Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

What Parent Coalition for Student Privacy does

The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy (PCSP) is a national grassroots nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2014 in New York to defend the privacy of K-12 student data, with co-chairs Leonie Haimson, Rachael Stickland, and Cassie Creswell. It was built directly from the parent movement that shut down inBloom, a $100 million Gates Foundation-backed national student database, and now includes parents from nearly every U.S. state along with educators and community members. PCSP operates as a project of Class Size Matters, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, with no traditional ownership, equity investors, or commercial revenue streams. Its core deliverables are free educational resources distributed via studentprivacymatters.org, including a Parent Toolkit for Student Privacy (English and Spanish), an Educator Toolkit for Teacher and Student Privacy, the State Student Privacy Report Card grading all 50 states, an NYC Directory Information Opt-Out Form, and a Parent Bill of Rights Summary. The business model is donation- and grant-funded; no products or services are sold, and all resources are provided at no cost.

The coalition's go-to-market is community-led advocacy. It engages parents, educators, school districts, and elected officials through digital organizing (email action alerts, online petitions via ActionNetwork), earned media (press releases covered in outlets such as the Daily News and Gothamist), coalition partnerships with the Network for Public Education, Illinois Families for Public Schools, Alliance for Quality Education, NYCLU, Dignity in Schools, Parents Across America, and Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, and formal advisory appointments including the Chancellor's AI Working Group, the Chancellor's Data Privacy Working Group, and the NYSED Data Privacy Advisory Committee. Revenue mechanics consist of contributions from concerned parents and supporters routed through Class Size Matters; no pricing exists. Documented outcomes include the successful shutdown of inBloom in 2014, the publication of the 50-state Student Privacy Report Card in 2019, more than 1,500 petition signatories opposing AI in NYC schools, and ongoing criticism of vendor privacy practices at firms including Illuminate, PowerSchool, Naviance, and Hazel Health.

Name

Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

Legal name

Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

Website

https://studentprivacymatters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy is a national grassroots nonprofit advocacy organization that protects K-12 student data privacy through parent and educator toolkits, policy advocacy, and coalition work with allied organizations and government advisory bodies across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Data Privacy Management & Consent (FERPA/GDPR/COPPA) (EDAFALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK), Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Parent & Family Relations (EDALAOAK)

Keywords

• Student privacy advocacy
• Education privacy policy
• Parent advocacy resources
• Student data protection
• FERPA education rights

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy is a national grassroots advocacy organization that operates as a project of Class Size Matters. It relies on donations from concerned parents and supporters to fund its advocacy work. The organization produces toolkits and resources that are available for free download.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy is a national grassroots nonprofit advocacy organization that provides free educational toolkits, research reports, opt-out forms, and policy advocacy materials focused on K-12 student data privacy. It helps parents and educators understand their rights under FERPA, PPRA, and COPPA, and advocates for stronger state and federal student privacy laws. All resources are provided at no charge, and the organization is funded through donations.

Product overview

The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy is a national grassroots advocacy organization (not a technology product company) that provides educational resources, toolkits, and advocacy materials focused on student privacy protection. The organization offers an Educator Toolkit for Teacher and Student Privacy, a Parent Toolkit for Student Privacy (available in English and Spanish), a State Student Privacy Report Card analyzing privacy laws across all 50 states, and advocacy tools including NYC-specific opt-out forms and Parent Bill of Rights summaries. These resources work together to help parents and educators understand and exercise their privacy rights regarding student data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Educator Toolkit for Teacher and Student Privacy A free toolkit providing K-12 educators with guidance on protecting student privacy and their own privacy in educational settings.
• Parent Toolkit for Student Privacy A free toolkit providing parents with guidance on protecting their children's sensitive data and tips for advocating for better privacy policies at their children's schools. Available in English and Spanish.
• State Student Privacy Report Card A comprehensive report card grading all 50 states on their student privacy laws, analyzing 99 laws passed since 2013 across five categories: Transparency, Parental and Student Rights; Limitations on Commercial Use of Data; Data Security Requirements; and Oversight, Enforcement, and Penalties for Violations.
• NYC Directory Information Opt-Out Form A free one-page opt-out form developed by PCSP to help NYC parents opt out of disclosure of their child's Directory Information, simplifying a complex multi-step process required by the NYC Department of Education.
• Parent Bill of Rights Summary A free summary document explaining parental rights under NY Ed Law 2D, including the right to be informed about which companies have access to children's personal information and how data is protected.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully drove inBloom out of business (2014)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Class Size MatterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Class Size Matters serves as the parent organization for the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy. Leonie Haimson is co-chair of both organizations. Class Size Matters provides organizational infrastructure, fundraising capabilities, and administrative support for PCSP's advocacy work.
• Network for Public EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Network for Public Education, led by President Diane Ravitch, is a key coalition partner. NPE and PCSP jointly published the 2019 State Student Privacy Report Card grading all 50 states on their student privacy laws.
• Illinois Families for Public SchoolsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIL-FPS is a key partner in advocating against student privacy violations in Chicago Public Schools. PCSP co-chair Cassie Creswell is executive director of IL-FPS. The organizations jointly advocated against Hazel Health contracts and PowerSchool/Naviance privacy violations.
• NYC-DSA Tech ActionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the AI Moratorium Coalition (AIM NYC) working to halt AI implementation in NYC schools. Coalition includes Alliance for Quality Education, Climate Families NYC, MORE-UFT, Coalition for Racially Just Public Schools, Class Size Matters, Parents for AI Caution, and NY Kids PAC.
• Alliance for Quality EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAQE is a key coalition partner in NYC advocacy efforts, particularly around AI in schools and student privacy regulations. Smitha Varghese Milich serves as Senior Campaign Strategist.
• NY Civil Liberties UnionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYCLU joined coalition letters to Chancellor Ramos opposing weakening of student privacy regulations. Collaborates on policy advocacy for stronger privacy protections in NYC schools.
• Dignity in Schools CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined coalition letters opposing proposed changes to Chancellor's regulation A-820 that would weaken student privacy protections in NYC schools.
• Parents Across AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of public school parents and founding coalition member. Works on shared advocacy for student privacy and education policy.
• Campaign for a Commercial-Free ChildhoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding coalition member. Josh Golin, Associate Director, provided key statements on student privacy issues and industry self-regulation.
• NYSED Data Privacy Advisory CommitteemajorOthersOfficial government advisory committee on student data privacy. Leonie Haimson serves as a member, providing input on state privacy policies.
• Chancellor's Data Privacy Working Group (NYC)majorOthersAppointed working group to strengthen privacy policies. Leonie Haimson serves as a member. Group addresses proposed amendments to Chancellor's regulation A-820.
• Chancellor's AI Working Group (NYC)majorOthersAppointed working group on AI in schools. Leonie Haimson serves as a member and proposed additional safeguards including independent privacy impact assessments and data security audits.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Network for Public Education: NPE is a national education-advocacy organization that co-published the 2019 State Student Privacy Report Card with PCSP. Directly comparable as a parent- and educator-led coalition partnering on student privacy policy and advocacy.
• Fight for the Future: Fight for the Future is a digital-rights advocacy organization running grassroots campaigns, petitions, and earned-media plays on tech policy. Directly comparable to PCSP in tactics (petitions, coalition letters, public pressure) on adjacent issues like student surveillance and ed-tech privacy.
• Dignity in Schools Coalition: Dignity in Schools Coalition is a national coalition advocating for student rights, including on school data privacy and surveillance issues. Directly comparable to PCSP as a coalition partner organization working on overlapping K-12 advocacy with shared coalition membership.
• Future of Privacy Forum: FPF is a privacy-focused nonprofit that works specifically on student-data privacy, EdTech vendor practices, and K-12 privacy frameworks. Directly comparable to PCSP as a peer advocacy/policy organization targeting the same regulatory niche (FERPA, SOPPA, state laws), though it leans industry-engaged rather than confrontational.
• Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT): CDT is a nonprofit civil-liberties organization that works on student privacy, EdTech, and K-12 surveillance issues. Directly comparable as a privacy-advocacy organization engaging in policy, regulatory comment, and litigation on student data.
• Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood: CCFC is an advocacy coalition that campaigns against commercial exploitation of children, including in schools. Listed as a founding coalition member of PCSP, and directly comparable as a child-focused, parent-driven nonprofit advocacy organization active in the same spaces.

Others

• Class Size Matters: Class Size Matters is the parent 501(c)(4) nonprofit under which PCSP operates as a project; Leonie Haimson is co-chair of both. Organizationally and financially linked to PCSP rather than a competitive peer, but provides the infrastructure that PCSP relies on.

Broad incumbents

• Common Sense Media: Common Sense Media is a larger nonprofit focused on children's media, privacy, and ed-tech evaluation, with comparable K-12 privacy research, ratings, and policy output. Overlaps with PCSP on student data privacy and parent education, though operates at a much larger scale and with industry partnerships.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): EFF is a broader digital civil-liberties nonprofit that litigates and advocates on surveillance, student/school data, and ed-tech privacy. Comparable to PCSP as a privacy-advocacy organization that engages on student data issues, but operates at a far larger scope across all digital rights.
• NYCLU (New York Civil Liberties Union): NYCLU is a regional ACLU affiliate that has partnered with PCSP on joint coalition letters opposing weakening of NYC student privacy regulations. Comparable as a civil-liberties/privacy advocacy organization, though operating across the full civil-liberties agenda rather than specializing in student data.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/parents4privacy
• Facebookfacebook.com/studentprivacymatters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/parent-coalition-for-student-privacy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Parent Coalition for Student Privacy