Going by the books

Going by the books

The Journal, Martinsburg, W.Va.: Told, in effect, they could spend $36 million on new social studies textbooks, top West Virginia teachers just said no this month. Good for them.

Legislators had appropriated the money to update social studies textbooks used in public schools. As is the state Department of Education’s practice, it used “master teachers” to evaluate publishers’ submissions and recommend which books to buy.

So lackluster were the books submitted that reviewing teachers said none of them was worth purchasing. Instead, the money should be used to improve high-technology equipment in schools, the educators recommended.

The West Virginia teachers who handled the project did the right thing. They refused to simply spend money while settling for mediocrity. Perhaps if other states follow our lead, textbooks will improve.