Textbook Guidelines

Overall Plan

Bring education back to classic standards and change the system so that it functions as a representative service and not a dictatorship. Return to traditional subject matter and methods resulting in a good education for our progeny and successfully extend our culture forward.

Observation

Textbook production has become a Hollywood-like activity. The formula for successful textbook production is no longer concerned with the academic value. First of all, the textbook business is a 4 billion dollar business with just 4 large publishers dominating at a billion dollars each plus. There are a few dozen smaller publishers. It's a very profitable business and publishers have figured out how to work it to their benefit. It has rules like:

• Friendly, Wide Margins

• Nice Pictures and Graphics

• No Controversial Issues or Big Words

• Watered-down, Non-offensive Language - Offend nobody.

• Soothing Colors.

• “Teacher Friendly” support materials like teacher's guides, posters, digital media, prepared tests and class handouts.

The criteria no longer includes an academic element. The approval process includes a convoluted system involving numerous “experts” and a faux approval process. In many cases, there is no public exposure or approval.

Plan

Establish guidelines that promote unbiased learning and prevent misleading information or indoctrination. The following guidelines should always be included:

1. Students should not be told what to think, but should be taught how to think.

2. Objective of any course or group of lessons should be positive and in writing.

3. Subject should not exclude or favor one faction or ideology in favor of another.

4. Course should impart positive skill or knowledge.

5. Course should not have a commercial sponsor or even appearance of one.

6. All courses should have a comprehensive glossary.

7. Opinion and fact must always be clearly labeled.

8. Classes covering human sexual subjects (other than defining gender, or gender differences) are prohibited below middle school.

9. Classes or materials, media and publications will not promote an ideology, political position or religion.

10. Opinions or teaching, in any form, oral or written, will not violate Constitutional or legal precepts.

Textbooks and other materials should be free of opinion and indoctrination. Ideally these materials would put forward clear data that allows the students to observe and analyze the information and then formulate an opinion of their own, uninfluenced by the textbooks and materials or teachers.

Basics

1. Who are the players?

School Board
State, county or local school personnel
Teachers
Parents
Students
This Group

2. Worthwhile Purpose – Having unbiased, indoctrination-free textbooks and materials is essential and makes the learning process move forward and prevents it from being derailed in a non-productive direction.

3 Who’s In-charge – Bill (a fictitious name – write actual name here)

4. How is it Organized

□ Ad Hock □ Committee(s) □ Volunteer(s)
□ Online □ Regular Meetings □ Via Electronic Media
□ Via Written Media □ Via Telephone

Decide on virtual and/or in-person meetings.

Form work groups to cover more ground.

Have a contact list including everyone's email and phone. Make sure everybody gets a copy.

5. How Reorganized

Make sure there is a well-defined process for regular inspection and reorganization, if needed.

Target Date

90 days for phase1 which is getting the guidelines established. Phase 2 would involve retroactively rewriting existing textbooks and materials to meet this standard and would probably take several years.

Vital To Do

Find out steps of defining, changing and describing a course and how to change it.
Find out how, when and where one makes a proposal to the School Board

Conditional

□ Petitions
□ Advertising
□ Public Relations

Inspect the area. If the library of textbooks are completely acceptable to everyone, then leave it as is and abandon this project. Get lots of people to weigh in to make sure you have the benefit of reaction of a wide cross-section of the community.

Actions

Get a comprehensive list of textbooks and materials approved for teaching.

Analyze each textbook with these guidelines as a reference. This may take some time.

Log the revisions and log the items reviewed.

Evaluate all new proposals for approval and publish an opinion.

Get the revisions side-checked by as many people as possible and amend it as necessary.

Get a teachers, experts and knowledgeable people to do an evaluation of things and give interpretative comments.

Compose a new guideline and have it checked by an attorney for proper wording.

Present it and get it approved.

Find or establish an efficient way of reporting that easily reaches the general public, especially parents.

Statistical Measurement of Progress

Number of reviews of textbooks and materials.

Double points for getting something revised or retracted.

Number of reports published.

Extra points for getting new guidelines adopted.

Notes: