Proximity Learning

Giving Teachers Hero Status and Breaking Down Barriers to Virtual Learning

The Story

School districts nationwide are facing one of the largest teacher shortages on record. Whether driven by decades of low pay, stress, disrespect or political debates, educators everywhere are exiting the classroom for better jobs. It’s expected that by 2025, there will be 225,000 teacher vacancies.

As a tech entrepreneur and proud son of two educators, Evan Erdberg created Proximity Learning to help fill this void by placing thousands of certified teachers in classrooms through web conferencing technology.

Experienced certified teachers anywhere in the country can connect virtually with students when local educators are unavailable. Proximity Learning teachers with decades of experience lead over 3,000 classrooms in 400 K-12 schools.

Over a simple and easy-to-implement online learning platform, they mirror in-person instruction, covering standard classes, tutoring students, and teaching summer school in nearly any subject.

However, while much of the country became acquainted with virtual learning during the pandemic, many parents, students and educators remain skeptical. Erdberg wanted to overcome these concerns while drawing attention to the challenges teachers face and their tireless efforts to serve students and the community around them.

As part of this quest, Erdberg authored a book, “#TeachersServeToo,” which details the decades of degradation, inequity and disrespect teachers have endured. The book urges readers to stand up for teachers and show them the same respect we do to our armed forces.

Proximity Learning wanted to use the book to increase awareness of the reasons driving teacher shortages, with Erdberg as their key thought leader. In the process, the company also wanted to increase its brand awareness, announce successes in new markets and expand its curriculum to include dynamic learning tools.

With the help of Red Fan, Proximity Learning gained national attention with more than 500 media mentions equal to over $2 million in advertising, spotlighting Erdberg as a leading spokesperson on teacher shortages and dispelling many of the remaining concerns about virtual learning.

Challenge

During the pandemic, students, parents and teachers were thrust into virtual learning, connecting students and teachers from their homes. Many became comfortable with this approach; many others did not.

For many students and parents, the concept of teachers zooming into classrooms is weighed down by their past perceptions and negative experiences. For them, it seems improbable that virtual learning could effectively provide classroom instructions and address teacher shortages.

Luckily, Proximity Learning has been successfully placing certified virtual teachers in classrooms and supporting students’ learning journeys long before COVID.

Solution

Red Fan collaborated with Proximity Learning to achieve its communications goals in three phases over several months.

The first step was to immediately take advantage of a backlog of Proximity news. The company had already achieved large successes that could be announced. Press releases were quickly drafted and pitched to promote company accomplishments, such as reaching half a million students served.

These announcements demonstrated momentum and immediate credibility for Proximity Learning as Red Fan initiated and nurtured discussions with education reporters and influencers.

Next, Red Fan produced a series of announcements promoting Erdberg’s new book. The Red Fan team pitched and placed Erdberg in multiple education outlets and broadcast interviews discussing the book and the effectiveness of virtual learning. Concurrently, Erdberg also testified about teacher shortages in front of the New Jersey Senate Education Committee, which attracted the attention of local and state media.

Lastly, the Red Fan team executed a series of announcements and media interviews that promoted virtual learning as a suitable solution when local educators were not around. Media discussions covered the successes of virtual learning as told by Proximity Learning teachers and customers, the introduction of interactive curriculum and dynamic learning tools, and the acquisition of Coursemojo’s virtual learning book of business (a former competitor to Proximity Learning).

Results

Proximity Learning gained national attention with more than 500 media mentions (a 76% increase year over year), equal to nearly $2 million in advertising. Throughout the partnership, Red Fan crafted and launched eight campaigns and secured dozens of earned articles in education media like EducationWeek, Education Investor Global and EdTech Chronicles. As a result, Proximity Learning saw both growth in its total share of voice against competitors and a whopping 31% increase year over year in its earned share of voice against its primary competitor.

Share this Case Study

We were seeking a true PR partner to join the Proximity Learning marketing team. I knew in the earliest days of our collaboration with Red Fan that they were exactly that. The Red Fan team acts as an extension of our team. So far, we’ve collaborated on a book launch, acquisition communications, customer storytelling and other thought leadership efforts that have helped Proximity reinforce its position as the leading synchronous virtual learning provider for K-12 education. Red Fan always brings creative ideas to the table, thinks strategically about how to strengthen the Proximity brand, and clearly cares about our success.