Meet Charlene LaFerriere—your go-to for all things TeacherLists. Whether you’re posting lists, editing lists, sharing lists with families, or adding lists to your website—she knows how to set your district up for back-to-school success.
Get to know Charlene in our exclusive interview below, and check out her tip of the month in every issue of the District Download.
How long have you been with TeacherLists?
I have been with TeacherLists for 9 years.
What is the coolest thing about the TeacherLists supply list platform?
The coolest thing about TeacherLists is the way we easily integrate schools, retailers and families. Districts just post the lists on our site once and they are immediately shared with our retail and Edtech partners and anywhere that the link is posted (website, social media, electronic newsletters, etc). District leaders look like heroes in the eyes of their parents AND it is much easier to update year after year. Not only that, but the platform is 100% FREE for schools and families to use.
What is your favorite part about helping districts get their supply lists up and running?
Providing a resource to schools and districts that will really help them and their families have a smoother back to school season.
You attend 5-10 conferences per year and meet tons of district staff members, what is one thing that they all seem to have in common when it comes to back-to-school challenges and pain points?
Back-to-school is a challenge and stressor for everyone (district, school staff AND families). Simplifying the supply list process in particular helps parents gain control over an often overwhelming time for themselves and their children. Using the TeacherLists platform allows families to know in advance where to go for their school supply needs, thereby feeling more in control and helping their children prepare for the year.
What other job is there where you get to go around talking with cool district leaders and provide them with a free service that will make their lives AND their families lives so much easier?
What recent trends have you seen over the past few years when it comes to school supplies and school supply lists?
Back to the classroom 2022 means back to hands-on activities and classroom celebrations, and the supplies that support them. TeacherLists is seeing a rise again in the number of requests for art & crafts, group and project materials that had fallen off with COVID restrictions when students shifted use from shared to individual supplies.
Charlene’s tip of the month for September: Keep that back-to-school page active on your website!
Having a set back-to-school page on your district website is a great way for families to quickly locate the information they need to transtion back into the school. Now that the back-to-school season has wrapped up, keep this page active on your site—it will help new families moving in throughout the year quickly assimilate to your district and feel confident about their child’s start in a new school. It will also be one less thing that you need to add to your site this spring!
