Paper textbooks are better than digital, because with digital kids will claim they are doing their homework, and instead be playing games and chatting.

I don't mind digital textbooks. What I mind is the fact that FCPS teachers don't use them. No required reading. No answer questions from the textbook. The digital textbooks are actually very good, just unused. They are just there for I don't know why.

There are no textbooks b/c common core shuffles curriculum so much no published could meet new standards in time so schools went without them with the current adhoc material. They made due, and enjoyed the cost savings without seeing SOLs drop (b/c that is ALL that matters). Even though VA is not CC the ever shifting curriculum nationwide impacted us.

I would happily settle for an online textbook; with school issues iPads, and then paper worksheets or wouldn’t be that different.

I would be happy if teachers just put together a Google drive with all their notes as taught, but any home review or clarification is hopeless without knowing the methods they employed.

This is one of the big reasons we are doing private. There is naturally so much less parental engagement if there are no textbooks.

I'm in high school. Can someone explain to me what a textbook is?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In FCCPS, my middle schooler has had real textbooks in math (Algebra, Geometry), Science, and Spanish.

I’m the poster above you and was referring to HS classes. There are some real textbooks but most seem to be online or not used.

That’s depressing

Anonymous wrote:Catholic schools use them. I think parents still have to buy most of them. And kids carry them around.

We pay a flat fee every year to buy workbooks for every subject. Some of that also goes to replace textbooks as they wear out. They are heavy, definitely, so most middle schoolers have rolling backpacks.

If public schools still had textbooks and focused on pencil and paper instead of apps, we’d still be in public so I’m following this thread closely.

Catholic schools use them. I think parents still have to buy most of them. And kids carry them around.

Arlington uses almost no real textbooks. I'm with you, I hate it.

Anonymous wrote:In FCCPS, my middle schooler has had real textbooks in math (Algebra, Geometry), Science, and Spanish.

I’m the poster above you and was referring to HS classes. There are some real textbooks but most seem to be online or not used.

In FCCPS, my middle schooler has had real textbooks in math (Algebra, Geometry), Science, and Spanish.

FCCPS has mostly digital textbooks. There are a few classes with hard copies of books but most are online, if a book is used at all.

We’re in Albemarle and no textbooks here either

Many privates use textbooks.

I have hated the “no textbooks” thing ever since we moved to Fairfax county.
Are they used in other school districts in VA? Sure would have been useful for my 7th grader taking Algebra 1 this year.
We are moving to another district this summer and I hope they have textbooks.