TeachersCount and Hallmark Announce Revamped Teacher-Appreciation Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, March 20, 2006—TeachersCount, a non-profit organization committed to garnering recognition and benefits for the teaching profession, and Hallmark have renewed and revamped their teacher-appreciation program for Spring, 2006. Parents, students, and friends of teachers who visit Hallmark or TeachersCount on the web can now choose from ten free teacher-appreciation e-cards and also access two fun teacher-friendly web features.

Over 50,000 teachers received e-cards over the course of the program last spring. This year, Hallmark has doubled the number of e-cards from five to ten, and TeachersCount has authored the new web feature, “Ten Ways to Make Teacher Appreciation Week Count.” Hallmark will link to this new feature and also re-publish its “Ten Ways to Thank a Teacher.”

The e-cards and teacher-appreciation advice are part of the larger efforts of TeachersCount to raise the status of the teaching profession. “We are hoping that parents and students remember to make their teachers feel valued all spring, and that throughout the country, they will make Teacher Appreciation Week and National Teacher Day into a true celebration,” said Diana Burroughs, the Executive Director of TeachersCount.

This year, Teacher Appreciation Week is May 7-13, 2006, and National Teacher Day is Tuesday, May 9. On National Teacher Day, TeachersCount will announce the winners of its “OfficeMax Super Hero Teacher of the Year Contest” (with partners Marvel Entertainment and OfficeMax) and also host its annual benefit to raise funds in support of its mission. Marvel plans to provide a Super-Hero-themed card as a part of the Hallmark program, which will encourage kids to get involved with this fun and easy way to thank teachers for their important efforts.

For more information, please visit www.TeachersCount.org.

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