OfficeMax Reveals National Teacher Survey - School Budget Cuts Mean Fewer Classroom Supplies for Teachers
August 11 2009 - 12:08PM
PR Newswire (US)
OfficeMax leads the fight to end teacher-funded classrooms by
hosting its third annual 'A Day Made Better' nationwide event this
October NAPERVILLE, Ill., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Teachers continue to pay the price for tighter school budgets -
literally. Faced with a lack of necessary classroom supplies,
teachers across the country pay for these supplies with their own
money. This October 6, OfficeMax Incorporated (NYSE: OMX), a leader
in office products and services, will again join with
Adopt-A-Classroom to surprise and honor teachers across the country
for the annual 'A Day Made Better' event in an effort to raise
awareness about the widespread problem of teacher-funded
classrooms. This year's 'A Day Made Better' cause event will be
hosted on October 6, 2009 when OfficeMax associates will visit
approximately 1,000 public schools to surprise about 1,000 teachers
each with a gift of classroom supplies worth approximately $1,000.
This year, OfficeMax surveyed 700 elementary teachers who are
members of OfficeMax's MaxPerks for Teachers program across the
country to gain perspective on how the economic downturn has
impacted schools, classrooms and teachers. Key findings from the
survey include: -- Ninety-seven percent (97%) of teachers surveyed
said their school was impacted by budget cuts -- Eighty-six percent
(86%) of teachers said budget cuts affected their ability to secure
necessary classroom supplies. -- More than fifty percent (50%)
reported a significant increase in layoffs and reduction of
learning resources for students due to insufficient school funding.
-- Sixty percent (60%) of teachers surveyed feel less motivated
following budget cuts -- Ninety-two percent (92%) of teachers do
not foresee an end to out-of-pocket spending on supplies for their
classrooms. "Teachers play such an important role supporting,
inspiring and educating our country's future generation, and it's
unfair that teachers should have to bear the costs of also
supplying their classrooms with everyday supplies," said Ryan Vero,
EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer for OfficeMax. "Through 'A Day
Made Better,' we're creating a movement to end teacher-funded
classrooms." In preparation for the nationwide cause event on
October 6, OfficeMax is working with partner Adopt-A-Classroom, a
not-for-profit organization supporting teachers in the classroom,
to identify Title I public schools across the country where
classroom needs are great with a significant number of students
from low-income families. Principals at selected schools will have
the opportunity to nominate one extraordinary teacher, who
demonstrates exceptional dedication and innovation in teaching, to
be honored during 'A Day Made Better' 2009. "School budget cuts are
of great concern to teachers across the country who worry about
being able to support their classrooms with the supplies and
learning resources needed for the 2009/10 school year," said Jamie
Rosenberg, founder and executive director of Adopt-A-Classroom.
"I'm proud to continue with OfficeMax in their efforts to support
teachers and hope this year's event will serve as a wake-up call to
the public to get involved and help teachers make ends meet in the
classroom. Teachers need our help now more than ever." OfficeMax
first launched 'A Day Made Better' in October 2007 and has since
conducted more than 2,000 classroom surprises across the country.
As a result, the annual cause event has secured national media
headlines, calling attention to the problem of teacher-funded
classrooms, emphasizing community action, and increasing public
support for teachers through donations to Adopt-A-Classroom. Please
click the link A Day Made Better to see past teacher recipients and
to view video monologues of what the award has meant to teachers.
Or to show your support for ending teacher-funded classrooms, go to
our dedicated Facebook page. About OfficeMax OfficeMax Incorporated
(NYSE:OMX) is a leader in both business-to- business office
products solutions and retail office products. The OfficeMax
mission is simple. We help our customers do their best work. The
company provides office supplies and paper, in-store print and
document services through OfficeMax ImPress , technology products
and solutions, and furniture to consumers and to large, medium and
small businesses. OfficeMax customers are served by more than
30,000 associates through direct sales, catalogs, e-commerce and
more than 1,000 stores. To find the nearest OfficeMax, call
1-877-OFFICEMAX. For more information, visit
http://www.officemax.com/. OfficeMax Media Contacts: OfficeMax
Investor Relations Contact William Bonner Jennifer Rook Mike Steele
630-864-6066 630-864-6057 630.864.6826 DATASOURCE: OfficeMax
CONTACT: Media, William Bonner, +1-630-864-6066, or Jennifer Rook,
+1-630-864-6057, or Investors, Mike Steele, +1-630.864.6826, all of
OfficeMax Web Site: http://www.officemax.com/
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