A father and music teacher describes his frustrations when trying to get Prentice Hall Publishers to correct over 2000 factual errors in his daughter's seventh-grade science textbook. Textbooks featuring pictures of African-American women working in science labs may incorrectly portray scientific experiments. (MLH)

In this excerpt from the book "Lies My Teacher Told Me," sociology professor James Loewen asserts that textbooks used in American history classes are boring and predictable and full of irrelevant details and errors. The textbook publishing industry is cited for concern about profit rather than the quality of their products. (MLF)

Recent reports criticize today's glitzy, coffee-table textbooks as shallow, dumbed-down products that waste taxpayers' money and students' learning potential. Districts should encourage more textbook research, clarify expectations, have someone read texts under consideration, refuse to purchase inferior textbooks, and watch for online…