June 1, 2000
"I HAVE 28 STUDENTS AND 25 BOOKS."
Just how bad are your child's school textbooks? That's what state lawmakers want to know.
They've just completed work on an audit, inspecting 2,100 books, talking to 800 teachers, at 70 Utah schools. At stake are millions of dollars.
News Specialist Nadine Wimmer has a first-hand look at textbook problems in Utah schools.
Auditors looked at three things when they inspected thousands of Utah school books.
- First, what condition are they in?
- Second, are there enough for every child?
- Third, do they have the right content to meet the state curriculum?
Many teachers say it doesn't take an audit to answer those questions.
"HELD TOGETHER WITH TAPE."
Hardly a day goes by when textbooks don't pose a headache for Utah teachers.
Callie Larsen/Teacher: "THIS BOOK DOESN'T EVEN HAVE THREE OF THE ACTUAL CONCEPTS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TEACH."
Linda Bernini/Teacher: "WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SOCIAL STUDIES BOOKS FOR EVERYONE AND IT'S REALLY OLD."
"WE ACTUALLY DON'T USE THIS BOOK AT ALL. BECAUSE IT'S SO OLD? BECAUSE IT'S SO OLD."
Those are just a few of the comments teachers made to state auditors trying to assess the textbook situation. Teachers say it's a problem that can hurt every student in class.
"YOU CAN'T TEACH WITHOUT THEM."
But now they have to convince lawmakers to provide millions of dollars for new books.
Nadine Wimmer, Eyewitness News: "THERE WERE SOME GOOD POINTS. EVERY TEACHER THAT WE TALKED TO IN THIS SCHOOL LOVED THEIR NEW COLORFUL MATH BOOKS. BUT THE ONLY REASON THEY HAVE THESE BOOKS IS BECAUSE THEY WORKED OUT A SPECIAL AGREEMENT WITH THE BOOK COMPANY TO TEST THEM OUT."
Auditors won't comment on early results. But most teachers are sure they'll agree there's a problem.
"OH YES! THAT THE TEXTBOOKS ARE INADEQUATE, I MEAN SOME OF THEM ARE WONDERFUL, BUT THERE ARE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE NO TEXTBOOKS FOR."
Alan Colver/Teacher: "I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO CONCLUDE THAT TEXTBOOKS ARE IN BAD CONDITION, GENERALLY SPEAKING."
And some teachers admit, it's a little insulting that lawmakers need an audit to discover a shortcoming educators have talked about for years.
"IT SEEMS LIKE THEY DON'T NECESSARILY BELIEVE TEACHERS REALLY TELL THEM WHAT WE NEED TO TEACH."
Some teachers feel at least the audit is a positive sign that needed school books will finally be addressed by lawmakers.
Some teachers feel at least the audit is a positive sign that needed school books will finally be addressed by lawmakers.
