Summer Greetings from PW!

Our warehouse at PW is busy working 7 days a week to get your new Science & Career Tech textbooks (as well as ELA Reading & Math consumable texts) & others out to you by the start of school! If you've not received one of your subjects yet, chances are we are waiting for all the pieces & parts (or grade levels) to arrive before sending out. We try to avoid back orders when at all possible.

I would ask that you please remind your principals that they need to be sure to have their buildings covered Monday through Thursday for the rest of the summer. While publishing companies might drop "free with" materials at your door unexpectedly, most of our deliveries are prescheduled for your convenience, whether it's coming on a brokered truck, through AAA Cooper, or one of our trucks. Let's keep the lines of communication open so that your folks get what they need!

If you have questions about specific orders, I wanted to remind you of your PW customer service representative:

  • City & County Districts, A-E:
  • County Districts, F-Z:
    • Wendi also handles questions on payments
  • City Districts, F-Z & non-public schools:

Please feel free to reach out to them by email or phone (205-980-2820) with any questions.

This went out as an email to my distribution list of curriculum coordinators & textbook coordinators. I have been trying to keep up with the changes this summer in positions - but please let me know if there are others in your district that are in new positions this summer who need to be added to this distribution list, including content specialists.

The Social Studies state textbook committee reviews are going well this summer! There are 5 elementary programs & 8 secondary programs being reviewed. The committee's recommendation is expected to be put before the State Board in October with a vote in November.

Textbook Caravans will begin in November & go through January. This year, I will reach out to you in September with a Google Form & ask you to reserve teacher spots for your district on the elementary day & the secondary day in the region you wish to attend. You will not need to include names at that point. You will just be committing a number you intend to bring to teach day of the caravan. The inservice directors will reach out to you at a later time to get your specific names to match the number you reserved.

There are many opportunities this summer & fall for formal training on the textbook adoption process as well as individual consultations:

MEGA Conference: This Thursday, July 17, 8:30 to 10:00 am; session #1581, Room #201-A in the Mobile Convention Center - I am co-presenting with Dr. Carolyn Jones, ALSDE Textbook administrator, on the textbook adoption process. If you are here in Mobile - or you have someone here in Mobile who will assist with this process, please pass along this word to them!

3 opportunities for ZOOM Presentations in September on the Textbook Adoption Process. This will be the same presentation, 3 different days/times - just trying to make it more convenient for you to find a time that might work for you. The inservice directors & I will send out the zoom links at another time - but here are the dates/times for your calendars:

  1. Friday, September 12th, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
  2. Thursday, September 18th, 8:30 am - 10:00 am
  3. Monday, September 22nd, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Textbook adoption processes look really different, however, for big districts than they do for small districts...and it's important to fulfill the legalities & implement best practices through your existing culture. I was a curriculum director & textbook coordinator who facilitated this process in my district for 16 years, so I have sat in your seat. My primary role at PW is to provide direct assistance to school districts with these processes. So I am happy to come & visit you this summer or fall - or to set up a video call, if that's more convenient. PW and I do not endorse any one state adopted resource over another. One size never fits all! My job is to help you run a process where your team finds its best match!

Expect more updates from me in the coming weeks & months.

Have a great rest of your summer!

-Patrick