Loose Leaf Foundation

Paper. When asked what resource they wished they had more of, Oklahoma teachers resoundingly told Bart Baker, founder of Loose Leaf: copy paper.

Statewide budget cuts of more than a billion dollars have translated to staggering cuts across Oklahoma’s public school systems. Teachers are grossly underpaid, classroom materials are outdated, class sizes are growing, programming has been cut and spending per student has been drastically reduced. Our districts, schools, administrations and certainly teachers are doing everything they can with what they have, but they deserve better.

When meeting with teacher Jennifer Lowery at Fairview Elementary School in Moore as Co-Owner of Oklahoma School Pictures, Baker saw firsthand how the cuts have impacted classrooms. At the most basic level, teachers across the state don’t have adequate paper to make copies for their students. The paper Oklahoma teachers do have is often stored behind locked doors and carefully rationed. Teachers are printing worksheets 4 to a page, with text so small students have trouble reading it. Limited paper means teachers have to change or completely abandon important lessons in our children’s education.  

Loose Leaf Foundation was born out of a desire to support Oklahoma teachers’ and students’ everyday educational needs that might otherwise go unmet. We believe we will all bear the burden if our children don’t get the education they deserve.

Paper may seem like a very minor issue in the face of Oklahoma’s education crisis. But we believe the gift of paper says to our teachers: “We see your hard work. We hear your frustrations. We support you and we thank you.” Our children’s education and the future of our state is worth every piece.