Teacher Fired for Refusing to Make Students Buy Pricey Textbooks - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Students may rightfully gripe at the cost of [URL="http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/08/18/teacher-fired-refusing-make-students-buy-pricey-textbooks#"]tuition[/URL] for college, but once there, realize they face another major expense in the form of pricey textbooks for each class. According to the [I][URL="http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2012/08/art_institute_of_orange_county_mike_tracy.php"]OC Weekly[/URL][/I], Mike Tracy, an animator and long-time teacher at the Art Institute of California-Orange County, knows this. Wanting to save his students some money, rather than requiring them to buy an e-book he considered “redundant” and “irrelevant,” he left all texts off his syllabus and is now out of a job because of it.Tracy, who has previously never required books for his Photoshop class, was informed by school administrators that all teachers must require e-book purchases from their students as part of a new school policy. When Tracy refused to adhere to that policy, he received a letter dated last Tuesday, August 10, from school president Gregory Marick, who issued this ultimatum: "As you have been previously informed, you are required to utilize an eBook from the list…Failure to comply with this directive will result in your immediate termination of employment for insubordination." The teacher refused, and was fired August 14. But there’s more going on here than meets the eye. According to an article on [URL="http://www.good.is/post/art-teacher-fired-after-refusing-to-make-students-buy-unnecessary-books/"]Good.is[/URL], all fifty schools bearing the Art Institute’s name are owned by a company called Education Management Corporation (otherwise known as EDMC.) EDMC exclusively uses e-books offered through a service called Digital Bookshelf, which is run by EDMC’s distributor, VitalSource. Art Institute requires students to pay $50-$75 to Digital Bookshelf to download a copy of each e-book required by their teachers―but the downloads are only temporary, lasting just the duration of the semester. Students are not allowed to substitute a hardcopy for an e-book; they may buy one in addition, but the download is required under all circumstances. According to the article, Tracy feels that the Art Institute has constructed a system to insure students pay money for books they may not even need, and ones they can't even sell back after the semester is over. Mike Tracy may now be out of a job for refusing to participate, but his fight is not over. After almost 12 years of dedicated teaching, his students are coming to his aid. One in particular, Justin Nouget, set up a petition on[URL="http://www.change.org/petitions/the-art-institute-of-california-orange-county-to-not-force-a-teacher-s-resignation-over-unnecessary-e-textbooks"]Change.org[/URL] to reinstate his teacher and call attention to the school’s policy of charging inflated fees. Almost 3,000 students, parents and former coworkers have signed it already and left a multitude of messages in support of the fired teacher. In that petition, Nouget quoted a statement made by Tracy on his personal Facebook page: “As many of you know, I have been in a dispute with our school, the[URL="http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/08/18/teacher-fired-refusing-make-students-buy-pricey-textbooks#"]Art Institutes[/URL], for some months now, over their policy of mandatory e textbooks in classes where their inclusion seems arbitrary, inappropriate and completely motivated by profit. In July I asked the US Department of Education, the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education and WASC (our accrediting agency) to look into my concerns. Since that time, the school and its parent company EDMC have escalated the pressure on me to select a book for a class I teach that I don't think requires one.” As of now, the school has not released a statement regarding Mike Tracy or his firing.[/QUOTE] [URL]http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/08/18/teacher-fired-refusing-make-students-buy-pricey-textbooks[/URL]

business and education mixing = aids

Forced to buy a [B]temporary[/B] e-book, what horseshit.

The book prices are total bullshit. I've only been in a few community college classes so far, but in a Theatre Appreciation class the teacher was going over the schedule for the month and somebody raised their hand and said, "Well, what about "this book". The teacher said, "Oh we won't be reading that." Everyone let out an audible groan.

Ok EDMC's way of providing textbooks is bullshit

[QUOTE=Metashotzo;37808905]The book prices are total bullshit. I've only been in a few community college classes so far, but in a Theatre Appreciation class the teacher was going over the schedule for the month and somebody raised their hand and said, "Well, what about "this book". The teacher said, "Oh we won't be reading that." Everyone let out an audible groan.[/QUOTE] What a coincidence. The same thing happened to me in a small 4 year university. The Introduction to Theater professor basically made us switch the book we were using on day one.

What the fuck man, I was in one of his classes a few years ago! Seriously, college is way too goddamn expensive; freakin' ridiculous.

A lot of books I've bought for class are just horse crap written just for the specific purpose of forcing college students to pay ridiculous prices, I remember a small pocket book that I had to buy for English cost $60, then when it comes time to sell they only give me $5 for a book that cost $120, I just give them away to other students now or burn them to keep warm at a bonfire.

[quote]Art Institute requires students to pay $50-$75 to Digital Bookshelf to download a copy of each e-book required by their teachers―but the downloads are only temporary, lasting just the duration of the semester. Students are not allowed to substitute a hardcopy for an e-book; they may buy one in addition, but the download is required under all circumstances.[/quote] this is wrong and i want whoever came up with it to fall into a hole and die

[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;37809087]this is wrong and i want whoever came up with it to fall into a hole and die[/QUOTE] Honestly I would gladly pay $50-75 to get my book for a class. I had to spend $250 on one fucking book this semester and I'm sure the return on it will be less than half of what I paid, or near. Textbooks are way too expensive as it is, but to pay a lot less would be nice. But I think $20-40 would be a more acceptable price for that kind of system. The fact that this guy got fired is bullshit though, quite a few of my courses this semester have no required textbook for once which is nice.

In my first year of university I bought ALL the books listed on the syllabus for all my courses... and we ended up only reading a select few anyway. Such a waste of money, this year I'm only buying the books I really need or just reading them online. University is expensive enough as it is, nevermind buying a [B]temporary[/B] e-book.

So you buy a digital copy of a book that still costs 50 dollars for some reason, and then it destroys itself so that you can't sell it back and get some of your money back? Wow.

If I was in this school, I would transfer ASAP.

Textbooks are fucking ridiculously expensive, and I despise the fact that they're so. It isn't easy coming up with that kind of money and all it goes to is a class that might not even use it.

Ladies and gentlemen this is why you avoid 99% of private for-profit "industries" (whoops, I meant school) like the plauge. And not even becaus they are almost always going to be a minimum of double the tuition you'd find for a state school. This is the type of shit where I could easily see some education reform legislation come out - dude getting fired for not having his students buy into a monopolistic trust between several different companies = corporate abuse that screws over many many people, and benefits nobody except the high-ups that control such a trust. Sure these types of things aren't exactly exclusive to one or two corporations, but its rare to see people get noticed and fired for refusing to adhere to it. (of course some private education is in fact good, but it will also be very expensive, beyond what is practical in this day and age).

Capitalism at it's finest.

[QUOTE=Metashotzo;37808905]The book prices are total bullshit. I've only been in a few community college classes so far, but in a Theatre Appreciation class the teacher was going over the schedule for the month and somebody raised their hand and said, "Well, what about "this book". The teacher said, "Oh we won't be reading that." Everyone let out an audible groan.[/QUOTE] This is why I never, ever buy textbooks except on rare occasions where I know for a fact the teacher tests and expects us to interact in class based on stuff in the book. 99% of teachers don't use the text-book in class, and use most of the testing material based on their lectures. A good chunk end up changing books at the last minute anyways. Don't buy textbooks unless you find you have to in order to pass the class. It's what I've done for years and its worked great. Only exceptions are the above or when its something like Math, where you obviously complete work from the text. Oh, and another important college-tip is to always try and get older editions - new editions are almost always bullshit, done just because they can make more money. This isn't always true, but you'll find older editions tend to match up exactly to newer ones, except the page numbers being 1-3 numbers off. You can find used older edition textbooks for dirt cheap online. Speaking of which, I've never had a single teacher who actually used the textbook signifigantly the first week of class, so ordering dirt cheap online is good to do. The only time I buy, I do it online and used, try to find older editions, and only do it when I'm experienced enough in the course to know the teacher does actually use it and know that if I want to pass I'll need to read it.

cool i paid $500 for books this semester

[QUOTE]Art Institute requires students to pay $50-$75 to Digital Bookshelf to download a copy of each e-book required by their teachers―but the downloads are only temporary, lasting just the duration of the semester. Students are not allowed to substitute a hardcopy for an e-book; they may buy one in addition, but the download is required under all circumstances.[/QUOTE] Wow, that's like, just, [B]so much fucking bullshit[/B] the fucker who came up with it deserves a fucking smack in the balls and kick in the face.

I cannot even begin to comprehend how anyone is okay with selling temporary PDFs for $50 a pop that's just wow [editline]26th September 2012[/editline] [QUOTE]"As you have been previously informed, you are required to utilize an eBook from the list…Failure to comply with this directive will result in your immediate termination of employment for insubordination."[/QUOTE] "no fuck you, you HAVE to make the students even poorer, that's how we do shit around here"

I remember books I never even took out of my locker in high school. I also didn't know where my locker was so maybe that's why I never used them.

For me they just tell us that we should and it's on us if we do it or not. [editline]26th September 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=RusMar;37809678]I remember books I never even took out of my locker in high school. I also didn't know where my locker was so maybe that's why I never used them.[/QUOTE] This is about post-secondary education, not highschool.

Had to buy courses today, all paper, cost me about €10 (one semester), except for one paperback book about economy: €33. This is bullshit (though I'm not complaining as veterinarians pay up to €200-300 for one semester :v:) It just illustrates the fact that they ask ridiculous prizes for some pieces of paper (I bet it's a similar case as with cd's: 85% goes to the publisher, 10% to the writer)

well good thing I didn't go this quarter then maybe I won't go at all.

I remember the first time I bought an e-book for a course. First realization: Oh so the University doesn't provide it, well that's a pain in the ass. I'll just follow this url. Second realization: So I can't actually download this book, I have to view it online. Well that's a load of horseshit. Third realization: So I can't download this book and I am actually just renting it for 120 days.

[QUOTE=Thlis;37810146]I remember the first time I bought an e-book for a course. First realization: Oh so the University doesn't provide it, well that's a pain in the ass. I'll just follow this url. Second realization: So I can't actually download this book, I have to view it online. Well that's a load of horseshit. Third realization: So I can't download this book and I am actually just renting it for 120 days.[/QUOTE] Christ how do you Americans put up with this shit. At least we own the (physical) books permanently. It seems common sense to me that you own the books you buy (and you just sell em to people after you're done with your year). They're milking you!

I guess I am lucky that my college tells students to buy used and purposely does not switch to new editions if the old one still covers the material. I think that they get points on a "green campus" review for encouraging used texts but it still saves me quite a bit cash. Many of my teachers have even suggested sharing textbooks to avoid high costs. Too bad I was ignorant as a freshman I got my first semesters books new from the book store, so they were ridiculously over priced. Now I order mine used from Amazon, or buy them off of other students.

[QUOTE=Number-41;37810389]Christ how do you Americans put up with this shit. At least we own the (physical) books permanently. It seems common sense to me that you own the books you buy (and you just sell em to people after you're done with your year). They're milking you![/QUOTE] We don't have a choice. What we'd save in tuition and materials costs studying in the UK we lose in airfare over there and the way higher living costs, so our only options are to either pay out the nose for school or just not go and hope for the best. It's...not ideal.

The e-book's stupid policy reminded me of my school's bookstore having a policy in which you get to rent certain textbook for one semester at a smaller price. The difference was meager, though; maybe you could rent a $130 textbook for $90. And quite frankly, I've had an easier time understanding what the course was teach only through some lectures, and some YouTube videos, and even a quick search on Google does a better job of defining a term than a whole fucking textbook could strenuously explain. I haven't even opened up a textbook in one class, and I've managed to pass it easily. Also many publishers will have the generosity to update their textbooks with a brand new cover while updating nothing in the book itself, and raise the MSRP of it.

[QUOTE=Nerdysimmer;37810790] Also many publishers will have the generosity to update their textbooks with a brand new cover while updating nothing in the book itself, and raise the MSRP of it.[/QUOTE] They often do slightly worse than that, they often shift things around by a few pages to try to disadvantage anyone using an older version. It's total bullshit. Not to mention that text books are often pretty shoddy, I'll try to find Feynman's essay on them. Here we go, this was back in 1964 and for high school books on maths and science, but books for unis often only have certain parts that are used by the professor, large parts of it are often useless or nonrelated to the specific area that you're studying. [url]http://www.textbookleague.org/103feyn.htm[/url]