BY TONY BARTELME
Of The Post and Courier Staff
In a dingy corner of the College of Charleston library, three wooden cubicles are packed with brightly colored books with titles such as "Surprise Me!" and "Catch a Dream."
A paper sign over them says "Textbook Evaluation."
Through Nov. 9, the public has a chance to review and comment on textbooks covering everything from astronomy to sociology. Books that pass muster could be in students' hands late next year.
While the state buys new textbooks every year, the stakes are higher this go-around.
State educators hope to replace the "language arts" series for kindergarten through fifth grade, the books that will help more than 330,000 young students learn to read. The current textbooks are 8 to 10 years old.Replacing the language arts textbooks alone will cost $25 million to $30 million.
Educators say they are a critical part of the state's attempt to increase literacy and test scores.
'PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY'
Bound with embossed hardcovers, these books are filled with lively stories -- from an account of a blind man's ascent of Mount McKinley to a fascinating tale about a free black person from Philadelphia who fought in the Revolutionary War.
Accompanying the stories are eye-catching illustrations, many of which are done by award-winning artists. Some kindergarten books are as big as posters. Supplementing the books are CDs, videos and workbooks that stress phonics and reading comprehension strategies. State and local educators couldn't be more pleased.
"The kinds of materials we could put in front of youngsters are pretty extraordinary," said Sandra Lindsay, deputy superintendent for the state Education Department.
But it's still unclear whether the state can afford many of these new textbooks.
Lindsay said the department has earmarked about $37.2 million for textbooks. Of that, about $10 million will be used to repair old textbooks.
That leaves about $27 million, which may not be enough to pay for the new reading series considering state officials estimate it will cost $25 million to $30 million.
"We haven't properly funded textbooks for the past five years," Lindsay said. "I'm especially worried that we won't be able to fund the language arts because it is such a huge expenditure."
This makes local educators nervous.
"My heart will sink if we don't get these (reading) books," said Mary Ann Dieter, language arts associate for the Charleston County School District. "I'm not sure the powers that be truly understand what these materials could do in the classroom."
Dieter said the books are "a huge change from 10 years ago. They get the students to think about what they're reading. They're more sophisticated, and considering how kids are bombarded these days, they have to be pretty doggone snappy, or they won't go near them."
CHOOSING TEXTBOOKS
The process of choosing new textbooks takes nearly two years.
It begins at the state level, where teams of teachers, parents, academicians and others review publishers' latest offerings.
Among other things, teams look at a book's content and accuracy and whether it supports state and national teaching goals. "We also look at bias and sensitivity to make sure it's appropriate for all audiences," Lindsay said.
So far, the new books haven't triggered any controversies, she said. One reason may be that only a handful of human anatomy books are up for adoption. "You always get a lot of comments when you do them."
No history books are under review, either, though the reading books include numerous historical stories.
In a region where people vigorously debate whether the Civil War should be more accurately called the War Between the States, history books also can spark a lively debate.
"We want to make sure the public feels good about what kinds of materials the kids are using," Lindsay said. "But most of what we've heard is, 'Wow, these books are pretty incredible.' "
Lindsay said the Education Department plans to ask state lawmakers for an additional $19 million next year, which would pay for the elementary school reading materials and dozens of other textbooks for higher grades.
Some of the civics and economics books are more than a decade old and are fast becoming obsolete, she said.
The reading books, however, remain a priority. She said a federal grant is based on the state's adoption of certain reading standards. If the state doesn't purchase the new books, it could lose more than $13 million in federal money.
Will Folks, a spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford, said the issue "is absolutely on his radar screen," and that "he understands that there's a need for the books."
But the governor says the Education Department could shift money from other areas to pay for new books, Folks said.
"Their administrators have gone to the beach for conferences; they could take that money out of travel and put it into books," he said. "The fact that they are $19 million short for school supplies begs a much larger question about how we spend money on education."
'IN A PANIC'
Local educators don't care how the state comes up with the money. "We just need these books," said Ann Birdseye, director of academic development for the Charleston County School District.
She said "it's heart-wrenching" that the state might not be able to buy all the books needed. But the language arts series must remain a priority. "It's at the core of what we do."
She and others say the old textbooks don't support national teaching standards.
"The textbooks don't have what the kids are supposed to learn. This is a huge problem," said Sybil Fix, a legal consultant for several counties suing the state for not providing an adequate education.
"I'm in a panic about this," added Dieter of the Charleston County School District. "So many children aren't successful in school because they don't read well. You need to put the money into reading. You can't do social studies or read a math textbook if you can't read."
Dieter said the new books could help boost scores.
"A good teacher has their heart and soul in what they do, but they also need good, up-to-date materials to be effective and competent. This issue is important for the entire state, not just the county. I think about it every day."
A LOOK AT THE BOOKS
Textbooks and other instructional materials can be reviewed at the following locations through Nov. 9:
-- Charleston Southern University, Mendel Rivers Library, 9200 University Blvd., North Charleston.
-- College of Charleston, Robert Scott Small Library, 175 Calhoun St., Charleston.
-- USC-Beaufort, Library/Sandstone Building, 810 Carteret St., Beaufort.
-- Claflin College, Curriculum Lab ñ Bowen Hall, 400 Magnolia St., Orangeburg.
-- S.C. State University, School of Education, Felton Laboratory School, 300 College St., Orangeburg.
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