Textbook Adoptions

Maybe school systems need to rethink textbook adoptions. Instead of spending thousands of dollars buying a common textbook for all teachers of a subject, they should consider giving each teacher a yearly budgeted amount to buy resources for the classroom.

Seriously, I do not know one teacher who teaches the textbook from cover-to-cover. Most units today are a hybrid of resources from teacher-purchased reference books, websites, Teachers Pay Teachers materials, and yes, even Pinterest! While the textbook is a source that is convenient, our standards are changing so quickly that the textbook is almost outdated before arriving from the publisher.

Giving teachers a yearly budget to manage their classroom would also encourage more creativity and innovation. Teachers who create their own materials could publish them to share with the class without depleting their personal funds.

As we fast-forward into the future of education and common core, we need to monitor and adjust our purchasing practices. Just because we have always bought textbooks doesn't mean we should continue to do so.