INDUSTRY NEWS Worthington Direct has named Jason
Miles company president. Jason joined the company in 2016 as director of operations and has played an integral role in the company’s continued success within the school furniture market.
Today, Worthington Direct is still relatively small with fewer than 25 employees. The company still prints an annual school-furniture catalog that features a curated selection of top sellers. However, the product offering on worthingtondirect.com is greatly expanded, allowing other markets to find specialty and commercial furniture products with ease.
The Education Market Association has added two new
Jason Miles and Kevin Worthington
He succeeds founder Kevin Worthington, who has been active in the school supply chain for more than 44 years. Kevin spent 15 years at Hoover Brothers Inc. and five years with JL Hammett Co., before starting his own educational furniture dealership in 1997. Jason previously worked for Lockton Companies as a vice president within its transportation division. The role gave him insight into the logistic challenges that can surface when shipping furniture, especially in the current climate. At Worthington Direct, he has made many improvements in freight procedures and other internal processes. Investing in customer service continues to be his top priority.
team members to meet the needs of the organization as it expands its influence and member services. Heather Tuley has joined the staff in the newly created position of program & content manager. Her role is key to the successful implementation of EDmarket’s membership programs and thought leadership within the educational products space. In addition to 13 years as a classroom teacher, Heather brings extensive experience working with education associations, most recently as certification manager at the Texas Association of School Business Officials. She has a master’s degree in education leadership from Texas State University and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Texas A&M University. Kelly Fisher has been hired as director of marketing, charged with creating integrated marketing plans that support the growth of the association and its programs, events, and membership outreach efforts. Kelly joins EDmarket after spending 13 years with Diversified
Spaces, most recently as their marketing & brand manager. Kelly has extensive experience as a creative and art director for companies of all sizes, both on a freelance and corporate basis. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in graphic design from the University of Wisconsin. A study published in May by EdReports, a nonprofit that provides free reviews of instructional materials, found that the availability of standardsaligned instructional materials continues to increase, but the majority of teachers are not using or have access to highquality curricula. “The State of the Instructional Materials Market 2021: The Availability and Use of Aligned Materials” draws on data from the RAND Corporation American Instructional Resources Survey on curriculum use, teacher perception, and school context. Released annually, the study focuses on the availability of year-long instructional materials that are aligned to college and career-ready standards, how regularly these materials are used, and how often teachers are modifying or supplementing their lessons. Additionally, this year’s study explores the extent to which materials provide culturally relevant content and support a diversity of student needs, including those of multilingual learners. “Because of the critical role materials play in supporting teachers and students, it is vital for all stakeholders to have a better understanding of the materials market,” said Eric Hirsch, executive director of EdReports. “The 2020-21 school year was unlike any other, and while teachers’ use of standards-aligned materials remained consistent from 2020 into 2021, they were also supplementing with resources found on places such as Google and Pinterest at higher rates. In watching this trend, and assessing the impact of the pandemic, we should all be asking: are all students receiving access to the grade-level content and supports they need to learn and grow?” The 2021 study offers five key findings that capture the evolving
30 June 2022 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com
22_EDL_3.indd 30
6/14/22 10:38 AM
