April 2006 Editor's Letter
By: Jill Pinheiro

As I write this, I've just returned from Orlando, where I attended the National School Supply and Equipment Association (NSSEA) School Products Expo and School Equipment Show.

According to the NSSEA/AEP Education Products Market Study, preK-12 schools bought $12.6 billion worth of products from manufacturers/suppliers and $8.0 billion from dealers.

I had the opportunity to speak to so many exhibitors, who were displaying their latest and greatest educational products and services. It's an exciting time in this market, and you, the end user, will be the beneficiary of such great innovations.

Manufacturers just continue to create products to make schools a better place for students to learn, and we look forward to bringing you information about these innovations in the months to come.

I wanted to share one particular conversation that I had, one that stayed with me long after I had left the show. I spoke with an owner of a teacher supply store in New Orleans who had lost her home and business to Hurricane Katrina. She had moved back to New Orleans after evacuating, her commitment to the city and her business unwavering. In the midst of the turmoil of the past few months, she was still in Orlando at the show, shopping for the best supplies for her customers, though her "store" now exists only on the Internet for the time being. That's the kind of "above and beyond" commitment those in this market have—a genuine desire to help you, as school leaders, run your school as effectively and efficiently as possible.

In closing, I heard Zig Ziglar speak recently at a conference, and he spent a good deal of time talking about spirituality. One thing he said that stuck out to me was, "The more things you have that money can't buy, the more things you will have that money can buy."

I think this can apply to Christian schools as well as individuals. If you are comprised of and are providing the things to your students that money can't buy, the financial resources will follow, allowing your school to have the things that money can buy. And, I hope you'll turn to this guide as a resource when you spend that money to purchase the products and services to best suit your educational facility.

I'm always interested in hearing from you. You can reach me at jill@cspmag.com .

God Bless,

Jill Pinheiro