LOS ANGELES—On March 3, a press release suggested Pearson had submitted the winning textbook proposal. This release came before an official decision had been made regarding the winning bid. Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines stated, “We must make certain that our textbook adoption process is clear of any perceived bias toward one publishing firm over another.” The Los Angeles Unified School District promptly disqualified Pearson from the running, leaving Macmillan/McGraw-Hill and Houghton-Mifflin-Holt.
Chief Academic Officer Dr. Judy Elliott stated, “We have worked diligently to ensure this adoption process is transparent and inclusive. This is a grave misstep that potentially jeopardized the integrity of the process. The decision to disqualify Pearson is a necessary result.”
LAUSD has not had new textbooks since 2002, when Macmillan/McGraw-Hill was the textbook bid winner. At this time, workbook supplies cost $15 million per year to replenish. Although an expected cost for textbooks in 2011 has not been released, the new textbook update will be paid by taking money from funding reserves for consumable products, leaving general fund dollars untouched to maintain in long-term savings.
