Governor calls for content for free digital textbooks

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement regarding the call to content developers to submit free digital material for California's rigorous academic content standard review:

"From government to non-profit organizations, teachers to textbook publishers, we all have a role to play in leveraging 21^stcentury technology to expand learning and better serve California's students, parents, teachers and schools. This initiative will ensure our schools know which digital textbooks stand up to California's academic content standards - so these cost-effective resources can be used in our schools to help ensure each and every student has access to a world-class education."

Governor Schwarzenegger recently launched a first-in-the-nation initiative to offer school districts access to free digital textbooks.  The first phase of the initiative will bring high school math and science classes access to free digital textbooks by fall 2009 - with additional content to follow.  At the Governor's request, Secretary of Education Glen Thomas is working with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell and State Board of Education President Ted Mitchell to develop a list of standards-aligned digital textbooks for geometry, algebra II, trigonometry, calculus, physics, chemistry, biology/life science and earth science courses. Content developers should submit materials to the California Learning Resources Network at http://www.clrn.org/publisher/.