Client Spotlight – TeachLink
HOUGHTON, MI – October 17, 2024 – The Innovation Journey, powered by MTEC SmartZone, is a written series that highlights some of our standout clients. This week we focus on the company: TeachLink. Did you know that teachers work on average 57 hours per week and less than half of that time is spent on teaching? Findings by EdWeek, show that over half of those hours are spent on non-teaching administrative work. What can be done to help teachers reduce this time? TeachLink has developed a monitoring administrative platform, built by educators, for educators, that minimizes the time spent on administrative tasks – shifting the focus back to students.
TeachLink began in 2016. The concept was born in the Copper Country, and developed by a local administrator through collaboration with a local engineering firm. Recently, it became clear that focused time and energy were needed to grow the company and reach schools throughout the UP, Michigan, and beyond.
To learn more about TeachLink and its journey, we sat down with TeachLink CEO Amy Loukus, who purchased TeachLink in March of 2024. Amy is a Michigan Tech alumnus with a degree in Chemical Engineering. She recently jumped into the business world as she sought to support the teachers in her community. After seeing how effective TeachLink was and realizing its potential, she couldn’t stop herself from jumping in with both feet to move the business forward. She was amazed by how TeachLink was designed to streamline processes and have an online administrative hub that is easily accessible to teachers and administrators alike
What makes TeachLink unique is that it is an all-in-one administrative software that equips the teacher with the tools and insights to better manage their classroom. This program has a wide range of benefits that have a lasting impact on our teachers, school districts, and most importantly – the students.
The first noteworthy feature of TeachLink is the ability to monitor your student’s progress in your classroom. TeachLink technology identifies areas for improvement in your students that you wouldn’t normally notice without seeing all the data. TeachLink also assists with one of the most time-consuming parts of being a teacher, lesson plans. In TeachLink, teachers can set up their lesson plans for the whole school year or week by week. It is designed to be fully customizable to reach your specific state and school board requirements.
TeachLink also streamlines communication between administrators and teachers. For educators, it keeps all pieces of teacher timelines in a collaborative space that allows teachers and administrators to easily complete each piece of their school year growth plan. At the beginning of each school year, a timeline is set up for teachers, so there are no surprises as the year moves forward. Everyone can see the expectations and what is coming each step of the way. From personal development day notes to plans for classroom observations to final evaluations, TeachLink keeps everything organized and secure.
The potential for technological advancements in our schools is promising in the hands of Amy Loukus but don’t just listen to us, here is a testimonial from a teacher who has used TeachLink:
“TeachLink has been an invaluable resource for me in my journey as an educator,” added Shannon Lehto, Teacher at Washington Middle School in Calumet. “The support and guidance provided by TeachLink have been exceptional. Thanks to TeachLink, I’ve been able to pursue my passion for teaching. I highly recommend TeachLink to any educator looking to broaden their horizons and make a meaningful impact in the field of education. TeachLink has transformed the way I approach lesson planning. TeachLink provides the tools and support I need to deliver high-quality instruction. I can easily create engaging and effective lessons with their vast array of resources and collaborative platforms. TeachLink is instrumental to being a successful teacher.”
The foundation for TeachLink is built but the opportunities to grow are endless. Amy Loukus’ goal is to refine tools based on feedback from teachers and administrators. “This is the start of the TeachLink story” added Amy. “Our goal is to give back to the teachers and administrators who dedicate their time to educating our kids. This technology will modernize administrative processes in our school system. It is already used in local districts, and we are so excited to see TechLink impact on a greater scale in the future.”
At the MTEC SmartZone, we are grateful to help Amy and her team as she moves forward with this endeavor. “For some clients, it’s large tasks, like raising capital, evaluating the market opportunity, or helping them identify skills and experiences necessary to round out their team”, says David Rowe, CEO of MTEC SmartZone. “Other times, it’s merely listening to the client’s needs, offering small suggestions as to how to proceed next, providing a sounding board, and otherwise staying out of the way. This is the case with Amy. She has the knowledge, patience, and tenacity to make correct business decisions and we look forward to seeing where she’ll take TeachLink next”.
Explore TeachLink’s new website, designed by MONTE, to discover how they are transforming our school’s administrative system HERE.
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About MTEC
Michigan Tech Enterprise Corporation (MTEC) is one of 21 SmartZone Incubators in the State of Michigan. MTEC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), its mission is to facilitate the creation and ongoing success of high-tech value propositions in conjunction with the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Since 2003, the MTEC SmartZone has provided mentoring, technical support, and other services to local companies that have led to the creation of over 800 high-tech jobs in the Houghton and Hancock Michigan area.