherLine. Broad incumbents are Canvas Network / Instructure and Ed2Go (Cengage). Quality Matters is listed as an others.
Does The Connecting Link have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Connecting Link.
What industry is The Connecting Link in?
The Connecting Link's product category is Teacher Professional Development Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHALAG, Online Teacher Education Universities (Licensure & M.Ed.), with a secondary code of EDAHALAD, Online Graduate Schools (Master’s & Doctoral Programs). Its NAICS code is 61 and its SIC code is 8200.