Thank a Teacher

"My 10th grade history teacher, Mr. Briggs, was one of those larger-than-life extroverts everyone loved (think Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society). As a new student at Coronado High School in El Paso, TX, having recently moved from my childhood home in Troy, MI, I didn't know anyone in my class. Needless to say, I kept a low profile the first few weeks until, one day, Mr. Briggs called me aside, put his arm around me, and said, "You're too nice of a kid to be so shy. Give us a chance." Wow, what an impact he had on me. I soon let people in, made some amazing, lifelong friends, and my new school quickly just became my school. All because Mr. Briggs saw me, reached out, and gave me the nudge I needed. Thanks Mr. Briggs!"

John Jorgenson, Chief Marketing Officer

"Mr Hancher, my 6th grade teacher, never let me skip word problems in math class no matter how hard I tried to avoid them. In fact, when everyone else got skills practice, he handed me word problems to complete. This allowed me to be successful not only in math but with chemistry and physics too."

Jami Koustik, Senior Manager of School Partnerships

"Mrs. Heather Bixler, my 11th-12th grade English teacher, taught me how to love and appreciate all things reading and writing, but most importantly, she showed me my true potential. To this very day, she is still cheering me on in everything I do. Mrs. Bixler is a teacher, a mentor, and a best friend all wrapped in one."

Lizzie Williams, Sales Support Representative

"I would like to thank my 10th and 11th grade English teacher, Mrs. Cindy Saracco, for being fun, engaging, demanding, and relentless in her efforts for her students to be successful and learn. She had goals and aspirations for her students, and believed in our abilities far more than we believed in ourselves. She persevered, encouraged, and demanded progress through until she instilled the self-confidence in us to believe in our abilities as much as she did. Her standards were high, and expectations were higher. She demanded you give your best, grow, and learn. She was amazing."

Shawna Tysse, Account Executive

"Ms. Broadwin, my calculus teacher, was phenomenal at convincing every student that they could learn calculus, and then making it happen."

Steve Ritter, Founder and Chief Scientist

"Amy Brooks, my 8th grade teacher, is always thinking about who her students are, how she can best reach them, and what can she do to make learning interesting and rewarding for them. She always goes beyond for her students!"

Stacy Courtright, Learning Solution Specialist

"I had a lot of amazing teachers growing up near Wichita, Kansas. In middle school, Mary Meyer introduced me to Mark Twain and encouraged my love of writing. In high school, Eric Hofer-Holdeman showed me that math could be interesting and exciting. It hadn't occurred to me until recently that I write math texts for a living and I have those two teachers to thank! Thanks to all teachers everywhere! The time you spend nurturing young minds always pays off, even if it takes a long time."

Josh Fisher, Instructional Designer

"Dr. George Newell, my college English teaching methods professor, taught me about the research of Lucy Calkins, Harvey Daniels, Bob Probst, and Nancy Atwell, and solidified my philosophy of teaching reading and writing in secondary schools."

Anella Wetter, Regional Vice President

"Mr Holley taught an 11th grade Current Events class that brought politics, social studies, writing, and history alive in a way that made me excited to get to class every day."

Nikki Navta, VP K12 Computer Science