Learning Resources School Calculator and More: An Admin Buyer's FAQ

I'm the office administrator for a K-8 school district. I manage supply ordering for about 300 staff members across four buildings, which means I process somewhere between 60 and 80 purchase orders every year. I also handle the questions that come with those orders: What's the right calculator? Do these rulers really need to be clear? Can you get permanent marker off a whiteboard? Teachers and new office assistants ask the same things. Here are the answers I give them—along with a few caveats I learned the hard way.

What are the learning resources teachers ask for by name?

When teachers say they need "more learning resources" before naming a specific brand, in our district that usually means the Learning Resources section of our state contract. The section is also easy to find online under the URL learning-resources, so that's the term I use when I'm searching for classroom supply options. It's not the only good brand out there, but it's the one teachers call out by name.

The four things teachers request most from that section are the Learning Resources school calculator, the Pretend & Play school set, a measuring set with rulers and tape measures, and small dry-erase whiteboards. If someone is setting up a classroom from empty, those are the first four categories I'd spend money on. They cover math, role-play, measurement, and everyday classroom communication. I've also learned to order a little extra storage with them—the boxes the sets come in are not strong enough to survive a school year.

Which school calculator should I order?

Order the Learning Resources school calculator. It's a four-function calculator with solar and battery backup, and the display is large enough for young students who are still learning to check their work. We've bought them for first and second grade classrooms for several years, and teachers rarely complain about them.

For reference, in our November 2024 state contract order, they were $5.85 per unit. That price will vary by vendor, so I always tell people to verify their own current pricing before they build a quote. If you're ordering for a whole grade level, the per-unit difference adds up fast.

I do have honest limits for this one. The Learning Resources school calculator is not a scientific calculator and it's definitely not a life path number calculator. It does addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and that's the whole point. If your district requires graphing or scientific calculators for older grades, order the right grade-level tool. Buying the basic one for a middle school classroom would be a mistake, and I'd rather tell you that now than have you return thirty of them later.

What ruler measurements should I look for?

Most buyers focus on how long a ruler is. The question I've learned to ask is what ruler measurements are shown on the tool. For kindergarten through second grade, I order simple rulers with whole inch and half-inch marks. For third grade and up, I order rulers that include both inches and centimeters on the same edge. That's when students start comparing the two systems, and having both scales makes ruler measurements easier to teach.

We use the Learning Resources measuring set because the rulers are made of clear plastic and the measurement lines are printed under the edge. It sounds like a small thing, but it stops kids from measuring from the end of the ruler or tilting it sideways. I've seen cheaper rulers with the lines printed on top of the plastic; they look fine in the package but they're harder for little hands to use accurately. The clear rulers cost a bit more, and in my experience they're worth it.

One more thing: check whether the measurement marks line up between rulers. That sounds obvious, but I've had orders where the 1-inch mark started a hair away from the actual edge. That's a problem for any lesson about ruler measurements.

How do you erase permanent marker from a whiteboard?

The most reliable method I know for how to erase permanent marker from a whiteboard is to write over it with a dry-erase marker, wait about two seconds, then wipe with a clean dry cloth. The solvent in the dry-erase ink breaks up the permanent marker's binder. It works in most cases, and I've used it after school assemblies and teacher meetings more times than I can count.

If that doesn't work, rubbing alcohol on a microfiber cloth should do it. Test a small area first, especially on a coated whiteboard, because the wrong cleaner can strip the surface. And don't use anything abrasive. A scratched whiteboard is permanently ruined; at that point no marker trick will help.

I keep a few dry-erase markers in my office for this exact reason. It's not just for emergencies, either. Teachers know that a whiteboard that's clean and bright makes the classroom look put together, and looking put together matters when parents visit in the spring.

Where can I find help for teaching ideas and curriculum planning?

This is not a supply answer, but teachers ask it so often that I keep it in my bookmarks. Pacific Resources for Education and Learning—PREL, for short—is a nonprofit organization focused on educational research and professional development. I point teachers to them for lesson ideas and curriculum support, especially if they work with Pacific communities or multilingual classrooms.

They're not a vendor, so please don't call them to order calculators or whiteboards. But if you're looking for free, credible teaching resources, Pacific Resources for Education and Learning is a useful starting point. I also like that their materials are grounded in real classroom research, not just sales content. That's a different kind of help than a catalog can give you.

I'll add one caveat: curricula and professional development only help if the teacher has time to use them. If a teacher comes to me stressed about supplies, I don't send them a reading list. I make sure they have the basics first. Then I'll mention PREL or a similar resource.

Should I order the STEM bundle or just the pieces?

My answer to this one depends on your situation, and I mean that honestly. I recommend the Learning Resources STEM classroom bundle if you are stocking a brand-new classroom. The bundle includes a range of manipulatives and measurement tools, and the price per piece is usually lower than buying separately. It's a solid way to open a room without sitting in front of a spreadsheet for two hours.

But if you're just replacing one missing set or filling a single gap, buy the individual item. When I took over purchasing in 2020, I ordered thirty sets of geometry tools because the price per kit looked smart on a spreadsheet. The classrooms had already ordered their own. Those kits sat in storage for over a year before anyone used them. That's how you end up with a "deal" that costs you floor space and makes your inventory report look silly.

The bundle only saves money if it gets used. If you're in a situation where a teacher is starting fresh, go with the bundle. If you're not, don't. No amount of per-piece savings is worth a closet full of supplies nobody asked for. And that advice is the same whether you're shopping with your state contract or a local store.

Should I stock extra supplies before school starts?

Yes, but with a cutoff. I keep a small reserve of the Learning Resources school calculators, dry-erase markers, and rulers because those are the items teachers ask for in the first two weeks. In the 2024-2025 school year, we stocked an extra 10% of each and ran out of nothing. The year before, I ordered exactly what teachers requested, and I was placing update orders by the third week of school.

The difference is that I don't go overboard. An extra 10% is manageable. Ordering 30% extra "just in case" turns into an unclaimed supply cabinet by October. At some point you're just storing product for future you, and future you has no idea what that product was for.

If you're using a state contract, check delivery timelines too. In 2024, our delivery from the main vendor was delayed by three weeks. Having that reserve covered us while orders were in transit. That's the real reason to keep extras, not because you think your teachers will break everything in September.