Skip to content

Open source · Built for PowerSchool districts

Parent-teacher conferences, scheduled without the chaos.

Tidal PTC lets schools publish conference times and families book them in a few clicks. It signs everyone in with PowerSchool, handles translator requests and sends the reminders for you.

Buy hostingRead the docsTry the demo →
The Tidal PTC dashboard for a school administratorThe Tidal PTC dashboard for a school administrator

Everything conference week needs

From the first time slot to the last reminder email, in one place your staff and families already know how to sign in to.

How it works

District admin

  1. 1Install the PowerSchool plugin and let it sync.
  2. 2Turn on booking and languages for each school.
  3. 3Give staff the permissions they need.
Read the district admin guide →

Teacher

  1. 1Sign in with PowerSchool.
  2. 2Create your conference times, or use the ones your school made.
  3. 3See who booked and get an email when it changes.
Read the teacher guide →

Parent or guardian

  1. 1Sign in with your PowerSchool parent account.
  2. 2Choose your student and a teacher.
  3. 3Book a time, and ask for a translator if you need one.
Read the parent or guardian guide →

See it in action

A guardian’s dashboard listing their students’ upcoming conferencesA guardian’s dashboard listing their students’ upcoming conferences
A teacher’s time slots calendar with three days of open conference timesA teacher’s time slots calendar with three days of open conference times
The translator requests list with assigned translatorsThe translator requests list with assigned translators
The users list for a school, with staff and guardiansThe users list for a school, with staff and guardians

Host it yourself, or let us

Every option runs the same complete application. Prices are per year.

Self-hosted

Free

Run Tidal PTC on your own servers. Your IT team installs, updates and backs it up.

  • The complete application, AGPL-3.0
  • Docker or VM install
  • Community support on GitHub
Read the install guide
Most districts

Cloud

$400 + $150 per school a year

Up to $4,000 a year for a district. Single schools pay $450 a year. Prices go down as more districts join.

We host, update and back it up for you. Your schools are scheduling the same day.

  • Your own subdomain on tidalptc.app
  • Automatic updates and backups
  • PowerSchool SSO and sync
Buy hosting

Private dedicated

$880 + $150 per school a year

Cloud pricing plus $480 a year for your own server, passed through at cost. Up to $4,480 a year for a district. Single schools pay $930 a year.

Your own isolated instance on servers reserved for your district. We run it for you.

  • Isolated servers and database
  • Choose your region
  • Usually ready within 15 minutes
Buy hosting

Not sure which to pick? Compare hosting options.

Questions

Is Tidal PTC really free?

Yes. Tidal PTC is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license, and you can self-host the complete application at no cost. Archboard also sells managed Cloud and Private dedicated hosting if you would rather not run it yourself.

Do we need PowerSchool?

PowerSchool is the supported student information system. The Tidal PTC plugin gives everyone single sign-on and syncs schools, sections, students, teachers and contacts, so there are no CSV imports or temporary passwords.

How do parents and guardians sign in?

Guardians sign in with their PowerSchool parent portal account through single sign-on. Districts can also allow password sign-in.

Can families request a translator?

Yes. Schools choose which languages they offer and set request limits. Families request a translator when booking, and staff assign translators to conferences.

Which languages does the interface support?

English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Arabic, with right-to-left layout for Arabic. Each user picks their own language.

Can conferences be held online?

Yes. A time slot can be in person or online, and online slots show families the meeting link.

What does Cloud hosting cost?

Cloud hosting for a district is $400 a year plus $150 per school, up to $4,000 a year. A single school pays $450 a year. Private dedicated hosting is the Cloud price plus $480 a year for your own server, passed through at cost. Self-hosting is free.

Where is our data stored?

Self-hosted installs keep all data on your own servers. Cloud and Private dedicated installs are run by Archboard; dedicated hosting gives your district its own isolated servers in the region you choose.

Ready for your next conference week?

Get a hosted district running today, or install it on your own servers for free.

Buy hostingSelf-host it