What should have been a simple approval of textbooks and curriculum for world languages July 28 turned into a tense 20-minute discussion about making sure teachers have enough materials to work with in the classrooms.
The Shawano School Board approved spending $65.361.16 to purchase French and Spanish textbooks from Vista Higher Learning to be used over the next six years at Shawano Community High School. This includes a classroom set of textbooks, teacher materials and digital books for students and teachers to use at home, as well as $1,000 to train the teachers. The cost is estimated to be $31 per student and is lower than the $67,800 budgeted by the Shawano School District.
The decision to purchase from Vista came after a curriculum review of at least seven companies for each language, according to Elisha Wagenson, learning director. The review included looking at course enrollments and future student projections.
The move to purchase new textbooks came about after current publisher Holt McDougal informed the district it was no longer going to provide support for the existing curriculum.
“We’ve taken the last year to complete the review,” Wagenson said. “The three teachers involved made the selections after reviewing seven curriculums for each language.”
Wagenson noted that she trimmed the original request, although she did not indicate what the cost was.
“I can tell you that I personally reviewed the selection and items requested by the teachers and kind of whittled down the list and ensured that we would only be ordering things that, one, we didn’t already have a sample copy of, and two, were absolutely necessary,” she said. “We also employed a strategy in securing hardcopy textbooks for the classrooms and then additional student licenses for just the digital part.”
Wagenson added that Spanish is being included as a foreign language option at Shawano Community Middle School, noting that 91 students have already signed up for the class.
Board member John Arens inquired as to whether there would be adequate material for teachers to utilize.
Wagenson replied that there would be one hardcover textbook per language level for a teacher, as well as a digital copy of each textbook. She said there is not a second hardcover available for teachers to utilize outside the classroom.
That didn’t sit well with Arens.
“For those seasoned teachers that don’t read off of a laptop when they use the books, what do you expect them to do when they go home, carry all those books in?” he said.
Wagenson said the decision for one hardcover teacher textbook and one digital copy was the most fiscally responsible decision she saw. She was backed up by Superintendent Kurt Krizan, who pointed out that teacher textbooks can cost as much as $875.
Wagenson added that the current situation in the district is that teachers have one physical copy and a digital copy of textbooks.
“As a former third-grade teacher, I taught all subjects, and I had one teacher edition of each of those subjects,” Wagenson said.
“And you’re young,” Arens said in response. “I can’t read a manual off of a laptop. I never have. I have printed copies, and I can get through them faster than my colleagues can off of their computer. I’m just making sure that we’re setting up our employees for success. We are in the business of education here. We blow more money on IT and other stuff like that.”
Wagenson said that Arens’ view could open a “can of worms” when it comes to providing materials for teachers.
“It’s the district’s money,” Wagenson said. “If you feel that teachers should be provided with a second copy in this particular case, it’s $150 per teacher per course. If that is an expense the board would like me to include with the order, I would be happy to do that. I just did not think that would be fiscally responsible, nor do I feel that is something you can equitably afford to offer teachers across this district. We have hundreds of courses.”
She added that offering a second teacher textbook would, in her view, “promote an improper work-life balance.”
Arens wasn’t buying Wagenson’s argument on work-life balance, noting that teachers already grade assignments at home or do anything else work-related.
“Every one of them I know, that’s what they do,” Arens said. “They eat, breathe and sleep education. You can say ‘work-life balance.’ Let’s be real. The work-life balance is brought on by the person doing the work.”
Wagenson noted that a teacher has previously requested extra teacher textbooks for each subject taught, but she denied the request.
“Like I said earlier, that was the most fiscally responsible and equitable decision to make,” she said.
Arens said that such rigidness is not wise considering the district has a hard time holding on to teachers.
“I’m so tired of losing employees,” Arens said. “Those are just common-sense discussions that we could have.”
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
Textbook approval becomes controversial
