State law could delay new textbooks for 8-10 years

[The Straight Story]

State law could delay new textbooks for 8-10 years


The Obama administration hailed the adoption of national "common core" curriculum standards by California and more 40 other states as a "game changer" in the drive to make American children more competitive in the global marketplace.

But under current scenarios, California students won't have use of math textbooks aligned with the new standards until the 2019-20 school year, and won't have English language arts textbooks until 2021 at the earliest, said Tom Adams, director of the Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division at the state education department. That will be years after President Obama leaves office, even if he is elected to a second term.

It would take that long to have new math and English language arts textbooks in K-8 grades, even if they weren't aligned to the "common core" curriculum standards. The reason? The State Board of Education is barred by law from developing or adopting any new textbooks for the next several years.

The timeline for new textbooks is even longer than the one presented by state officials at the annual EdSource conference in Irvine on March 18, as a result of budget legislation now awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown's signature. Under state law, the State Board of Education adopts textbooks for grades K-8, which districts must use if they buy them with state funds. Local districts are able to select their own high school textbooks, as long as they are aligned with state standards.

http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/state-law-could-delay-new-textbooks-8-10-years-9502

[jwirr]

1. From what I hear is being put in them this may not be a bad thing. nt

[Newest Reality]

2. I don't quite get the

"more competitive in the global marketplace" part.

It appears that, to be competitive, the children will have to start work and leave school immediately, settle for less than $.10 an hour and work at least fourteen-hours a day, seven days a week. That's what competition means to the masses under corporate rule.

And let's suppose that these children to finish school and go on to higher education. Just where will droves of apt graduates find employment here, in the US, when multinationals are shifting their exploitative production around at will and utilizing already superior graduates in other countries?

Boondoggles everywhere.