Tyranny of the Textbook: An Insider Exposes How Educational Materials Undermine Reforms

(Paperback)

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Educational reforms and standards have been a topic of public debate for decades, with the latest go-round being the State Common Core Curriculum Standards. But time and again those reforms have failed, and each set of standards, no matter how new and different, has had little impact on improving student achievement. Why The textbooks. Textbooks sell based on design and superficial features, not because they are based on the latest research on how children learn and how well they promote student achievement. In Tyranny of the Textbook, Beverlee Jobrack, retired from educational publishing, sheds light on why this happens. She gives an engaging and fascinating look behind-the-scenes of how K-12 textbooks are developed, written, adopted, and sold. And, perhaps most importantly, she clearly spells out how the system can change so that reforms and standards have a shot at finally being effective. Did you know Reform efforts have focused on writing and rewriting standards and tests, but these rarely have any effect on the core curriculum that is published. School districts and states don't use effectiveness as a criterion for evaluating and purchasing textbooks. Publishers don't offer textbooks with better content or the latest teaching methods because teachers don't want textbooks that require them to change their practices. Teachers report that they don't rely on a textbook in their class, but research shows that they do. Three companies publish 75 percent of the K-12 educational materials. Those three companies are producing similar programs with the same instructional strategies, none of which require teachers to change their practices significantly. Publishers write textbooks for California and Texas. All of the other markets have to make do with books only superficially adjusted for their states.

Reviews

Jobrack has used her considerable experience to clarify the complex and diverse issues surrounding educational materials publishing, curriculum review and purchase, and classroom practices. She presents very complex processes in a readable, easy-to-understand style. Discussing the common practices of qualified, well-meaning people from authors, editors, teachers, and materials review committees, Jobrack explains why the diverse requirements and expectations of these groups may in fact work against each other as they struggle toward the common goalimproved student learning and performance. This volume provides important insights for anyone interested in improving Americas schools. -- Ruth Cochrane, former publisher, SRA/McGraw-Hill
Jobracks book is a must-read for anyone interested in educational improvement and reform. Her analyses of the forces that shape textbook development focus much-needed attention on curriculum, the area of education many reformers and school critics choose to ignore as they seek targets'bad' teachers, lazy principals, teacher unions, etc.to blame for failing students and schools. Content matters, and matters a great deal in student success. Jobrack provides evidence that, if they truly want better schools, reformers should be turning their attention away from who delivers instruction and toward the content of what is being delivered. -- Fran Lehr, education consultant/writer
Much of the current conversation on education reform centers on how Common Core national standards are supposed to drive improved student achievement through new curriculum materials.It would be good if the advocates of national standards knew a thing or two about how textbooks are made and what a leaky sieve they are for lofty standards, and much else. Tyranny of the Textbook is an indispensable insider's guide to how the publishing industry creates the single most important resource for what students will be taught in school and why that resource is badly flawed. I highly recommend this book. -- Grover J. Russ Whitehurst, The Herman and George R. Brown Chair and director of the Brown Center on Education Policy, The Brookings Institute

Author Bio

Beverlee Jobrack spent more than 25 years weathering the ups and downs, mergers and acquisitions of educational publishing, first with Merrill Publishing. She retired in 2008 as editorial director of SRA/McGraw-Hill. Before starting her career in publishing, she was a middle school English/Literature teacher. She lives in Centerburg, Ohio.