77 Percent of Educators Lack Sufficient Communication and Tools to
Support Early Education Preparation
BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 8, 2016--
Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ: ODP), a leading global provider of office
products, services, and solutions, through its Office Depot and
OfficeMax brands, today announced the results of an early education
preparation survey whose findings uncovered that while almost all
educators feel support of parents with children younger than school age
is important, only 23 percent of educators have sufficient tools to do
so.
The non-profit Center
for College & Career Readiness and Office
Depot, Inc.’s “Committed to Learning” initiative recently surveyed
more than 3,000 educators regarding their perceptions of family
readiness to prepare children for kindergarten, and the tools available
to educators to support them in communicating and working with families.
A few key findings from the survey:
-
97 percent of educators felt that communication between
districts and parents before students were school aged was important
or very important as part of school readiness preparation.
-
77 percent of educators felt that parents had some of the tools
they needed to prepare their children for school yet needed help from
educators in those critical years before kindergarten, while 23
percent of educators felt that parents did not know how to prepare
their children for kindergarten.
-
23 percent of educators reported having sufficient tools to
effectively reach out to parents, while nine percent of
educators reported having nearly no tools to support their work in
parent communication.
-
For those educators who have some support in communicating with
parents, 69 percent indicated the need for help in using those
tools to be effective in their work.
“The survey findings show the increased demand for learning initiatives
that equip educators with tools to more effectively work with families,”
said Becki Schwietz, senior director of K-12 initiatives for Office
Depot, Inc. “We are proud to partner with school districts around the
country to address the critical unmet needs of students and affect
positive change at home and in the classroom.”
As part of its “Committed to Learning” initiative, Office Depot, Inc.
works with school districts to solve the challenge of reaching parents
of children who aren’t yet registered for school. The company conducts
research and provides targeted mailing lists, and facilitates the
creation and mailing of educational information, including tips,
encouragement and other materials, to help education begin at home.
“Committed to Learning” has led the company to convene a national team
of education experts and partners across disciplines. Having worked with
thousands of school districts for more than two decades, Office Depot,
Inc. has solidified a belief in the principles of equity, mastery and
collaboration for successful student outcomes, and adopted a
student-centric approach that maximizes district budgets while
delivering solutions and expertise to meet the changing needs of
students today.
Find out about Office Depot, Inc.’s education solutions at business.officedepot.com/education.
Survey Methodology/Sample Qualifications
In April 2016 the Center for College & Career Readiness conducted a
survey of educators on behalf of Office Depot Inc.’s “Committed to
Learning” initiative. A total of 5,208 educators (including Principals,
Assistant Principals, Department Chairs, Teachers and more) participated
in the survey.
About Office Depot, Inc.
Office Depot, Inc. is a leading global provider of products, services,
and solutions for every workplace – whether your workplace is an office,
home, school or car.
Office Depot, Inc. is a resource and a catalyst to help customers work
better. We are a single source for everything customers need to be more
productive, including the latest technology, core office supplies, print
and document services, business services, facilities products,
furniture, and school essentials.
The company has annual sales of approximately $14 billion, employs
approximately 49,000 associates, and serves consumers and businesses in
59 countries with approximately 1,800 retail stores, award-winning
e-commerce sites and a dedicated business-to-business sales organization
– all delivered through a global network of wholly owned operations,
franchisees, licensees and alliance partners. The company operates under
several banner brands including Office Depot, OfficeMax, Grand & Toy,
and Viking. The company’s portfolio of exclusive product brands include
TUL, Foray, Brenton Studio, Ativa, WorkPro, Realspace and HighMark.
Office Depot, Inc.’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select
Market under the symbol ODP. Additional press information can be found
at: http://news.officedepot.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160808005131/en/
Source: Office Depot, Inc.
Office Depot, Inc.
Julianne Embry, 561-438-1451
julianne.embry@officedepot.com
or
Edelman
Abby
Van Uum, 512-200-5341
abigail.vanuum@edelman.com
