DFHS Certified
Texas Health and Human Services Provider Certification.
About Teach BIG
Relieving stress. Building stronger writers.
Purpose
Teach BIG, Home of The Writing Academy®, LLC, is a Texas based team of facilitators, curriculum designers, and platform specialists who support Grades K to 10 RLA instruction. The company holds CPE certification, TEA sole source status, and WBEA membership. Every product starts with Randi Whitney's classroom tested methods and ends with tools teachers can use the next day.
Teach BIG and The Writing Academy®, LLC
Teach BIG and The Writing Academy®, LLC, serving Texas educators since 1998.
The ECR Trifecta brings together professional learning, hands on tools, and technology that help students move from a prompt to a confident extended constructed response. Daily Decks, RLA Learning LAB, OnSTAGE, Essay Expert, and TBASE scoring stay aligned to Texas STAAR/SST expectations for Grades 2 through 10.
Download the ECR Trifecta Implementation Guide
We've Got Your Number
A few of the numbers behind Teach BIG, and many of them are still climbing.
- 28 Years serving Texas teachers, and counting
- 1.1 million+ Words written by Randi Whitney, and counting
- 1.5 million+ Texas children reached, and counting
- 100+ Reading passages in our passage banks, and counting
- 590+ Questions in our question banks, and counting
- 3,500+ Writing prompts in our prompt banks, and counting
- 430 acre teacher training facility
- 200+ Published documents with ISBN numbers, and counting
- 95 TEKS Triplets warm up slide decks
- 53 TEKS with their own daily warm up deck
- 75 Pages on our website, and counting
- 23 Original learning songs
- 23 Teach BIG magazines
- 40 Resources in the Vault, and counting
How Teach BIG Compares
See how Teach BIG compares with ten leading K to 12 platforms in essay grading, reading assessment, and website features.
Feature Chart: Teach BIG vs Leading K-12 PlatformsEssay Grading Comparison (TBASE)Reading Assessment Comparison (OnSTAGE)Website Features ComparisonDistrict Overview and ProposalTBASE vs HMH Writable vs Eduphoria AwareAccessibility Conformance Reports (TBASE and OnSTAGE)
Mission
Teach BIG exists to relieve stress and support stronger reading and writing for Texas educators. We build supplemental supports that respect teacher time, keep students engaged, and turn writing data into clear next steps. SCR items stay tied to questions; ECR items stay tied to statements, with feedback that matches how Texas assesses reading and writing.
Your words mean so much to us!!!
Enjoy reading through the testimonials!! We’d love to add your comments next!
Randi is amazing! Her passion for teaching us really shows! Thank you so much.
Love that I can tailor the material for 2nd grade and they will be prepared to improve their writing in the upper grades.
More testimonials by district →
Meet the Team
Teach BIG®, LLC is home of The Writing Academy®, LLC. Tap a card to flip it and meet the people behind it.
A Trusted Partner in Education
Districts across Texas trust Teach BIG and The Writing Academy®, LLC. Here is what stands behind that trust.
Credentials at a Glance
Download our credentials (PDF)State of Texas Certifications
TEFA Certified
Texas Education Freedom Accounts for high quality instructional materials and services.
WBEA Member
Women-Owned Business Certification.
TEA-Related Documents
TEA Approved CPE Provider
Authorized to issue teacher professional development hours.
TEA Approved Supplemental Certification Provider
Approved supplemental certification provider for Texas educators.
TEA Sole Source
Available for qualifying Teach BIG instructional materials and resources.
IMRA In Progress
The Writing Academy®, LLC Supplemental Support System is currently in the HQIM review process through TEA and the SBOE.
Procurement Documentation
SAM.gov Registered Vendor
SAM.gov registered vendor status.
IRS Compliant
In good standing.
Professional Liability Insurance
Professional liability insurance coverage maintained.
Employee Background Checks
Statewide checks maintained and current.
Vendor Documentation
W-9 and vendor documentation available upon request.
Company Experience
- Serving Texas schools since 1998
- Developed and operated by experienced Texas public school educators
- Leadership team includes certified teachers, principals, mid-management professionals, and superintendent-level educators
- Staff members have participated in district-level and state-level committees involved in the development and refinement of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
- Experienced with district purchasing processes, TEA bidding requirements, and RFP processes
Educational Impact
- Approximately 5,000 educators trained annually
- Served approximately one-half of all Texas school districts
- Impacted more than 100,000 students during 2026 alone
- One of Texas' most widely implemented supplemental ECR writing support systems
- Resources used in classrooms across elementary, middle, and high school grade levels
Intellectual Property
- Owner of multiple federally registered trademarks
- Owner of more than 150 Library of Congress ISBN registrations
- Owner of hundreds of registered copyrights
- Original content developed specifically for Texas educators and students
Leadership
Randi Whitney, Founder & CEO, is a published author of more than 100 educational and literary titles, a nationally recognized educational consultant, trainer, and presenter. She is the creator of the Teach BIG Framework, the Full Circle Literacy System, and the Teach BIG ECR Trifecta. Randi is a member of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA.
Featured presenter at TEPSA, TASA, TASB, NAEYC, and numerous Education Service Center (ESC) literacy conferences throughout Texas.
Download The System Teacher (PDF)
But wait! There's more!
There's More to Our Story Than Teach BIG!
Think Teach BIG is all we do? Think again! Our love for learning, creativity, and bringing people together has taken us on some pretty exciting adventures, far beyond the traditional classroom! From nurturing little minds to hosting unforgettable gatherings under the Texas sky, and even bringing fictional characters to life on the pages of a novel, our passions have blossomed into three other wonderful worlds.
At Strawberry Fields Preschool, big dreams begin with little learners! Our preschool is a place where childhood curiosity, creativity, laughter, and discovery come together. We believe that the earliest years should be filled with wonder, meaningful learning experiences, and opportunities for children to develop the confidence and love of learning that will last a lifetime.
At Buffalo Nickel Ranch, we trade the hustle and bustle for wide-open spaces, fresh country air, and opportunities to reconnect and recharge. Our beautiful Texas ranch serves as a teacher-training destination and an Airbnb retreat, welcoming everything from family reunions and corporate gatherings to prayer retreats, motivational retreats, and memorable celebrations. Whether you're coming to learn, laugh, reflect, or simply escape the ordinary, there's something special about gathering together at the ranch!
And then there's RandiWhitney.com, where the educator and entrepreneur reveals another side of herself: the storyteller! An author at heart, Randi Whitney has already published several works and is currently bringing her third novel to life. Apparently, teaching, training, and running businesses weren't quite enough to keep her busy! When she finds a little spare time, you'll likely find her dreaming up characters, weaving stories, and turning imagination into the next chapter.
Four passions. Countless possibilities. One BIG love for helping people learn, grow, connect, and dream!
Take a peek at our other websites below. Whether you're looking for a wonderful preschool, a memorable Texas getaway, or your next great read, you just might discover something you didn't know you were looking for!
- Strawberry Fields PreschoolBig dreams begin with little learners, through curiosity, creativity, laughter, and discovery.Visit site (opens in a new tab) →
- Buffalo Nickel RanchOur Texas ranch for teacher training, retreats, reunions, and celebrations under the open sky.Visit site (opens in a new tab) →
- RandiWhitney.comMeet Randi the storyteller: published author, now bringing her third novel to life.Visit site (opens in a new tab) →
Bluebonnet Connections
Each Writing Academy® cluster connects to the Bluebonnet units your students already read. Open the matching connection cards.
Teach BIG Internalization Companion
Use the Teach BIG Internalization Companion alongside every Bluebonnet lesson. It is the internalization companion for the lesson you are about to teach.
Coming soon to the App Store
Evidence of Success
See how campuses using Teach BIG materials moved STAAR/SST reading results. The report shows before and after snapshots and the scores file holds the underlying numbers.
School Results: STAAR/SST Before and After
Download the full report or the scores file to review campus STAAR/SST reading growth before and after Teach BIG.
Spanish STAAR/SST Guide for Teachers
A guide for Grades 3 to 5 Spanish Reading Language Arts, written for the teachers leading Spanish reading instruction.
TBASE Matches the State
We scored every released TEA STAAR/SST Grade 3 to 5 extended constructed response sample paper from 2024, 2025, and 2026 on the live TBASE and compared each score with the official state score.
On average TBASE is within a tenth of a point of the state in every year, so it does not lean high or low.
- 2026: within one point of the state on 92% of papers
- 2025: within one point of the state on 90% of papers
- 2024: within one point of the state on 82% of papers
ECR Trifecta Implementation Guide
The ECR Trifecta brings training, tools, and technology together. Download the implementation guide and explore the Trifecta package on the teacher pricing page.
Sample Reports
TBASE and OnSTAGE dashboards show essay growth, reading performance, and class next steps. Campus and district views give leaders the data they need for coaching conversations.
Do Your Students Need Extra Support?
Content language supports on leveled passages, OnSTAGE accommodations, tutorials for TBASE and the Learning LAB games, and enrichment activities, gathered on one page so campus teams can point staff to the right tool fast.
PLC Toolkit
Monthly Data With Direction meeting guides live inside the Vault and give PLCs a structure for reviewing writing data and planning next steps together.
Workshops and Keynote
Live training shows teachers the method, models the materials, and connects training to the platforms teachers will use every week. Book a campus workshop or explore professional learning options.
IMRA Materials
The Writing Academy®, LLC Supplemental Support System brings teacher lesson plan guides, student interactive workbooks, and lesson slide decks for Grades 3, 4, and 5.
Funding Help
Budget codes for RLA, Social Studies, and Technology are listed on the pricing page so you can match Teach BIG tools to the funding source that fits your campus.
Magazines
District facing magazines explain platforms, assessment, and growth tools. Share them with decision makers or read them in the TBASE library.
