“Teachers teaching something of value to their students (including grammer) is an everyday occurance.”
Sorry, no sale. Not even tempted to buy into that swill.
Our teachers are looking the other way as they implement the game plan of the United Nations and the NEA. Any attempt to paper over that problem, just gets the paper hanger filthy.
Check out the special report on textbooks at this link. How many teachers have had the character to object to any of this? Well, until they do, I stand by my comment. The teaching profession has turned into one of the most corrupt in the nation.
http://www.hulu.com/foxnewsspecialreports
No disagreement about textbook quality going downhill. I think the better ones were written before 1967.
But teachers frequently have little choice about what textbooks are being used. That decision generally comes at the district level and gets tied up in politics, economics, and the perks a publisher can offer. The district also takes into account pressure from the public.
Which is where you come into the picture constructively. I just wish that everyone who had something to say about textbooks had done all the things you've obviously done -- researched the replacement cycle of the local school district's textbooks, read the selection that's available, found a suitable text which meets state standards, researched the costs, and (where necessary) identified and secured funds to make up the difference between the 'bad' ones the district wants, and the 'good' one you want.
You know, the constructive things which stand a chance of furthering your noble quest.
Because doing less, such as indiscriminately putting down every teacher for a problem they have little control over, really just comes off as whining.
Sure, teachers could take a stand on principle and just walk off the job. (By the way, have you noticed the unemployment stats out there?) Which would accomplish little, other than putting a new teacher in the job next year. Or they could do one of two things.
One -- do what I think many do, and tolerate the beating, and eventually get to the point where they just don't care, and say, "Okay, if that's what you say, then that's what I'll do." The burn-outs. The ones who just put there head down, put the book in front of the kids, and say, "Read pages 18-21, do the worksheet, don't break anything." Sure, some are like that, and I've known a few.
Or two -- use the textbook for limited references, dig around and find better quality material, challenge the students, and turn out kids who have 'learned something' more useful on a regular basis, than a one-in-a-billion chance of being on a beach when the ocean begins receding.
I know some of those, too.
And I'm sure as well, that you've pushed other initiatives to improve the teaching profession, such as pressuring your legislators to pass laws which restrict the portion of school budgets which can be spent on anything outside the classroom. Or laws to identify and fund quality teachers -- you know, the ones you want to keep, but know will leave the classroom soon, because the pay scale for teachers tends to run a bit lower than other professions with comparable education requirements, and good teachers figure out quickly that they can make more money, work fewer hours, and have to put up with a lot less finger-pointing, at a job somewhere else.
Then who's left? The ones who are there because they want to make a difference for the students and can afford to stay, and the ones who don't have as many options.
Keep up the unproductive beating, and guess which ones you'll wind up with more of.