Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

Paralegal Opens Educational Supply Store

By ParalegalGateway.com

Since Anderson Education Center and The Learning Zone closed in 2006, Anderson teachers have been forced to drive to Greenville, Easley or Seneca for classroom supplies. But a pair of friends plan to fill that void when The Chalk Monkey opens today.

Anderson residents Crystal Parsons and Kristy McKain started talking about opening a small business five years ago. Standing in a Clemson gift shop they were thinking of buying, the two realized their passion was in educational supplies.

Parsons, who?s spend the past 17 years working in preschools, was ready for a change and selling classroom supplies allows her to use her teaching experience. McKain is a mom and part-time paralegal.

?There was nothing here,? Parsons said. ?There was no place for a teacher if you needed something on the fly or last minute.?

The Chalk Monkey?s 1,400-square-foot store carries bulletin board paper, letters and borders, posters, Christian and secular teacher resources, as well as educational toys from Melissa & Doug, HABA, and First Note.

A play area for children is set up by the register. The women also offer teacher registries, a wish list shoppers can search by name like a wedding or baby registry. Parsons said her goal is to accommodate customers? requests ? she?s even willing to stop by classrooms after hours to determine the best way to meet a specific need.

?It was a big loss when (Anderson Education Center) went out of business,? said Casey Ellison, a third grade teacher at Whitehall Elementary. ?This will definitely help.?

She and other teachers received e-mail announcements from The Chalk Monkey, and they are certain there?s enough teaching business in Anderson to support the store. Every year, teachers need new borders, sentence strips and other items you can?t find at Office Depot, said Catherine Hurray, a sixth-grade science teacher at McCants Middle School.

?You get so tired of driving out of town or ordering online,? she said. ?It?s so nice to go in somewhere and browse.? (Source)

Full post as published by ParalegalGateway Blawg on July 01, 2008 (boomark / email).