Beloved local teaching store to close
Posted at: 11/17/2012 10:26 PM
By: Adam Camp, KOB Eyewitness News 4
Learning Is Fun has been a teaching chain across the country since 1978.
Doors opened in Albuquerque in 1997, and since then, thousands of parents and teachers have come through to take advantage of its resources.
Shelby Richardson has been the store manager since it opened in Albuquerque, but said the business has been failing to compete nationally for several years. Albuquerque was the last to fall.
"The economy is definitely a major factor, in that we've been declining annually. We're a chain. We've had stores in other states and we closed all of those last year," Richardson said.
The store has helped families and teachers give additional help for students, and has been a resource to assist serious learning disabilities with students.
Richardson said she will miss the customers the most.
"I've had staff that were student teachers that now have been teaching for 10 years and have kids and they come here, and it's definitely part of the community. It's going to be missed," she said.
Lydia Lopez is one of those customers. She has taught for APS for over 30 years, and currently teaches at La Mesa Elementary School.
"Where are we gonna get such a wide array of effective materials for our classes. They serve the needs of our bilingual students, our English-component-program students," she said.
Lopez hates the idea that she will not be able to buy her supplies from a local small business anymore.
"Office stores, you know. Supply stores, but it's not a teacher supply store, which we need," she said.
The store is expected to stay open until the middle of December.
 |
Tweet |
|
