Educational Dealer June 2020

June 2020

FOR PEOPLE WHO SELL TO TEACHERS, PARENTS AND SCHOOLS

COVID-19 sparks change for vendors • what will back-to-school look like?

• new products & back-to-school specials •

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Mixed Up Feelings?

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THE ISSUE

Toil and Trouble Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day.

by Kevin Fahy

Throughout the great stay-at-home of March and April, I couldn’t get that line from “Macbeth” out of my head.

The days just stretched out, behind and ahead, all running together in one long slog. Weekends were no different from weekdays, holidays barely noted.

Coincidentally, many scholars believe that Shakespeare may have written that play, along with “King Lear” and several lesser works, while he was home under quarantine from the plague. Well, I think I can speak for all my fellow hack writers when I say, “Good for him.” At least I managed to sort out my sock drawer.

I am writing this column while that slog is still proceeding. I don’t know for sure that we will publish it, or that our readers will still be there to read it should we do so. If you can answer those two questions in the affirmative, things are looking up.

Since we pulled the emergency brake, the economy has come crashing to a halt. As I’ve had little else to do for the past month, I have watched a ridiculous number of cable news programs, and their coverage of the economy has bordered on comical.

They always seem shocked that there are so many people out of work, and that so many companies are in dire straits.

I’m not sure what they expected would happen when you shut down most of the businesses in the United States. I was actually a little surprised that it wasn’t worse. Car sales, for example, only dropped 50 percent in the first month, when I would have expected it to be close to 100. Who goes out and buys a new car right now,

18.

especially when the dealerships aren’t even open?

Of course some businesses are doing fine. Netflix is downloading so much stuff it has had to use lower resolution images in some areas.

Amazon will hire just about anyone who walks by. Procter & Gamble, the maker of Charmin, is not feeling the squeeze.

In our part of town, though, the neighborhoods are a little bit rougher.

Print publishers were down about 45 percent in early April, while retailers such as bookstores and hobby stores were down 25 percent, but I suspect your experience was considerably worse.

Speaking of Charmin, by the way, I think that Hollywood owes us all an apology. I’ve seen an awful lot of post-apocalypse movies over the years, and I don’t remember any of them predicting that the most precious commodity would be toilet paper. It seems as though shotgun shells were usually much more prized, especially when there were zombies involved.

In some of them, the whole experience was a lot of fun. I remember one film I saw when I was a kid, in which Harry Belafonte and Inger Stevens were the only two survivors in an otherwise conveniently deserted New York City. What were the chances that two beautiful young people from opposite genders would be thrown together in such circumstances?

At any rate, I hope your own experience during the national “pause” was not all bad. Mine certainly was not, and although I wouldn’t care to repeat the process, (continued on page 6) June 2020 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 3

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N June 2020

FOR PEOPLE WHO SELL TO TEACHERS, PARENTS AND SCHOOLS

3

10

16

34

The Issue Toil and Trouble

by Kevin Fahy

S

V m in

10

Doing Business During the COVID Spring To take the pulse of the industry in April, we asked our advertisers if, and how, they operated during the pandemic shutdown. It was an informal poll of just six questions. Ten of our advertisers responded to tell us they were adapting successfully to change.

What Will Back-to-School Look Like?

With safety from the coronavirus as their goal, America’s schools could look completely different next fall. What does that mean for us? To give you some food for thought, here’s a roundup of ideas.

S

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Family Businesses: the Drive to Survive Founded on hard work, innovation, strong values, and love, small businesses like Baumgartens are well prepared to take on the challenges ahead.

Departments

20 Eye on Education

A new school year or picking up where we left off? Seniors want the ceremony. Closed colleges are being sued. Teachers keep track of homeless students. Schools feed families.

28 New & True and Back-to-School 32 Cool & Hot

37 38

Innovations in the furniture and equipment category

38

S to

Index of Advertisers

W S s c s

Passages Frank Schaffer and Gary Grimm were early developers of teacher resources

T

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New from TESCO SYNERGY SERIES SEATING, DESKS & TABLES Visual synergy inspires imagination and makes workspaces more functional, integrated, and engaging.

SYNERGY SERIES Seating, Desks and Tables are designed to complement the aesthetic of all furniture in the series.

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THE ISSUE (continued from page 3)

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it may have been worthwhile.

I won’t say that it gave me time to think, because I always have that, but it did cause me to think about things differently. One of those things was what being apart taught us about being together.

A stock market analyst on CNN said that the economy lost $2.7 trillion during the spring of 2020, but where did it go?

Most Americans were still receiving either paychecks or pensions or unemployment insurance or Social Security, but all that money failed to generate our accustomed prosperity because we stopped buying things from each other.

Over the years I have told prospective advertisers that advertising doesn’t cost them money, it makes them money. I believe that, but I had never considered it in the broader context, that all the money we all spend on everything comes back to us indirectly. If we stop buying things, the alchemy stops working.

More specifically, at this critical and bizarre moment, we all need each other in a manner I had never envisioned in my 36 years as an entrepreneur. I had always thought of small business owners like you and me as independent and self-reliant, the bedrock of American capitalism. We paid our employees, paid our bills, and paid our taxes.

With the advent of the Payroll Protection Program, many of us were forced to acknowledge that without public assistance our businesses could not survive. As much as I want your business and mine to make it, I will admit to having mixed feelings about accepting help from the government.

On one hand, I am grateful that America seems to care, collectively, about small business, and I understand that nowadays we often compensate the victims of forces beyond their control.

The families of those killed on 9/11, for example, received large cash settlements.

On the other, it always makes me uncomfortable when the government

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Storage must be durable, purposeful, agile and most importantly needs to be segregated or isolated.

This “Design Lab” is successful in maintaining heightened agility because every resource is managed in one systematic location. Labeled resources are organized in various heights, depths and widths.

Certwood’s StorSystemTM solutions are intentionally positioned at the centralized core of this mobile lab as resources are selected, transferred, utilized only to be repositioned at the end of class.

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Certwood UK Laporte Way Luton Bedfordshire LU4 8EF Office +44 (0) 1582 456 955 June 2020 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 7

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Publisher J. Kevin Fahy • kfahy@fwpi.com Editorial Director Tina Manzer • tmanzer@fwpi.com Graphic Artist Christopher Cornett • Christopher@fwpi.com Advertising Director Tim Braden • tbraden@fwpi.com Ad Sales Representative Darlene Ryan • darlene@fwpi.com Enewsletter & Online Advertising Manager Rick Kauder • rkauder@fwpi.com Production Manager Mark Stash • mstash@fwpi.com Marketing Director Amy Colburn • amy@fwpi.com Subscriptions Yesenia Rangel • accounts@fwpi.com Editorial Offices PO Box 1080, 171 Reed St. Geneva, NY 14456 800-344-0559 315-789-0458 FAX: 315-789-4263

Copyright © 2020

About Fahy-Williams Founded in 1984, Fahy-Williams Publishing specializes in magazines, directories, e-newsletters and other promotional material for a wide variety of niche markets.

Art Materials Retailer artmaterialsretailer.com Toy Times the magazine of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association Life in the Finger Lakes lifeinthefingerlakes.com edplay edplay.com ROBEX for the Rochester Builders Exchange Around the Table for the Game Manufacturers Association 8 June 2020 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com

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THE ISSUE starts handing out benefits that are available to some people and not others.

The criteria usually seem arbitrary at best, and unintended consequences are inevitable.

The second round of PPP, for instance, ran much slower than the first because many small businesses were not able to hire back their employees.

Thanks to enhanced unemployment benefits, those erstwhile employees could often make more money by staying home.

During the 1918 flu pandemic, by contrast, the government did very little to fight the disease, let alone help businesses to survive the storm. If you owned a company that got hurt by the flu, that was your problem.

I’m not suggesting that the system was better a century ago than it is now, but I will say one thing for the 1918 approach. It was fair.

Nonetheless, here we are. As an industry made up almost entirely of small businesses, many of which were highly stressed even before there was a deadly virus on the loose, we certainly needed the help.

It brings to mind one of my favorite lines from “The Wizard of Oz.” The wizard is explaining how he wound up in Oz, having taken off in a hot air balloon from a state fair and getting lost. When he landed in Oz, the people there declared him the “the first wizard deluxe.”

“Times being what they were,” he said, “I accepted the job.”

Those cable news programs love to compare our current situation to the Great Depression, I think because it sounds so terrifying. I know our unemployment numbers this summer will be very bad, but I often wonder if those reporters realize that the Depression lasted for 10 years.

I don’t think we’ll be down for that long. If we are, well, we might see some great movies.

You can e-mail Kevin at kfahy@fwpi.com.

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Doing Business

During the

COVID Spring

Industry Manufacturers Adapt Successfully to Change

by Tina Manzer

Working safely at Baumgartens

1. Did your business close in March or April? How did you handle it with your employees and customers?

2. Closed or open, what happened at your business in April?

3. Did you develop new product for back-to-school? How was its introduction affected?

4. Did you apply for assistance from the federal government?

5. What were some of the takeaways from this experience?

6. What would you like dealers and retailers to know about your products right now?

To take the pulse of the industry in April, we asked our magazine’s advertisers if, and how, they operated during the pandemic shutdown. Included in this very informal poll was a short list of questions. Ten of the companies responded; here are their stories.

“We remained open with a staggered office and warehouse schedule.”

KwiYoung Baumgarten, Baumgartens, Georgia

“Our SICURIX Identification Products are considered an essential business category, so Baumgarten’s remained open,” explains KwiYoung, recently named CEO of the small familyowned business. “We were able to provide our dealers nationwide with the products they needed (see pages 18 and 30).”

All of the Ed Dealer advertisers who responded to our questions stayed open in March and April, essential or not, and modified their operations to comply with the guidelines and keep their employees safe.

“We recognized that staying open presented a huge, potential health risk for our team members so, together, we all reviewed the

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CDC information on the virus and prevention. At the same time, we also discussed the opportunities of staying open and the potential consequences of closing. Unanimously, we decided to remain open and serve our customers the best we could. We did so by creating new safety rules and processes.”

Among them were staggered office and warehouse hours, a reduced four-day work week, and a protocol for using gloves.

Those employees who could work from home did so. Others who worked in near contact in the company’s Atlanta facility wore gloves and masks. Specific areas were disinfected throughout the day, lunch times were staggered, and more microwaves and toasters were brought in to minimize crowding in the lunchroom.

Video conferencing replaced face-to-face discussions, even when those conferring were in the same building. “We will continue to reevaluate these practices as we follow CDC guidelines,” says KwiYoung.

Baumgartens specializes in unique and useful products for the home, office and school markets under the brand names of Conserve, SICURIX ID Solutions, Plastiklips, ZEUS Magnets, Plastibands, PenAgain Writing Tools, and others. While sales of some products (SECURIX, gloves, aprons and flashlights) increased significantly in March and April, sales of other categories dropped as much as 80 percent.

“Like many small businesses, we were challenged to quickly

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PAPER CONNECTION Composition Books

1-Subject Notebooks

Filler Paper

The COVID Spring align our products to our customers’ needs and priorities,” says KwiYoung. “There has been little disruption of our supply chain because we are required to keep a back stock of about six months on hand.”

The company applied for a PPP loan and was approved in the second round.

Today, Baumgartens is fulfilling new requests for homeschooling kits, which are available to dealers nationwide.

“In addition, we’re offering Back-to-School kits for teachers, home offices, elementary and middle schools, arts & crafts, and special ed,” she said (see pages 18 and 30). “We’re offering a 10-percent discount on those kits through September.”

Due to the danger of the virus itself and the conflicting messages from individual states, KwiYoung expects tough times ahead. “We are prepared for a long and difficult recovery but our company is adaptable and resilient. It has a strong history of overcoming adversity. We appreciate the ongoing support of our customers and will do everything we can to fulfill their needs.”

She notes that the importance of running a business that’s fiscally responsible was a significant takeaway from the experience.

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“Looking ahead, we understand students and teachers may need to adapt to virtual learning and we are actively pursuing new school supply items to support learning in that environment.”

Jean Anderson, C-Line, Illinois

The office products company remained open as an essential business with the majority of employees working from home. It has been filling orders and trying to keep disruption of service at a minimum, Jean reports. “We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding if orders are delayed or product shortages occur. We continue to monitor the situation and will notify our customers of updates if necessary.

“This unprecedented event has given us the opportunity to see what operations look like with so many members of our team working remotely,” she adds. “The biggest challenge remains dealing with the uncertainty that comes with the pandemic. We’re taking it one step at a time and planning for the future, while keeping those plans flexible so we can adapt to whatever our new normal may be.”

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C-Line’s products include sheet protectors, name badges and holders, shop ticket holders, media storage products, laminating film, and more. New this year for back-to-school is its recently launched notebook category (see pages 16 and 28).

For more information, visit c-line.com www.ergosfurniture.com

DO YOU KNOW WHY CHOOSING ERGOS IS “We would like dealers and retailers toCHOOSING know that all SUSTAINABILITY?

our products can be produced with antibacterial agents, and that all our collaborative lines adjust very easily to different configurations. All of that may help in adjusting from periods of social distancing to periods of social cooperation.”

Ergos products are a great alternative to traditional tables and chairs as they are produced in a single polypropylene piece, they do not use wood, varnishes, or glues, and they are produced in a close circuit of water eliminating threats to our planet.

Patented for their ergonomic design, ergos tables and chairs are strong, washable, and lightweight. They are UV protected making them perfect for outdoor and indoor use. They can also have antibacterial agents added which will eliminate up to 99.9% of known bacteria. You can choose between 16 different colors and up to 7 sizes. Our ergos Pack table and chair set is designed specifically for kids and rugged play. Easy to store, enjoyable and safe to use makes ergos products the best choice for your furniture needs.

Dustin Knarr, Ergos Furniture, Pennsylvania and Portugal

By splitting production into several shifts, the Ergos factory in Portugal was able to remain open during the worst of the pandemic. “Other employees took vacations and some were able to work from home,” Dustin explains. “We have been working according to strict government regulations.”

Seeing how well the Ergos team adjusted to the changes

and remained flexible was one of the valuable takeaways from the experience.

In May, Portuguese health authorities starting allowing small businesses to re-open. “The impact of opening will be monitored, and if there is an increase in the number of cases we will all go into lockdown again,” he explains. “People are still required to wear masks in public spaces, including schools, supermarkets, banks and workspaces.”

In the short-term, Ergos Furniture is increasing its online presence and reinforcing its environmental policies (see page 24 and 32). “We believe that the level of service we provide, the quality of our products, and our competitive price points will help us come back strong,” says Dustin.

“For us, the solidarity, cooperation, and care for others are important parts of the way we do business. We believe in working with people and helping their businesses to grow, and aligning technology with tradition. We want people to see where our products are produced and the people behind our brand.”

You can email Dustin at dknarr@ergosfurniture.com. (continued on page 14)

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Can be used for sand or real food.

The COVID Spring

“Everyone became more aware of our country’s food supply and its vulnerability. With reports of upcoming info@HABAusa.com shortages, we will be positioning our OPCOM Hydroponic www.HABAusa.com Systems as an effective option for growing plant 800-468-6873food.”

Shelley Mathews, FullCircle26 Inc., California

Lettuce is probably blooming in the OPCOM Farm Grow Box in the otherwise empty front hallway of Guilford Elementary School. Students in Sterling, Virginia, have been able to experience hydroponic farming since 2018, thanks to a partnership between FullCircle 26 and painting-supplies-andinstruction brand Bob Ross Inc. The system’s enhanced and flexible lighting precisely simulates the sunlight spectrum, and a growth-boosting pump replenishes oxygen to the roots in the water.

Hydroponic foods are widely recognized as a healthier and more cost-effective food option, so restaurants, hospitals, universities, and even kosher food suppliers are using OPCOM Farm systems.

Shelley reports that in April, unexpected orders from consumers led to out-of-stocks, further exacerbated by customs delays as the systems shipped from China. Going

forward, FullCircle26 is increasing its inventory levels to support the at-home-growing trend (see pages 31 and 32). $250 FF A For more information, visit Fullcircle26inc.com/shop.

“Retailers can send their customers our ‘Retailer Rebate Code.’ It gives customers a discount on HABA’s website, and gives retailers a kickback.

Phil Wrzensinski, HABA USA, Central New York

“In March and April, we noticed a shift to more direct sales and fewer B2B sales. We believe the virus has fastforwarded consumers’ online shopping habits,” says Phil. He believes that B2B will remain a significant portion of its sales, “but stores will have to embrace more digital selling options if they hope to keep customers. HABA will continue to support both channels as before, offering more and better ways for both types of customers to find us and order from us.”

In April, the company waived drop-ship fees for its customer base, which allowed retailers to sell directly to consumers from HABA’s inventory.

HABA operated with a skeleton crew during the shutdown, and continued to ship products. It applied and was approved for PPP, but “we haven’t seen any money yet since the banks went dry,” he says.

Here are HABA’s five takeaways from the pandemic lockdown experience.

1. “We see Bundles as a new element of our offerings going forward, and have introduced several Bundles to retailers that they can sell online.” (See pages 29 and 34.)

2. “We see new and different ways to support our retailers with/through social media.”

3. “We see new and different channels to explore.”

4. “We see the need to update our own systems to better integrate with how customers and retail buyers shop.”

5. We see the need to look at our product offerings with a more curriculumobjective focus.”

HABA’s Fall Flier, which includes several new items and new products to help retailers stock up for the summer and fall, was introduced in May. For more information, visit www.habausa.com.

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“Going forward it is ‘business as usual.’ We know 2020 will be a trying year, but will make the most of the recovery and sales curve.”

John Fox, Miller Studio/Magic Mounts Division, Ohio

Magic Mounts remained open to fill customer orders.

“Most of our suppliers also remained open, we have a good inventory, and should have no delays once accounts are ready,” says John (see pages 31 and 35). “We have reached out to everyone to let them know we are here when they are ready for merchandise.”

Sales took quite a drop in April, John reports, and the company has not yet launched new product for back-toschool. “We will wait until it opens up a bit.” They looked into PPP but didn’t qualify. “We have altered our inventory a bit to control expenses, but will stay in stock with most of our items,” he says.

Email John at jfox@miller-studio.com, or customer service at mmsales@miller-studio.com.

“Having the PPP would be very helpful right now. We filed into the first round of funding and we all know what happened with that. At this time we have heard nothing, and more than likely are being passed over, like so many deserving small businesses. Canada and Europe have done a much better job of swiftly providing assistance to small business and workers in the crisis, without all the red tape and greed.”

Kevin Casey, Primary Concepts, California

Primary Concepts is located in the East San Francisco Bay area, one of the first communities to mandate a shelterin-place order. “It came quite suddenly on March 16th near the end of the work day,” recalls Kevin. “Those employees who could work remotely started doing so immediately, and those in shipping, receiving, assembly, etc., stayed home to shelter in place.”

Businesses were required to close until April 7, per the Alameda County shutdown order, and Primary Concepts announced to its dealer partners that it would cease shipping (continued on page 26)

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What Will Back-to-School Look Like?

Even though the target is still moving, furniture manufacturers, designers, educators, architectural firms and even real estate developers are looking ahead at ways to create a new normal for learning. While the majority of their recommendations are designed to help schools follow CDC guidelines, others are meant to maintain efficiencies or lower costs associated with the changes.

Here’s a roundup of suggestions we’ve collected from a variety of sources. Their ideas are organized into categories that include De-densify, Furniture & Decor, and Office Space.

Movable plexiglass screens like these from Screenflex provide a safe barrier between school librarians and students. Other safeguards include the carpet design – its hashmarks remind people to social distance as they wait in line.

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Until there is a COVID vaccine, students in classrooms must be 6 feet apart. To create that all-important social distancing, the average classroom can accommodate only 12 to 15 students at a time. Schools can either expand the physical space or teach fewer students at one time.

One scenario calls for adding trailers to school campuses, but concerns include the cost and availability of portable classrooms, and the cost of additional teachers.

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by

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by Tina Manzer

Other, more practical solutions include decreasing the number of students in the building at any given time. There are a number of recommendations.

Hybrid approaches combine face-toface instruction with online options.

Students attend school in person two days a week and learn online three days a week. Half the students in each class attend on Monday and Wednesdays, and the other half on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays, everyone works from home while the building is deep cleaned.

Different instruction styles for different grade levels, like providing in-person

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Here are the CDC guidelines for schools that were in session as of May 20.

Minimize movement throughout the building and restrict mixing between groups.

Cancel all field trips.

Limit gatherings, events and extracurricular activities to those that can maintain proper distancing.

Restrict nonessential visitors and volunteers.

Place student desks 6-feet apart.

Close communal-use spaces like dining halls and playgrounds if possible. Otherwise, stagger their use and disinfect in between uses.

Students should eat individually-plated meals in the classroom.

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Stagger arrival and drop times or locations.

Limit direct contact with parents.

Keep each student’s belongings separate from others’ and in individually labeled containers or cubbies.

Minimize the sharing of high-touch materials like art supplies, math manipulatives, science equipment etc. OR limit the use of them to one group at a time and disinfect in between.

Avoid sharing electronic devices, books, games and other learning aids.

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instruction for elementary-school-aged children and social distancing options for higher grade levels.

Year-round school with alternating breaks.

Longer instructional days to allow for fewer students at one time in courses like band, choir and orchestra, and in recess and at lunch.

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Maybe there was method to the madness of our forebears.

The traditional classroom layout they “invented” – rows of student desks all facing the front of the room – helps prevent the spread of disease, at least according to the current guidelines. Since safety has replaced collaboration as the top priority in classroom design, our thinking has had to change pretty quickly. Here are some of the safety solutions, furniture and décor-wise, that are being discussed in the news.

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eso cau YoY .air.aeitrceatc bab nwnow noknk fo fo %9% .999.99 ot op esoohochn c an c ou t dndanealbealb t aktck ac PasPosgore .se.zsieszi7s o7t optupd grreuO ruO undansaroslro ,er,o lpald geggugr udrndansadsikdirkofroyflla ficicfieic p etrsotost oytsayE saE.ya.y ped ylcla ruo yoryofroefce iochiochtcsetb rp ak m es ru seebhet hst csu tcduod orsposgore grseek se am Seating options by Ergos Furniture and Kore Seating offer antimicrobial protection against common bacteria, and are also easy to clean and sanitize.

Plexiglass everywhere, to isolate and protect librarians, office and administrative staff, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and others who serve throngs of students every day. Since its invention by British scientists in the 1930s, plexiglass has been favored in medical settings because it resists weathering and is not damaged by chemical cleaners, reports Fox Business.

Since elementary schools reopened in the Netherlands on May 11, portable plexiglass screens have been used to protect teachers when students are coughing, reports Reuters.

Plexiglass screens have also been placed between the desks of students in classrooms in Wuhan.

Plexiglass production has been scaled up by the material’s

largest manufacturers to meet the demand. One of them, Perspex in the U.K., increased its acrylic sheet production 300 percent from February to March.

Modular and agile furniture with easy-to-move pieces can be separated for thorough cleaning and then put back together. Casters for mobility also facilitate easy washing of floors and walls.

Wood furniture has natural antibacterial properties to eliminate potential contaminants. Wood also dries quickly after washing, which also prevents bacteria growth, (continued on page 24)

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EYE ON EDUCATION

Teachers Prefer a Fresh, New School Year this Fall

Sixty-five percent of teachers in a nationwide poll support starting the new school year with “regularly scheduled instruction,” reports Education Dive.

The option was favored over others like revisiting concepts from the end of this semester, extending the next school year, or offering students the chance to repeat a grade.

Administrators, on the other hand, believe beginning the next year where teachers left off in April 2020 is the best strategy. Education advocates and policymakers agree, but were also the most supportive of extending the current school year – something only 15 percent of teachers favor.

More than 5,500 people responded to the survey, conducted by the Collaborative for Student Success. Out of that number, around 12 percent were administrators, 81 percent were teachers, and the rest were advocates and policymakers.

Respondents also offered their own suggestions, including having students return to their current grade for a month at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year, extending the school day, or creating mandatory “study hall” to work on material missed during closures, says Education Dive. Another was to trust

educators to differentiate instruction and provide more classroom aids for support.

Seventy percent of administrators are in favor of assessing students at the beginning of next year to determine learning loss. Nearly 60 percent of teachers agree with that idea.

Ideas were also offered for summer learning depending on how soon school buildings will reopen, said the article, along with how to fund transportation.

“Looping” – or moving groups of children up from one grade to the next with the same teacher – was also suggested.

“This year, more than any other, our kids need continuity, our kids need their teachers to know them and, as a result, our kids need the same teacher next year,” wrote Mark Rogers, a first-grade teacher in Austin, Texas.

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Students Petition for Graduation Ceremony

The biggest trend on Change.org in April and May was led by hundreds of students. They urged high schools and colleges to reschedule or postpone graduation ceremonies canceled by COVID-19. “There are petitions from almost every state, signed by thousands of students who don’t want their senior year to disappear without some kind of recognition,” says Michael Jones, managing director of campaigns for the San Francisco-based petition website.

More than 550,000 petition signers have created strong pushback to the idea of holding virtual commencements via video conference software like Zoom.

They are demanding the opportunity to have the event in-person at a later day, when restrictions on gatherings have been lifted.

Some schools came up with creative graduation ideas that followed safety guidelines. In Gilbert, Arizona, seniors received their diplomas from a hologram of their principal, reports Education Week. Over a period of three days, each senior was taped individually walking onto a sound stage. Meanwhile, in a separate room, the principal was recorded congratulating each one in front of a green screen. The separate recordings were then edited together.

A Wisconsin principal, who thought up a floating graduation parade around Green Bay, was disappointed when health officials quashed the idea. While it was okay for each senior to receive their diploma at a marina, hop in a boat alone, and form a flotilla with other graduates, community officials were concerned about social distancing among the cheering crowds on shore.

Handwashing on the Go with Jonti-Craft® Clean Hands Helper Portable Sinks Jonti-Craft portable sinks go wherever frequent hand washing is a priority. They meet licensing requirements and give you the flexibility of moving them quickly to areas of need in educational, health, and other community settings.

No Plumbing Required

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EYE ON EDUCATION

Closed Campuses Battle Class Action Suits

Colleges and universities that have had to close during the pandemic are facing a wave of class action suits from students seeking refunds for tuition and room and board – more than 60 cases have been filed around the country. The same institutions are also receiving public backlash for trying to obtain federal rescue funds when they have large endowments, says Education Dive.

To find out more about the legal

ramifications, reporters from the education news source recently talked to the higher education team at law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. The lawyers, who represent leading colleges and universities around the world, discussed two issues that will impact the plaintiffs’ cases.

First, suits filed in federal court against state universities face the biggest hurdle, said Tracy Talbot, a member of the firm’s Higher Education Refund Class Action Rapid Response Team. Since state universities have a shield of sovereign immunity, most are likely to be tossed out. “Instead, they will be brought in the potentially more difficult environment of the state court system,” she told Education Dive.

Talbot also cautioned against lumping together a highly diverse range of students as “similarly situated to”

Help Your Customers Be Prepared For When Their School Re-Opens Screenflex Clear Dividers are the best way to create a see-through barrier that helps protect against germs.

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under class-action law. “Each student represents a highly different level of engagement with their respective school,” she said. Some are living full-time on campus and may be deeply involved with the academic environment. But others are barely on campus, and follow self-directed research. The courts would have to parse whether these situations constitute a single class, or whether they are too separate to warrant class certification.”

Federal Aid Available for Homeless Students, If Schools Can Find Them

School districts are being asked to find ways to stay in touch with homeless students who are living in emergency shelters, motels, cars and campgrounds, or who are living with other families, says Education Dive. They would be eligible for federal assistance if they can be identified, says nonprofit education news source Chalkbeat, but that can be difficult. And experts warn that housing instability could rise for students as a result of the pandemic, especially when moratoriums lift.

Studies show that homeless students are less likely to graduate or achieve academic proficiency than those living in poverty.

Based on 2017-2018 school year numbers, more than 1.5 million children and young people are homeless. “The number of students sleeping in cars, parks, and on the streets more than doubled in one year, and the number of students living in hotels went up by 17 percent,” says the article. “The rate of English learners living in homeless conditions rose by 30 percent and went up by 16 percent for those with disabilities or who were unaccompanied.”

School leaders are looking for ways to establish trust with homeless students so

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that they can connect them with services.

In Dallas, the Independent School District is providing drop-in centers that provide food, hygiene products and laundry facilities for high school students. Also available are mentors who can counsel students about resources and housing. In Maine, a nonprofit is providing homes for homeless middle and high school students.

The Los Angeles Unified School District has 17,000 homeless students, says Education Dive. Superintendent Austin Beutner has requested that $1 billion in funding earmarked by the state for homeless students be allocated to schools.

Schools Still Feed Students

Educators across the country have been busy distributing food to students at makeshift locations – or delivering the food themselves. The grab-and-go station at the high school in Lebanon, Oregon, for instance, serves close to 600 meals daily and counting, reports NEA Today. “Each day, when distribution begins, dozens of families are already there. They come in cars, on foot or by bike. They keep a safe distance from each other and collect bags of breakfast and lunch, like pancakes and berries, taco salad, carrots, apples, chips, and milk.”

While school buildings remain closed, one in five children is going hungry, says a new study from the Brookings Institute.

Reliable. Practical.

Economical.

Phone 1-800-732-4018 Fax 1-800-689-2772 Contact Us ezgrader@voyager.net June 2020 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 23

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Back-To-School

(continued from page 19) Antimicrobial-treated chairs and tables are available from Kore, Ergos and other companies in the school furniture market.

Many performance fabrics have a moisture-repellent surface so liquids bead up for easy removal and cleaning. Some can be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water, and others can be sanitized with diluted bleach.

Stickers from Flipside direct students to wash their hands and social distance. Portable sinks like this one from Jonti-Craft do not require plumbing.

New carpet and floor designs remind people to social distance. Some incorporate lines spaced every 6 feet; others include circles to show people where to stand.

Portable hand-washing stations are lifesavers, literally. Options for classrooms are available from Monsam and Jonti-Craft.

www.ergosfurniture.com

DO YOU KNOW WHY CHOOSING ERGOS IS CHOOSING SUSTAINABILITY? Ergos products are a great alternative to traditional tables and chairs as they are produced in a single polypropylene piece, they do not use wood, varnishes, or glues, and they are produced in a close circuit of water eliminating threats to our planet.

Patented for their ergonomic design, ergos tables and chairs are strong, washable, and lightweight. They are UV protected making them perfect for outdoor and indoor use. They can also have antibacterial agents added which will eliminate up to 99.9% of known bacteria. You can choose between 16 different colors and up to 7 sizes. Our ergos Pack table and chair set is designed speciďŹ cally for kids and rugged play. Easy to store, enjoyable and safe to use makes ergos products the best choice for your furniture needs.

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Back to the office

Office workers need to be protected by the same safeguards as classroom children. Right now employers, like schools, are devising strategies to reduce density, re-orient work stations, and separate people from one another. Here are some of their solutions.

No more shared desks. “Hoteling” – the practice in which workers dynamically schedule their use of shared desks, cubicles and offices – is dead, pronounced the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Clean-desk policies will be enacted to ensure proper cleaning and sanitation of desks and workspaces. Nonessential items will be stored in cabinets and drawers.

Going into the office will be an opt-in proposition. Employees who want to go

HEALTHY HABITS FLOOR & WALL STICKERS -

in will have to sign up for specific days and hours. When the number hits the designated capacity for the day, everyone else stays home.

New gadgets will be installed to prevent the spread of germs. They include antimicrobial door handles, voice activated lighting and doors, touchless destination pads in elevators, ultraviolet lights in ducts to kill germs, and highquality air treatment systems that have been beefed up with high-efficiency particulate air filters.

Temperature checks will be mandated for all employees when they arrive.

Screens will be added in front, behind and beside people. “The higher, wider and more easily cleaned, the better,” recommends a white paper by office

furniture giant Steelcase.

Employers are creating specialized rooms, say, for small-group conversations. Others are considering negative air-pressure rooms that help prevent airborne diseases from escaping and infecting other people.

“Innovation, productivity and growth can be reignited and accelerated with a workplace that is designed to balance diverse ways of working while supporting people’s wellbeing more than ever, and respond quickly and easily when faced with disruption,” suggested the Steelcase whitepaper.

“The opportunity ahead is to reinvent a workplace that is inherently adaptable and able to change as needed, based on new conditions.”

The same goes for schools.

3 SIZES, 13 DESIGNS! - PACK OF 5 FOR $59.99

Non-Slip Floor Stickers NEW Highly durable Easy to clean Wall Stickers Bright Colors Removes easily with little or no residue Works well on a variety of surfaces Clear messages to remind students to do their part

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The COVID Spring (continued from page 15) until then. “This was followed by a statewide stay-at-home order with no expiration date, but far more guidance on how companies could operate during the crisis,” he continues. “Some of our warehouse staff agreed to come back to work April 1 and shipping opened up. As of May 4, our full crew came online with some positions working remotely.”

Primary Concepts’ bestselling products were temporarily out of stock due to the Chinese New Year shutdown followed by the closing of factories in China because of COVID-19. Having the assembly crew out during the month of April also caused backorders – but they were fulfilled in early May. In late April, the company experienced longer lead times for corrugated boxes and shipping supplies, “but there are workarounds on that,” says Kevin. “Primary Concepts’ new products are in stock and shipping (see pages 9 and 30).”

It is open for business with a four-day week, Monday through Thursday.

For more information visit www.primaryconceptsdealer.com.

Specialty Racks

“Most of us find comfort in structure, especially children, so we have made our Time Timer apps for iPhone, iPad and Android free so that people of all ages and abilities can add some structure to their lives, wherever they are.”

Heather Rogers, Time Timer, Ohio

Custom Design your portable Sink!

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“At Time Timer, our hearts go out to everyone who is impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The impact is wide and inescapable, from having a loved one pass away to losing a job and even young children who miss their friends and teachers. Part of our mission is to help everyone lead a better life, so it is hard to see so much suffering in so many ways during this very uncertain time.

“Time Timer is located in Cincinnati. We were able to fully follow the stay-at-home orders issued by the State of Ohio and remain in operation. All members of our administrative staff worked remotely during March and April and we’re prepared to continue to work remotely for as long as it takes for the USA and the world to recover.

“Our warehouse and fulfillment partners are all able to continue operations with required precautions in place to remain safe. So, Time Timer is here for you and ready to support your business. We have continued our new product development efforts and intend to offer new products for the back-to-school season – whatever that season looks like (see pages 12 and 33).

“We expect that the education industry will not disappear, but that it will change in unexpected ways. Time Timer intends to be part of it as education evolves. All of us in the education industry, ultimately, serve the interests of young people who represent the future. Despite hard times right now, I’m convinced the future and role that our young people will play in it remain bright.”

For more information call 513-561-4199 or visit www.timetimercom.

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“Everyone is working and products are being shipped Help Your Customers Be Prepared as always.”

(See pages 22 and 32.)

For When Their School Re-Opens Richard Maas, Screenflex, Illinois Screenflex Clear Dividers are the best way www.screenflex.com to create a see-through barrier that helps protect against germs.

• Practical and economical • Easy-to-clean surface • Available in single panel or 3 panel divider • Folds compactly for storage

“Last December, we introduced our 2020 products in our

ion of partitions reading and that many ways.

catalog.

WeMaas willfor bemore introducing more new products in May.” Contact Kevin information 800-553-0110 x 109 Janell Palmer, WB Manufacturing, Wisconsin www.dealerSF.com

WB Manufacturing was considered an essential business, so the manufacturing facility remained open and quote requests and purchase orders continued to be processed. “We understand that not all businesses were allowed to operate, and some of our suppliers are experiencing delays and closures,” Janell explains.

“Currently, we are holding standard lead times on our quotes, and

®

314.821.1441

will let customers know if delivery dates will be affected based on the individual situation at the time.”

The company applied for and received PPP. Like other essential businesses, WB implemented precautions to contain the spread of the virus, sent employees who could to work from home, and continued its conversations with customers using Zoom.

“We are fully operational today,” reports Janell. “Employees who were working from home are coming in on a staggered schedule throughout the week to reduce the amount of contact in the office. We will maintain the safety precautions we put in place, continue to monitor changes in our community, and pay attention to the guidelines of local government health officials.

(See pages 33 and 35) “Our business and our employees adapted to the changes quickly and successfully,” she concludes. “Together we can continue to manage this situation as it unfolds” For more information, call 800-242-2303 or email info@wibench.com.

Your One Source Solution for Early Childhood Equipment

childrensfactory.com

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New True

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Back-to-School Specials

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#8289 – Rigorous Reading: An In-Depth Guide for Any Picture Book Grades 2-4 is a customizable resource from Teacher Created Resources. It helps students dig deeper into the text, visual images, and design of picture books by conveying meaning and creating a unique reading experience. Teacher instructions provide activity overviews, a quick guide, and writing and drawing prompts. www.tcrdealer.com

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Learn Basic Shapes the fun and colorful way with Wikki Stix! The kit includes a giant foldout sheet that shows how shapes combine to form the things kids see all around them. Includes 72 Wikki Stix and 10 activity cards.

Back-to-School Special Free freight on $150 or more.

800-869-4554, info@wikkistix.com

Mixed Emojis is a fun, fast-paced game from United States Playing Card Company (Hoyle). It helps elementary-school-age kids recognize and express their emotions while they learn how to empathize with others. jeniferSilz@usplayingcard.com

E-Z Grader Purple, Stock #5703, is a bestselling color!

Back-to-School Special FREE freight on orders over 100 items combined for month of June.

800-732-4018, ezgrader@voyager.net

C-Line’s 1-Subject Notebooks for students and professionals provide instant writing space. The perforated edges help papers tear out cleanly.

The durable, solid-colored front makes it easy to organize projects

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or classes by color, and it easily stores in a binder. Available in Wide or College-Ruled format. Assorted colors.

Back-to-School Special 10% discount for ONE BTS order placed through 8-28-20. Bonus extra 10% discount on all New C-Line 2020 items. Order must reference BTS2020. Limited to one order within promo dates. Cannot be combined with any other offer or applied to a previous order. All items must appear on same PO and ship to one location. 800-323-6084 customerservice@c-line.com www.c-line.com

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Brand new Eureka Jumbo Scented Stickers with a long-lasting smell are a perfect award for students’ achievements!

Each pack includes12 scented self-adhesive stickers (two stickers per sheet) for a total of four designs. Stickers can be handed out individually, thanks to perforated sheets.

Stickers measure approximately 3 inches.

Contact your sales rep 1-866-394-5047 eurekaschool.com

The Basic MIST Kit from Glo Germ is a non-aerosolized product that allows teachers to effectively demonstrate airborne bacteria and simulate coughs, sneezes, and cross-contamination. glogerm.com

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Crayola’s Create-to-Learn kits for children preK-2, grades 3-5, and for grades 6-8 combine curriculumconnected projects with a step-by-step parent guide. Each kit contains three visual, easy-to-use projects with hints to nurture creativity, curiosity, critical thinking and more. Contact your Crayola representative for more information.

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Healthy Habits Floor/Wall Stickers from Flipside Products are available in 15 brightly colored designs.

They’re printed on an easy-to-clean durable material and adhere to almost any surface.

They leave little or no residue when removed, and the Floor Stickers are nonslip! Sold in packs of five.

Back-to-School Special Orders $750 or greater, free shipping and net 60 terms (Code: CVNET60).

Orders $1,500 or greater, free shipping and net 90 terms (Code: CVNET90). *Exclusions apply, qualified buyers only.

Armagan Strasser, 800-926-0704 astrasser@flipsideproducts.com

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Who wants ice cream?

The Sand Toy Set from HABA can be used for sand or real food. The three ice cream cones, scoop and bucket are perfectly sized for small hands.

800-468-6873 info@habausa.com www.habausa.com

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New True

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Back-to-School Specials

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The Twist ’n Write ergonomic pencil from Baumgartens helps kids experience the freedom and joy of writing, at home or at school. Its unique shape ensures a natural tripod grip. Parents, teachers and occupational therapists love it because it’s a simple and innovative educational tool that accelerates and improves kids’ handwriting skills.

Back-to-School Special We are offering 10% off for Approved Dealers, of our homeschooling kits and Back-to-School kits including ones for teachers, home office, elementary, middle school, arts & crafts, and special-ed kits. Must use

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promo code BTS2020. Valid JuneSept 2020. See the full kits catalog at https://bit.ly/BAUMKITS www.baumgartens.com Six Early Rising Readers Boxed Sets are coming soon from Newmark Learning! Each collection includes 12 engaging nonfiction and fiction readers that focus on vocabulary and high-frequency words for beginning readers (levels AA, A, B). Includes activity guide.

Contact your sales rep or call 1-877-279-8388

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Coconut Counters from Learning Advantage

serve as unique manipulatives, and sensory and crafting resources for early learning. They are hand cut, polished, and coated with non-toxic paint. Large letters are 1.5 inches in diameter. For ages 3+. Large letter pieces: 1.5-inches.

Back-to-School Special $1,000 net minimum 5% discount free shipping OR 1,500 net minimum 10% discount free shipping. Use Promo Code: BTS2020 Expires July 31, 2020.

Send orders to: orders@learningadvantage.com 866-564-8251 info@learningadvantage.com, learningadvantagedealer.com

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Removable Mounting Tabs from Miller Studio are perfect for school, office and dorms!

The value pack includes 480 tabs, size 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch. Hang posters, charts, calendars and more.

They’re easily removable and don’t damage walls. magicmounts.com

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Multicolor Recycled Leaf Pencils from Musgrave create a beautiful cascade of colors when sharpened – the shavings look like rainbows! They function like regular pencils, but they’re not made from wood, they’re made from lots of layers of recycled leaves. www.pencils.net

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Sensory Toys

Size Sort #1112 from Primary Concepts is a sensory learning best seller! Kids grades PreK-1 can practice size discrimination by placing these identical items in three sizes on their appropriate-sized mat; complete with labels in English and Spanish. Includes 30 objects (10 each of three sizes) mats, labels and teaching notes.

800-660-8646 information@primaryconcepts.com www.primaryconceptsdealer.com

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Create unique builds with 17 Structure Sticks from Roylco Inc. Each bright and colorful twist-andsnap construction piece is uniquely designed with notches, slots and hexagonal keyholes that offer lots of

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Our Rainbow Gel sensory sets contain squishy gel-like beads in 7 transparent, vibrant colors. Each piece contains a loop at the top for hanging.

options for building. Includes 400 pieces in five colors. 864-296-0043 makestuff@roylcoinc.com www.roylco.com Brightly colored ARcards from PBS Publishing are not your ARrrr-dinary flashcards! Using augmented reality, images on the cards come to life with video and audio. Children remain engaged while learning letter recognition, pronunciation, vocabulary, and fun facts. Download the free app to a tablet or smart phone. ARcards make learning fun and engaging!

419-661-8700 tsingleton@pbs-publishing.com pbs-publishing.com

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#57011 Rainbow Gel Number Fish Set of 21

#57013 Rainbow Gel Alpha Boats Set of 26

TickiTÂŽ product range exclusively distributed by Learning Advantage Toll Free 866.564.8251 orders@learningadvantage.com www.learningadvantagedealer.com

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Cool Hot innovations in the furniture and equipment category

Back-to-School Specials

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Clear Dividers (1) from Screenflex provide “Division With Vision.” Available in one height – 6 feet 2 inches – and two lengths: 3 feet-4 inches and 10 feet, they have a full 3/8-inch-thick acrylic surface for strength and stability. Made in the USA, the dividers are wet-erase compatible. They are quality constructed and easy to use. Contact Kevin Maas, 800-553-0110 kmaas@screenflex.com

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The OPCOM GrowBox (2) is an all-in-one hydroponic growing system for year-round inside gardening. With an automated control system that manages lighting and water circulation, growing is a breeze! It’s ideal for the classroom, home, and many other settings. It comes with a Starter Kit and is supported by a STEM Book. Contact Lisa Mack, 407-493-6790, info@fullcircle26inc.com

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Back-to-School Special Make sure to use Code FC5EDU to save 5%* on your Grow Unit! Valid through 12/31/2020 only at fullcircle26inc.com

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The DESK 21 (3) from Ergos Furniture allows people to move, collaborate, join, or separate – a solution for new ways of living and learning, at home and in the classroom. Flexible and collaborative spaces have proved to be the best solution during this time of social distancing. With the DESK 21, you can keep your distance now to work together sooner. www.ergosfurniture.com

Jonti-Craft’s Clean Hands Helper Portable Sinks (4) are portable hand-washing stations without plumbing! Available in heights for kids and adults, they encourage hand-washing and help keep everyone healthy while meeting licensing requirements. Water is heated by an on-demand water heater and features one tank for non-potable clean water and one for waste water. 800-543-4149, sales@jonti-craft.com www.jonti-craft.com/sinks

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Marco Group’s Makerspace Mobile Storage Cart (5) is the perfect storage and transport solution for learning and building materials. The durable storage trays slide in and out with ease. The backside has a white dry-erase panel for adding messages or for working on writing skills. The top tray features extra storage space. www.marcogroupinc.com 32 June 2020 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com

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The portable changing table (6) from Monsam is a safe, easy-to-use solution for changing-station needs. It provides plenty of space with a 6-inch all-around backsplash. Our countertop and stainless-steel basin are constructed from special antibacterial material to guarantee a safe, germfree area. Add an electric foot switch for a hands-free hand-washing sink.

800-513-8562, sales@portablesink.com

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Illumi Mite (7) from ChildBrite helps children explore the wonders of light. By setting the light to one of several color options, including white, kids see how colored light interacts with colored manipulatives (not included). Four 2-inch EZ-Roll casters provide mobility and lock for stability. The sturdy and colorful construction is molded from certified non-toxic resins. childbrite.com

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Back-to-School Special Mention this ad on your next PO to receive an additional 10-percent off our Contender product line.*Promotion valid until 9/1/2020 and not valid with any other discounts or promotions.*

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Back-to-School Special For a limited time, 15-percent off purchases of $250 or more of Time Timer Original 12inch, 8-inch and 3-inch visual timers. Valid on published wholesale prices. Offer not valid in combination with any other offers or discounted prices. While supplies last.

Case pack minimums required.

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The EPIC Table (8) from WB Manufacturing has the perfect strength, stability and design for any STEAM room. It can be customized to meet the needs of different learning environments. Choose the frame height and color, and then pair it with a top of hardwood, stainless steel, phenolic or our virtually indestructible Lotz Armor Edge. 800-242-2303 info@wibenchmfg.com , wibenchmfg.com

The C16121 Twelve Cubby Storage Unit (9) is a bestseller in Wood Design’s Contender line – it keeps any room organized! Twelve translucent trays that measure 5 inches high by 7-3/4 inches wide by 11-1/2 inches deep are designed to hold a variety of manipulatives, toys, and supplies.

Ships ready-to-assemble for easy and convenient small-parcel shipping. www.wooddesigns.org

A.W.T. World Trade offers drying and storage racks (10) for all budgets and applications. You won’t find a wider selection of racks anywhere. Offering hundreds of uses for drying, storing, and transporting rigid or semi-rigid objects, A.W.T’s Racks are perfect for your classroom, workshop, studio, home, print shop or office. sales@dryingandstorageracks.com www.dryingandstorageracks.com

The Time Timer Original 8-inch (11) has been helping students and teachers improve focus, maintain schedules, and create structure for more than 25 years. It provides research-proven visual time management – as the time elapses, the red disk disappears, making the abstract concept of time easily understood by all ages and cognitive abilities.

513-561-4199, support@timetimer.com www.timetimer.com June 2020 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 33

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The Baumgartens: Rosalia and Julius, Hans and Jean, KwiYoung and David

WHO WANTS ICE CREAM?

Perfectly sized for small hands.

Set includes 3 ice cream cones and one scoop and bucket.

Can be used for sand or real food.

Family Businesses: $250 FFA

by Tina Manzer

Founded on hard work, innovation, strong values, and love, companies like Baumgartens are well prepared for the challenges ahead.

info@HABAusa.com www.HABAusa.com 800-468-6873

ELAPSED TIME DICE Double Set of Dice, One Pair Yellow and One Pair White for Calculating Elapsed Time (Item #18848) Grade 3+.

A SingleYellow Pair for Daytime Time Telling (Item# 18847) Grade 2+

the Drive to Survive

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Family-owned businesses have been the backbone of our industry since its very beginning. Companies begun generations ago by husbands and wives – who became the original moms and pops – continue to grow and evolve under the direction of sons and daughters, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

Baumgartens, specializing in unique and useful products for the school and office markets, is a good example. It began in Austria, where Julius Baumgarten and his wife Rosalia manufactured fine papers in the 1800s. Frederich Baumgarten brought the business to America. His son Hans and daughter-in-law Jean began to grow the firm after World War II. Jean was named CEO and board chair in 1996.

They had five children – four daughters and a son. David, the youngest, has worked at Baumgartens for 25 years as executive vice president.

Jean passed away on February 14 at age 94. As was her wish, David’s wife KwiYoung became majority stockholder and chairman of the board. Together, the couple operates the company from its headquarters in Atlanta.

The legacy of Hans and Jean lives on

Three years after his father arrived in the U.S., Hans, age 14, caught one of the last rescue kindertransport convoys to England in 1939. The following year, he, his mother and brother sailed to Quebec, took a bus to New York City, and were reunited with Fred. Hans became a U.S. citizen and in World War II, he was among the troops that landed on Normandy’s beaches.

Hans and Jean worked hard to revive the family business when the war was over. They took their products to tradeshows around the world, and treated each trip as an adventure.

David remembers a story from the

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1970s, when his parents were traveling to a tradeshow in Chicago. Just a few miles from the convention hall, their Cadillac El Dorado got stuck in a snowstorm. Undaunted, they unloaded the luggage and product samples from the trunk, piled them on flimsy carts, and pushed them the rest of the way to the show.

Jean, the daughter of a single mother, grew up during the Great Depression. She joined the Army Nurse Corps and met Hans when she returned to her hometown, Washington, D.C.

“She had vision, and knew how to pick or make beautiful things that the world hadn’t yet seen,” said David.

“She knew how to talk them up, write them up, and put things up for sale.”

Building a legacy of their own

When KwiYoung joined the company in 2018, Jean said, “I am quite hopeful my son and daughter-inlaw can work together as wonderfully as my husband and I did for 60 years.”

A fintech and payments public relations veteran, KwiYoung held positions at First Data and Verifone before officially joining Baumgartens.

She had worked with David part-time for four years to launch PenAgain, an ergonomically designed writing instrument; and the sustainable Conserve line that includes dishware made from sugar cane fiber, and cups and utensils made from corn plastic.

“Over the last couple of years, Jean dedicated time to me on a weekly basis to teach me how to successfully lead the family business,” KwiYoung said. “I will do my utmost to honor her legacy.”

David’s father was an environmentalist, in addition to being a people-centric adventurer. “His questions were always, ‘How long until all this stuff hits the landfill? Is the wood used from managed forests?

What happens to the water runoff?’” he wrote when his father died in

2017. “‘It’s not nature’s job to have concern for us,’ he said. ‘There are consequences, and they will have an impact on our children’s lives and health.’”

The following year, under David’s direction, Baumgartens announced its goal of screening 100 percent of its 800 products for toxins and heavy metals. Based on a stringent European standard called the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, the initiative qualified and tested thousands of Baumgartens’ product components. Heavy-metal-safe products continue to be added to the company’s portfolio as the result of annual tests.

Since then, the company committed to introducing compostable and biodegradable materials to the products it develops wherever it is feasible. It also offers a “display rack take-back program.” Instead of tossing the racks when they’re done, customers can call Baumgartens to pick them up for refurbishing or recycling.

The company’s goal is to be carbon neutral by 2022.

“In my view, the contribution of a husband-and-wife team to a business involves the emotional support that exists between the two,” KwiYoung told us. “Solo business ownership can be lonely, especially when you know how much your decisions can

positively or negatively affect the family. Neither David nor I go home to a spouse that doesn’t ‘get it.’ We share the burden of failure and enjoy the successes of this precious family business together. There are plenty of challenges when we consider each of the myriad choices before us, but it is a pleasure to share in this way.”

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Passages

(continued from page 38) cities and towns of all sizes.

“School Supplies multiplied and grew to bring improvements, indeed transformation, to classrooms across the nation,” continued Marsh, founder of Gallopade, an award-winning publisher of children’s educational products.

“Catalogs, advertising, public relations, government relations and improved business practices of all types further professionalized the industry.

“People assume that mom-and-pop companies, or teachers with spare time, produce products almost like a hobby,” she added. “But the school supply industry is like any other – you grow or die. You are obliged to innovate, change, adapt, and anticipate a future.”

Gary Grimm

In that kind of environment, another innovative teacher co-founded teacher

resource company Good Apple in 1975.

Gary and business partner Don Mitchell – also a teacher – set up shop in tiny Carthage, Illinois, where they published activity books to help reinforce skills.

Gary died on April 22 in Tucson, Arizona.

He was 81.

After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Gary taught school and coached basketball in West Frankfurt. In the late 1970s, he took a job with the Illinois Department of Education’s Regional Gifted Extension, and he and his wife Janet moved to Carthage. He discovered a need for resources to help teachers teach gifted

students, and Good Apple was launched.

In 1989, Gary and Don sold their company to Simon & Shuster, and each started separate businesses that produced educational resources.

Don and his wife Judy founded The Teaching and Learning Company, and Gary founded Gary Grimm & Associates.

It was eventually sold to an employee, Phoebe Wear, and evolved into a company that provides products to the senior activity-therapy market.

The company still operates but, in a recent telephone conversation, Phoebe said she had just sold the massive 37,000-square-foot building that, back in the day, had accommodated the offices and warehouses of both The Teaching and Learning Company and Gary Grimm & Associates.

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ADVERTISER INDEX Company

Page Website

A.W.T. World Trade

26

awt-gpi.com

Baumgartens

18

baumgartens.com

C-Line Products Inc.

16

c-lineproducts.com

Certwood Ltd

7

certwood.com

Childbrite by Manta-Ray

8

childbrite.com

Children’s Factory

27

childrensfactory.com

Crayola

11

crayola.com

E-Z Grader

23

ezgrader.com

EDmarket Association

39

edmarket.org

Educators Resource

6

erdealer.com

Ergos Furniture

24

ergosfurniture.com

Eureka / Css industries

19

papermagic.com

Flipside Products/Hayes School Publ.

25

flipsideproducts.com

FullCircle26, Inc.

31

fullcircle26inc.com

Glo Germ Company

14

glogerm.com

HABA/Habamaass Corp.

34

HABAusa.com

Jonti-Craft

21

jonti-craft.com

Koplow Games

34

koplowgames.com

Kore Design LLC

6, 8, 21, 23 31

Learning Advantage

korestool.com learningadvantage.com

Marco Group Inc.

Back Cover

marcogroupinc.com

Miller Studio Inc.

35

magicmounts.com

MONSAM Portable Sinks

26

portablesink.com

Musgrave Pencil

3

pencils.net

Newmark Learning LLC/Benchmark Education

11

newmarklearning.com

PBS Publishing

38

pbs-publishing.com

Primary Concepts

9

primaryconceptsdealer.com

Roylco

18

roylco.com

Sandtastik

38

sandtastik.com

Scholastic Teacher Resources

13

scholastic.com

Screenflex Portable Partitions Inc.

22

dealersf.com

Teacher Created Resources

17

teachercreated.com

TESCO LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

5

tesco-ind.com

The United States Playing Card Company Inside Front Cover usplayingcard.com Time Timer LLC

12

timetimer.com

Total Plastics Int’l

36

totalplastics.com

Ward Products / The Hubbard Co.

37

hubbardcompany.com

WB Manufacturing

35

wibenchmfg.com

Wikki Stix

20

wikkistix.com

Wood Designs

15

wooddesigns.org

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PASSAGES

Innovative teacher and schoolsupply entrepreneur Frank Schaffer died on April 16 in California. He was 93. The company he founded in 1972, Frank Schaffer Publications, was at one time the country’s most successful publisher of supplementary books for teachers. In 1994 when Frank retired, he sold the business to the Toronto Star for $56 million. It was subsequently sold to McGraw-Hill in 2001.

Frank grew up in Midtown Manhattan, where his father “sold things from a cart,” he said in 2010, in an article for the weekly newspaper Easy Reader. World War II interrupted his college education and he was shipped off to France to serve in the Counter Intelligence Corps. Frank was in Paris when the war ended.

He returned to New York and married his wife Marilyn in 1946.

Six years later, with a master’s degree in special education from New York University, Frank had his pick of teaching jobs. He chose one in California, where teachers were in short supply. New suburbs with new schools were developing fast to keep up with the post-war baby boom.

Frank took a job in Lakeside, partly because he and Marilyn were promised a home as incentive to make the move.

He worked in education for 20 years, including three as the principal at Porterville State Hospital, a treatment center for people with intellectual disabilities. He got the job by scoring the highest grade on a civil service exam.

In 1957, he returned to teaching, in the Palos Verdes Unified School District, where he remained until 1975.

With five sons to feed, Frank also worked as an afterschool tutor and an adjunct professor at a branch of Pepperdine University. “I was teaching students how to teach reading, and one day a student suggested I put my lectures in written form,” he told weekly newspaper Easy Reader in 2010. “She complained that I talked too fast and she couldn’t read my writing on the board.”

Fun and Games with Reading was written during his school’s Christmas vacation, and Frank printed 1,000 copies.

Marilyn took them to the California Teachers’ Association meeting at the Biltmore Hotel and the books sold out.

Their company was born.

An exciting time of growth

To understand how and why Frank Schaffer Publishing grew is to understand how our industry flourished from seeds that were planted during World War II. Instead of placing education on the back burner, the War Production Board (with some prodding from the National School Supply and Equipment Association) deemed the teaching of the nation’s children important to the war effort and to the safety and security of America’s future.

“A stronger philosophy of education and improving standards created a demand for materials to address education needs and supplies of all types,” wrote author Carole Marsh in her 2013 book, First Class, The Evolution of American Schoolrooms. “An entire manufacturing, distribution, and store dealer process was established to provide classroom tools to (continued on page 36)

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