(See below for K-12)

    The important things to establish are college-wide policies (1) to identify inaccuracies in textbooks, (2) to require textbooks publishers to fulfill on warranties on accuracy, and (3) to require faculty to perform thoroughly when acting as textbook writers or reviewers.

    Since there are currently no such processes in effect at any college, you will need to create a campaign for accuracy in textbooks.  Here is the simple outline.  It costs almost nothing.  The main thing is persistence.  Eventually the administration and faculty will be won over.

    1.  Establish an "Accuracy in Textbooks Forum".  This can be a new campus organization or part of an existing campus organization.  Make appropriate announcements on campus.  A website would well serve this campaign.

    2.  Establish a submission process by which the Accuracy in Textbooks Forum will receive complaints about errors, contradictions, and omissions.  They should be in writing and can include any curriculum material in any discipline.  The complaints can be big and small.  All errors are significant, since they reflect neglect of fact checking.

    3.  Establish a review process that would include

    A.  Publication of the complaint in a widespread manner, such as on a website, in a campus newspaper, on a campus radio and TV, on bulletin boards, and in hard copy to requesters.

    B.  Distribution of the complaint to affected faculty, including the department chair.

    C.  Announcement of a regularly scheduled public forum (perhaps two weeks after the initial complaint) at which the complaint will be examined in public with appropriate input for any interested party.

    D.  Decision-making at the public meeting as to the validity of the complaint.  It is possible that the decision may need to be postponed to the next meeting for further examination.

    E.  Publication of the decision via website, etc.

    4.  Enlist the assistance of the faculty and administration by

    A.  Immediately transmitting the decision on validated complaints to the appropriate academic department chair and administrative dean.

    B.  Requesting that the chair and dean correspond with the publishers about the validated complaint, including a demand that the errors etc. be corrected in future printings and editions of the text and that errata sheets be provided for the texts currently in use at your school and at all schools.

    C.  Requesting that all textbooks on campus be provided with appropriate errata sheets and that no textbook at the campus bookstore (and community bookstore) be sold without an errata sheet permanently affixed.

    D.  Requesting that the faculty and administration adopt a campus-wide policy for faculty members who review or write textbooks which include the name of the school in the textbook, such that (1) the faculty member must read the entire textbook for accuracy, (2) the textbook publisher must provide a notice in each copy of the book with an address for the public to submit complaints about errors, contradictions, and omissions, and (3) the textbook publisher must provide a warranty on accuracy.

    5.  Maintain an action log on all complaints, including follow-up by faculty, academic departments, administrative deans, and publishers.  Post the action log on the website.

    6.  If your school is a government-sponsored one, you also need to lobby the political bodies in the state to assist in the campaign.  They have a responsibility to oversee the best use of tax funds.  You will want to send regular updates of the actions of the Accuracy in Textbooks Forum to:

    A.  Your local members of both houses of the state legislature.

    B.  The chairman and ranking minority member in both houses for the education committees.

    C.  Both the president and the chairman of the board of trustees of your university/college system.

    D.  The governor.

    The first thing to do is to read your child's textbooks.  You will be surprised.  It will be well worth it.  You can also help your child better if you have read the book.

    Your campaign for accuracy in textbooks needs to be crafted with regard to the type of school:  home-school, independent school,  or government/public school.

Home-School

    In order to have any effective influence, you will need to join with others.  You can join and participate in organizations that support home schooling.  They should be demanding textbook warranties on accuracy.

Independent School

    Your complaints about inaccuracies in textbooks need to be directed to the president and chair of the board of the trustees of the school (or chain of schools).  If there are ever open meetings of the board or school, be sure to attend and present the problem in person.

Government/Public School

    Government/public schools can have the most influence, because they are the largest customers of textbook publishers.

    Decisive influence will not come out of the local school, regardless of how dedicated the teachers and principal are.  However, they can influence the important state leaders.

    1.  You need to present the problem directly to the board of education and to the superintendent.  This is the simplest thing to do.  Every board has open meetings, and they always have "public comment" periods for members of the public to appear.  For your presentation, you should  send a copy of your comments a week in advance to each board member and the superintendent , so that the members of the board and the superintendent can have an opportunity to reply in an intelligent manner.  You will want the board to endorse the necessity for warranties on accuracy.

    2.  Local boards of education have relatively small political power in comparison to the state government.  The state government must be the main focus of attention.  You need to bring the necessity for warranties on accuracy to:

    A.  Your local representative in each house of the state legislature.

    B.  The chairs and ranking minority members of the education committees of each house of the legislature.

    C.  The elected state superintendent of public instruction.

    D.  The governor.

    Be ready to provide incontrovertible cases of inaccuracies (don't worry, you'll find numerous).  Be ready to appear in person at hearings with friends and associates.  Enlist the help of any school,  civic, or political organization which you can contact.  We'd be glad to help.

    See the Model Resolution for a good starting point.