Planboard

Overview

Planboard is a digital lesson-planning tool from Chalk, built for teachers arranging lessons across subjects and semesters. It is a stronger fit for educators who want curriculum standards and a timetable alongside their plans than for those who only need a simple lesson editor. Its core planning is free, but some Google Classroom workflows and team collaboration depend on other access options.

Key features

Teachers can create, edit, and share lesson plans, then place lessons into a timetable organized by subject and semester. Standards alignment, calendar view, and attachments for photos and files make it possible to keep curriculum context and supporting materials with the plan rather than scattered across separate records. PDF and ICS exports add practical ways to carry plans or calendar information elsewhere.

The mobile apps sync with the web version, which is useful for teachers who switch between planning at a computer and checking plans on a phone or tablet. Google tools are more conditional: Chalk Gold users and teachers at schools subscribed to the Instruction Solution can share lessons to Google Classroom, export timetables to Google Calendar, and attach Google Drive files. Free users cannot share to Google Classroom unless their school has the Instruction Solution, so teachers whose daily workflow depends on Classroom should confirm eligibility before settling on the free option.

Chalk Gold adds custom colors, lesson search, and Google Classroom integration. Chalk Teams is aimed at teaching teams of 2–10 and includes Gold features plus shared lesson collaboration, making it the more relevant route when plans need to be developed together. Public lesson links have a visibility tradeoff: anyone with the link can view the lessons and attachments enabled for that link’s time frame.

Pricing

Planboard’s free plan costs nothing and provides digital lesson planning for teachers. It is the natural starting point for an individual who wants lesson planning without a subscription, but the Google Classroom sharing restriction can be a meaningful limitation for schools without the Instruction Solution.

Chalk Gold is an optional premium upgrade with custom colors, Google Classroom integration, and lesson search; it has custom pricing. Teachers who need those additions should weigh the upgrade against their actual workflow, particularly since qualifying school subscriptions also provide the Google integrations. Chalk Teams is designed for 2–10 teaching team members and includes Chalk Gold features and shared lesson collaboration; it also has custom pricing. That makes it a better fit than an individual plan for collaborative planning, but less compelling for a solo teacher who does not need team sharing.

Platforms

Planboard is available on the web, Android, and iOS. The mobile apps sync with Planboard on the web, so plans remain accessible across those platforms.

Who it's for

Planboard suits teachers who want lesson plans connected to a subject-and-semester timetable, with standards alignment and lesson attachments in the same planning workflow. It is especially practical for individual teachers starting with free digital planning. Teachers who depend on Google Classroom sharing should first establish that they have Chalk Gold or school access to the Instruction Solution; teams of 2–10 needing shared lesson work should consider Chalk Teams.

PowerSchool says Chalk collects teachers’ first and last names, email addresses, and IP addresses, and uses security measures to protect data integrity and confidentiality. Users can view and export their data, request account and data deletion, and download lesson plans. Chalk offers email support anytime and live chat during the day.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Lesson plans, timetable organization, standards, and photo or file attachments work together, which suits teachers planning across a term rather than drafting isolated lessons.
• Pros: Web, Android, and iOS access syncs across devices, while PDF and ICS exports support taking plans beyond the app.
• Pros: Chalk Teams combines Gold features with shared lesson collaboration for teams of 2–10.
• Cons: Free users cannot share to Google Classroom unless their school subscribes to the Instruction Solution, limiting a key workflow for some teachers.
• Cons: Chalk Gold and Chalk Teams use custom pricing, so the upgrade cost cannot be compared against a fixed per-seat price here.
• Cons: Anyone with a public lesson link can see the lessons and attachments enabled during its time frame, so link sharing requires care.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, browse Lesson Planning Software. LessonApp is worth considering for its free access, teaching methods, draft lessons, and ability to print plans. PlanbookEdu is a better match for teachers who prioritize unlimited weekly plans and A/B-day or rotation schedules in a free plan. SchEDU may suit users interested in automated term planning, though its free plan is capped at two lesson plans and two subjects.

Common Planner is an option for web-based planning with an AI-powered lesson assistant and the ability to post 50 lessons to Google Classroom on its free teacher plan. Lesson Maker Pro is aimed at teachers who want generated lessons and standalone materials, with monthly free quotas. Lessonly offers a free-forever web plan. TeacherHero has a free account, while Ignite is another free web option.

Verdict

Choose Planboard if you want free lesson planning that connects lessons with subjects, semesters, standards, attachments, and a timetable across web and mobile. Its central strength is keeping those planning pieces together; its main drawback is that Google Classroom sharing is conditional, while team collaboration requires Chalk Teams. Teachers who need that Google handoff without qualifying school access, or who need a fixed upgrade price, should look elsewhere.