Privacy Policy

I. Introduction

The Council for the Advancement of Public Schools (“CAPS”) values the trust and privacy of its members and other supporters.  This Privacy Policy sets forth CAPS’s practices regarding:

(1) what personal information CAPS collects about members and other persons – both online via the CAPS website and offline via traditional, hard copy forms; (2) how CAPS uses that information; (3) under what circumstances CAPS may disclose that information; (4) what choices are available to CAPS members and other persons regarding collection of that information; and, (5) what security CAPS uses to protect that information.  This Privacy Policy also provides some additional information for users of the CAPS website.

II. Definitions

As used in this Privacy Policy, the following terms have the meanings indicated below:

A. The term “we” or “us” means CAPS.

B. The term “you” means a current or former CAPS member or other person who provides or has provided personal information to us in connection with obtaining or using a CAPS product or service (such as a person who subscribes to a CAPS-produced electronic newsletter or accesses a CAPS website).

C. The term “personal information” means any piece of information that on its own can specifically identify a current or former CAPS member or other person who has provided personal information to us in connection with obtaining or using a CAPS product or service. This would include, but is not limited to, full name, postal address, e-mail address, social security number, telephone number, date of birth, driver’s license number or state-issued identification card number, and financial account number, credit/debit card number, or other financial information.

D. The term “CAPS website” means CAPS’s external website located at CAPSedu.org, any future websites that we may develop, and any components thereof.

E. The term “CAPS-related organizations” means any entity affiliated with or created by CAPS.

F. The term “third party” means a legal entity that is separate and independent from CAPS.

G. The term “cookie” means a small file that is placed on your computer that allows a website to store, and sometimes track, information about how you use that website.

H. The term “internet forum” means an asynchronous website component that enables users to exchange ideas by posting questions, answers, and/or other content. Internet forums are also commonly referred to as “discussion groups,” “discussion boards,” “message boards,” “bulletin boards,” “blogs,” chat rooms,” and “online forums.”

III. Personal Information Collected

We may collect personal information about you from the following sources:

A. Personal Information that you voluntarily provide to us on your membership application and other CAPS forms – whether online via the CAPS website or offline via traditional, hard copy forms.

B. Personal Information that you voluntarily provide to us via the CAPS website.

C. Personal Information that we receive from our national and local affiliates or other CAPS-related organizations.

D. Personal Information that we receive from third parties.

IV. How We Use That Information

The personal information that CAPS collects about you helps us and our national and local affiliates and other CAPS-related organizations to efficiently and effectively represent you and provide you with valuable information and member benefits and services.

V. Information Sharing

In order to provide you with efficient and effective representation, information, and member benefits and services, we routinely share the personal information that we collect about you, as described in Section III above, with our national and local affiliates and CAPS-related organizations, as well as third parties that perform services on our behalf subject to CAPS policies.

Additionally, we may share any of the personal information that we collect about you, as described in Section III above, with certain third parties that share our interests or as otherwise permitted or required by law, subject to CAPS policies.

VI. Available Choices

Any personal information that you provide to us is voluntary. CAPS members may update their personal information at any time. For information on how to contact us, please visit the CAPS website at: http://www.CAPS.org.

If you subscribe to any CAPS-produced electronic newsletter, you may cancel your subscription at any time by following the instructions at the bottom of all such newsletters. If you have any problems canceling such a subscription, please contact us using the information on the bottom of this page.

VII. California Privacy Rights

California residents have a right under state law to ask entities with whom they have an established business relationship to provide certain information regarding the sharing of personal information for direct marketing purposes during the past year. CAPS will honor such a request coming from any current or former CAPS member or other person who has provided personal information to us in connection with obtaining or using a CAPS product or service – whether residing in California or not. Submit a request to us at the mailing address on the bottom of this page and we will respond within thirty days of receiving your request.

VIII. Information Security

We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to: (1) insure the security and confidentiality of your personal information; (2) protect against any anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of such information; and (3) protect against unauthorized access to or use of such information. For more information on our information security, contact CAPS to request a copy of the CAPS Information Security Program.

IX. Additional Information for Users of the CAPS Website 

A. Collection and Use of Non-Personal Information

If you use the CAPS website, you provide us with certain non-personal information in addition to any personal information that you may voluntarily provide. For example, if you browse the CAPS website or download information, our operating system automatically records the following non-personal information:

1. The Internet domain for your Internet service (such as “xcompany.com” or “xcompany.net” if you use a private Internet access account, or “yourcollege.edu” if you connect from a college or university domain);

2. The type of browser that you use (such as “Microsoft Internet Explorer”);

3. The type of operating system that you use (such as Windows or macOS);

4. The date and time that you visit the CAPS website and the web pages that you view;

5. The address of the previous website that you visited if you linked to us from another website; and,

6. The address of the next website that you visit if you link to it from the CAPS website.

We use the above non-personal information to diagnose technical problems and track user interests so that we can provide content that interests you.

We gather this non-personal information in the aggregate and we share it in the same manner that we share personal information, as described in Section V above.

B. Cookies

We use cookies to track what you are viewing when you visit the CAPS website, and to enhance your user experience. In order to provide you with customized content and an enhanced user experience, certain cookies used by CAPS identify you as an individual. If you are concerned about CAPS’s use of cookies, check your Internet browser. Most have a setting that will allow you to reject cookies. However, some CAPS website features and services may not function properly if your cookies are disabled.

C. Internet Forums

If you participate in an internet forum on the CAPS website, your comments, along with any personal information that you voluntarily disclose, may be collected, used, and shared by anyone with access to that forum. We are not responsible for the personal information that you choose to submit in a discussion forum.

D. Children

The CAPS website(s) are general websites, and we do not knowingly collect any personal information from children under the age of 13.

E. External Links

This Privacy Policy applies only to the CAPS website. It does not apply to or cover any external or third-party websites that are linked to or from the CAPS website for which we are not responsible (“linked-sites”). These linked-sites will have their own policies and practices regarding their collection and use of personal information, non-personal information, and cookies which may be different from ours. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the policies and practices of the linked-sites especially if you provide personal information to them.

X. Effective Date, Amendments, and Consent to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is effective May 3, 2012. We retain the right to amend or otherwise update this Privacy Policy at any time for any reason. By joining CAPS or using the CAPS website, you consent to the collection, use, and sharing of personal information as we have described herein. If we amend or update our Privacy Policy, we will post the changes online at the CAPS website so that you are always aware of CAPS’s current practices.

XI. Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, or to request an up-to-date hard copy version of the Privacy Policy you can contact us using the information at the bottom of this page.