Grace Educational Resources

What Grace Educational Resources does

Grace Educational Resources is a privately held, founder-owned education materials distributor and professional development provider founded in 2007 by Jim Burnette and headquartered in the Chicago metropolitan area. The company operates with a small core team (1-10 employees) supplemented by a network of 8+ credentialed education consultants, and serves K-12 schools, districts, and individual educators primarily in the Chicago and Midwest region. Its business model rests on three revenue streams: one-time sales of classroom libraries and educational materials sourced through publisher partnerships (MyOkapi/Okapi, Zaner-Bloser, Daffodil Hill Press, Davis Art, Rainbow Book Company, Vista School Resources, La Pread Education Shop), workshop fees for professional development led by its consultants, and consulting services for literacy programming and curriculum implementation.

The company's product portfolio centers on leveled reading assessment tools (Okapi Running Records and Despegando Reading Records, both covering reading levels A-V), early literacy curriculum programs (Flying Start to Literacy and the Spanish-language Despegando hacia la lectura biliteracy program), curated diverse classroom libraries (CPS Pre-K Diverse Infusion Collections with 13 themed bundles), and professional development workshops on literacy, writing, biliteracy, and — as of late 2025 — mathematics (Graham Fletcher workshop). Underlying technology is a Wix-hosted website used for content delivery, resource distribution, and workshop registration, with downloadable digital assets, guided reading videos, and a dedicated Okapi support microsite for Inter-American Magnet School. The company has no public API, no documented third-party integrations, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.

Grace Ed reaches customers through direct website sales (graceed.com), phone and email outreach, publisher channel partnerships, and event-driven demand generation via workshops featuring expert consultants. Marketing channels include an active social presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and Pinterest, plus the Okapi Literacy Voices Facebook community. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates on a quote-based model, consistent with school and district procurement cycles. Named anchor customers include Chicago Public Schools and Inter-American Magnet School.

Name

Grace Educational Resources

Legal name

Grace Educational Resources

Website

https://graceed.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grace Educational Resources is a Chicago-based, founder-owned education materials distributor and professional development provider founded in 2007, serving K-12 schools and educators with diverse classroom libraries, leveled reading assessments, biliteracy programs, and consultant-led workshops sourced through multiple publisher partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Materials Distribution and Professional Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAJAB

Reading Comprehension & Close Reading Enrichment

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Reading, Writing & Literacy Enrichment

SECONDARYEDAJAMAN

Library/Media Center & Digital Resource Management Systems

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Educational Technology Solutions

SECONDARYEDAGAMAH

Reading & Literacy Intervention Materials for Learning Disabilities (Dyslexia, Decoding, Comprehension)

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Instructional Materials for Special Education

SECONDARYEDAGAEAK

Digital Teaching Resources & Lesson Plan Libraries

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Digital Learning Content & eLearning Modules

Keywords

• Educational materials distribution
• Classroom library collections
• Literacy assessment tools
• Teacher professional development
• Biliteracy curriculum programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Educational Materials Sales: Sale of classroom libraries, books, and educational resources through publisher partnerships including Okapi, Zaner-Bloser, Daffodil Hill Press, Davis Art, Rainbow Book Company, and Vista School Resources.
2. Professional Development Services: Workshop fees for professional development sessions led by education consultants on topics including literacy instruction, writing workshops, and balanced literacy approaches.
3. Consulting Services: Education consulting services provided to schools and districts for literacy programming, teacher development, and curriculum implementation support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Grace Educational Resources distributes diverse K-12 classroom library collections and leveled literacy assessment tools on behalf of multiple publishers, and delivers professional development workshops and education consulting services to schools and educators. The company specializes in culturally responsive, multiliteracy, and biliteracy instructional materials while providing expert-led training and curriculum implementation support to Chicago-area schools and districts.

Product overview

Grace Educational Resources operates as an educational materials distributor and professional development provider, offering a portfolio of complementary products: diverse classroom library collections (the CPS Pre-K Diverse Infusion Collections featuring themed book bundles); literacy assessment tools (Okapi Running Records and Despegando Reading Records across levels A-V); curriculum programs (Flying Start to Literacy and Despegando hacia la lectura for Spanish-language instruction); professional development services (workshops including the Graham Fletcher math workshop and literacy instruction sessions); and supplementary resources (handwriting practice masters, instructional videos). The company represents multiple publisher partners including MyOkapi, Zaner-Bloser, Daffodil Hill Press, Davis Art, and Rainbow Book Company to deliver these educational resources to schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CPS Pre-K Diverse Infusion Collections Themed book collection bundles for Pre-K classrooms featuring diverse protagonists and topics, including African American Protagonist, Latinx Protagonist, Urban Multicultural, Spanish Language, Asian Protagonist, Social & Emotional Learning, Information Text, Non-Human Protagonist, Folklore, Refugee & Immigration, Abilities, Diverse Families, and Gender & LGBTQ collections.
• Okapi Running Records Assessment tool for running records that provides leveled reading assessment materials across reading levels A through V, supporting literacy evaluation for students.
• Professional Development Workshops Professional development services for educators including workshops on literacy instruction, writing workshop, and classroom implementation support, delivered on-site and virtually to schools and districts.
• Graham Fletcher Workshop A virtual workshop event featuring Graham Fletcher on November 12th, 2025, focused on mathematics education and instruction.
• Flying Start to Literacy A comprehensive literacy curriculum program that includes leveled books and digital resources for early emergent readers, distributed through Grace Educational Resources from publisher MyOkapi.
• Despegando hacia la lectura Spanish-language literacy program for Inter-American Magnet School featuring student assets, teacher resources, early emergent digital activities, and reading records for biliteracy development.
• Classroom Libraries Diverse book collections for classroom libraries featuring culturally responsive literature across multiple themes and representations distributed via Grace Educational Resources.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Inter-American Magnet SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrace Educational Resources provides comprehensive support site for Inter-American Magnet School including student assets and teacher resources for Despegando hacia la lectura biliteracy program. Includes early emergent digital activities, reading records, teacher resources, and shared/guided reading videos.
• MyOkapicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMyOkapi is a key publisher partner represented by Grace Educational Resources. Grace Ed provides Okapi Running Records, support materials, and literacy resources including the Flying Start to Literacy program.
• Zaner-BlosercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorZaner-Bloser is a major educational publisher represented by Grace Educational Resources for distribution of handwriting, spelling, and literacy programs.
• Daffodil Hill PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDaffodil Hill Press decodable books are 100% aligned with UFLI's Scope and Sequence, distributed through Grace Educational Resources.
• Davis ArtminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDavis Art is an art education publisher represented by Grace Educational Resources for school distribution.
• Rainbow Book CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRainbow Book Company educational publisher represented by Grace Ed for classroom library distribution.
• Vista School ResourcesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVista School Resources publisher partner for educational materials distribution.
• La Pread Education ShopminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLa Pread Education Shop publisher partner represented by Grace Ed.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Really Great Reading: Provides structured literacy intervention materials and teacher professional development for K-12 districts. Directly comparable to Grace Ed's literacy assessment, intervention, and PD offering.
• 95 Percent Group: Specializes in structured literacy teacher training, intervention programs, and assessment tools for schools. Closely mirrors Grace Ed's literacy PD + materials bundle for districts.
• Benchmark Education Company: K-12 literacy publisher with classroom libraries and professional development services. Comparable dual model of curated content plus teacher-facing PD.
• Fountas & Pinnell Literacy: Leading guided-reading assessment, leveled books, and teacher professional development programs. Strong overlap with Grace Ed's Okapi Running Records and guided reading video work.

Others

• Zaner-Bloser: Major educational publisher whose handwriting, spelling, and literacy programs Grace Ed distributes. Both a channel partner and a structural competitive threat.
• Okapi Educational Publishing: Publisher of Flying Start to Literacy and the running records Grace Ed distributes. Functions as both a key supplier and a potential direct competitor for school contracts.

Broad incumbents

• Voyager Sopris Learning: Established literacy, math, and SEL solutions provider serving districts nationally with both print and digital programs plus professional development.
• Lakeshore Learning Materials: Broad K-8 educational materials retailer offering classroom libraries, manipulatives, and teacher resources — competing for the same classroom-library budget allocations.
• Heinemann (a division of Greenwood Publishing): Major educational publisher of literacy and professional development resources for educators; competes for the same school PD budget dollars as Grace Ed's workshops.
• Learning Without Tears: Publishes handwriting, literacy, and keyboarding curricula paired with professional development for K-5. Overlaps with Grace Ed's Zaner-Bloser handwriting practice masters and literacy instruction.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GraceEdResource
• Facebookfacebook.com/GraceEducational
• Instagraminstagram.com/graceedresources
• Pinterestpinterest.com/graceeducationa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grace-educational-resources

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grace Educational Resources