Investing in Educators, Empowering Students

June 26, 2025

Madison, Wisconsin’s classrooms are places of possibility—where pencils, notebooks, and warm winter coats can make all the difference in a student’s day.

The Horace Mann Educators Foundation has supported the Madison Public Schools Foundation’s Teacher Support Network (TSN) since 2022, helping expand its reach and ensuring educators and students have the essentials they need to thrive. This support has funded critical classroom supplies, hygiene products, and winter gear for students experiencing economic hardship. In the 2023–24 school year alone, TSN delivered over $205,000 worth of resources to all 52 schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), directly benefiting more than 20,000 students and 3,000 educators.

For educators like Ms. Johnson, an elementary teacher in Madison, the impact is clear: "I no longer have to dip into my own paycheck to make sure my students have basic supplies," she shared. "Thanks to TSN, I can focus on teaching instead of worrying about who needs pencils or notebooks."

In addition to classroom grants, TSN allocated $50,000 for emergency winter outerwear—ensuring students in need stay warm during Wisconsin’s harsh winters. For many families, this support meant the difference between sending their child to school prepared or keeping them home on frigid days.

Now in its fifth year, TSN has provided more than $1 million in support to Madison’s public schools. With Horace Mann’s continued commitment, TSN will grow—expanding emergency aid, boosting teacher retention efforts, and delivering more classroom resources based on educator feedback.

At Horace Mann, we believe that investing in public schools strengthens communities. By easing the financial burden on teachers and ensuring students have what they need to succeed, we are helping build stronger classrooms and brighter futures.