TeachersCount

TeachersCount is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to raise the status of the teaching profession and provide resources to the education community. Using a national PSA campaign and related initiatives, TeachersCount works to create a permanent culture of teacher appreciation in the United States. The offices of TeachersCount are located in New York City. Its Web site is www.TeachersCount.org. TeachersCount was founded in 2001 by Diana Burroughs, who became the organization’s Executive Director, and Dini von Mueffling, who became a Board member.

Main Programs

“Behind Every Famous Person Is a Fabulous Teacher” Campaign[1] [2] [3]
The “Behind Every Famous Person Is a Fabulous Teacher” Campaign is TeachersCount’s best-known program. The campaign consists of full-page print-PSAs that appear in Time Inc. publications such as People, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated, Essence, Money, and Time. Each PSA features a celebrity and his or her favorite teacher, along with the campaign’s tagline, “Behind Every Famous Person Is a Fabulous Teacher.” The campaign has featured a variety of well-known individuals, including

• Peter Boneparth (CEO, Jones Apparel Group)
• Chris “Ludacris” Bridges (musician and actor)
• Laura Bush (First Lady of the United States)
• Kenneth Chenault (CEO, American Express)
• Dayna Devon (TV personality, Extra)
• Edie Falco (actress, ''The Sopranos'')
• America Ferrera (actress, [[Ugly Betty]])
• Marg Helgenberger (actress, CSI'')
• Virginia Madsen (actress, ''The Astronaut Farmer'')
• Curtis Martin (NFL player, the New York Jets)
• Jeremy Piven (actor, ''Entourage'')
• Al Roker (TV personality, ''The Today Show'')
• John Sexton (President, New York University)
• Tony Shalhoub (actor, ''Monk'')
• Will Shields (NFL player, the Kansas City Chiefs)
• Jamie-Lynn Sigler (actress, ''The Sopranos'')
• Michelle Snow (WNBA player, the Houston Comets)
• Bradley Whitford (actor, ''Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip'')

The campaign is supported by Time Inc. , which has donated millions of dollars worth of ad space to publish the PSAs, and Jones New York In The Classroom, which covers the production costs of the ads.

Super Hero Teacher of the Year Contest [4] [5]
For the 2005-2006 school year, TeachersCount partnered with OfficeMax and Marvel Entertainment to present the Super Hero Teacher of the Year Contest. The contest invited middle school students to nominate their favorite teachers by writing essays called, “Why My Teacher Is a Super Hero.” The winning teachers and the students who nominated them appeared in a special-edition Marvel comic book that featured teachers as Super Heroes. Half a million comic books were printed and distributed for free in OfficeMax stores.

Teacher Appreciation with Hallmark and TeachersCount [6] [7]
TeachersCount has had a partnership with Hallmark since 2005 that involves providing free teacher-appreciation e-cards and teacher appreciation ideas online.

Web site
TeachersCount uses its Web site, TeachersCount.org, to provide free services, resources, and information to teachers, prospective teachers, and supporters of the teaching profession. Examples of the material available on the Web site include professional development information, education news briefs, lesson plans, a retail savings program, and interviews with education experts.