Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Lawmakers in California are considering whether to allow school districts to do away with printed textbooks in favor of e-books that would be read using school computers. Current law requires school districts to first buy plenty of textbooks before purchasing electronic material, but that would change if SB 247 becomes law. The bill would permit school officials to satisfy textbook requirements using electronic materials, as long as each student has access to the necessary hardware and software
The proposal, sponsored by state Senator Elaine Alquist (D-Santa Clara), is based on pilot projects that schools in Los Angeles, Lemon Grove and Fullerton have tried, which have involved laptops donated by computer companies, including Apple. Fewer than 1,000 students in Los Angeles have been able to participate so far.
Another bill (AB 314) making its way through the state legislature would require publishers to sell the electronic version of textbooks to schools at a lower cost than printed editions.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Senate Approves Software as an Alternative to Textbooks (by Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times)
SB 247 (California State Senate)
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